Dear Editor,
Yesterday’s (Thursday) GCSE results highlight the resilience and determination of our country’s young people, who on average have missed 14 weeks of learning.
At Nacro, (social justice charity) our Further Education and Skills Centres teach some of the most disadvantaged 16–19-year-olds.
Around 50% of our students started the pandemic without a digital device or Wi-Fi to study on. Yet today, despite coming to us without GCSEs in English and maths, they have gone to achieve great re-sit results, with an increase of high passes 4 and above. For them this is the golden ticket to a good job or further education.
This success has been a result of the hard work and determination of our learners, with support from our staff. But it has been bolstered by the use of the Government’s recovery tuition funding.
Early analysis of our data shows that those who took part in the scheme achieved 15% higher pass rates compared to those who did not participate. We now need this funding boost to become permanent for those who need to fill gaps in learning or faced multiple barriers to education and skills. Well done to all those who are celebrating their achievements this week, in a year to remember.