The 2026 GCSE results have highlighted some continuing challenges across England, particularly in English and maths.

For the fifth consecutive year, the proportion of entries achieving a grade 4 or above in both subjects has fallen. At the same time, the latest figures show growing differences between regions and continued difficulties for students resitting English and maths after the age of 16.

English and maths pass rates continue to fall

This year, 59.5% of English language entries achieved a grade 4 or above, compared with 59.7% in 2025 and 61.6% in 2024.

Maths recorded a larger year-on-year fall. Some 57.2% of entries achieved grade 4 or above, down from 58.2% last year.

Both subjects have now seen their grade 4 pass rates decline each year since the unusually high results recorded during the pandemic.

However, the picture for 16-year-olds is slightly different. In English language, 71.4% achieved a grade 4 or above, up from 70.5% in 2025. In maths, the rate remained broadly stable, slipping slightly from 71.9% to 71.8%.

Resits remain a significant challenge

One of the most striking findings comes from students aged 17 and over, many of whom are retaking English and maths after not securing a grade 4 first time around.

Only 19.8% of older students achieved grade 4 or above in English language, down from 20.9% last year.

The picture in maths was even more pronounced, with the pass rate among students aged 17 and over dropping from 17.1% to 15.3%.

At the same time, the number of GCSE entries from students aged 17 or older increased from 433,697 in 2025 to 453,242 in 2026.

The figures are likely to add to the debate around the current approach to compulsory English and maths resits in post-16 education.

Overall GCSE results remain relatively stable

Across all subjects, 67% of GCSE entries received a grade 4 or above this year, compared with 67.1% in 2025.

Among 16-year-olds specifically, the proportion actually increased slightly, from 70.5% to 70.7%.

Top grades remained broadly unchanged too. Overall, 21.8% of entries achieved grades 7 to 9, the same proportion as last year.

The percentage receiving the very highest grade, a grade 9, fell marginally from 5.1% to 5%.

The regional attainment gap has widened

The results also underline continuing differences in GCSE attainment across England.

London recorded the highest proportion of grade 4 or above results at 71.7%, compared with 62.4% in the West Midlands. That creates a gap of 9.3 percentage points, up from 8.6 points last year.

A similar pattern can be seen at the top end of the grade distribution.

In London, 28.6% of entries achieved grades 7 or above, compared with 17.7% in the North East. The gap between the highest and lowest-performing regions therefore increased to 10.9 percentage points.

These figures add to concerns about persistent geographical inequalities in educational outcomes.

State and private school gaps remain

There also continues to be a substantial difference between state-funded and private schools.

Across state-funded schools, 20.6% of entries achieved grades 7 or above. In private schools, the figure was 47.1%.

The difference has narrowed slightly, however, with the top-grade gap falling from 27.4 percentage points in 2025 to 26.5 points this year.

For grade 4 and above, 66.1% of state-school entries reached the threshold compared with 88.4% in private schools.

The gender gap is narrowing

Girls continued to achieve a higher proportion of grade 4 and above results than boys, although the difference narrowed again in 2026.

Some 69.9% of girls’ entries achieved grade 4 or above, compared with 64.2% for boys.

At grades 7 and above, 24.1% of girls’ entries reached the threshold, compared with 19.5% of boys’ entries.

The gap has reduced partly because boys’ results improved slightly while girls’ results fell marginally.

What do the 2026 results tell us?

The national picture is relatively stable, but beneath the headline figures there are several areas that deserve attention.

The continued fall in English and maths pass rates, particularly among post-16 resit students, raises questions about how effectively the current system supports learners who did not achieve the required grade at 16.

At the same time, widening regional differences suggest that where a young person lives continues to have a significant relationship with educational attainment.

While overall GCSE results have changed little from 2025, the 2026 figures show that some of the most persistent gaps within the education system remain firmly in place.

Figures based on GCSE results data reported by Tes on 20 August 2026.

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Headline statistics

• English language grade 4+: 59.5%, down from 59.7% in 2025 and 61.6% in 2024.
• Maths grade 4+: 57.2%, down from 58.2% in 2025. Both English and maths have now fallen for five consecutive years.
• All GCSE subjects grade 4+: 67.0%, versus 67.1% in 2025. For 16-year-olds alone, it increased from 70.5% to 70.7%.
• Grades 7-9: 21.8% overall, unchanged from 2025. Grade 9: 5.0%, down slightly from 5.1%.
• English resits, age 17+: 19.8% grade 4+, down from 20.9%. Maths resits: 15.3%, down sharply from 17.1%.
• 17+ GCSE entries rose to 453,242, from 433,697 in 2025, despite total GCSE entries falling by about 1%.
• Regional grade 4+ gap: 9.3 percentage points, between London at 71.7% and the West Midlands at 62.4%. Last year’s widest gap was 8.6 points.
• For grades 7-9, London recorded 28.6% compared with 17.7% in the North East, a 10.9-point regional gap.
• State schools grades 7-9: 20.6% versus 47.1% in private schools. The gap narrowed slightly to 26.5 percentage points.
• Girls grade 4+: 69.9%, compared with 64.2% for boys. At grades 7-9, the figures were 24.1% for girls and 19.5% for boys, with the gender gap continuing to narrow.