Failing maths or failing students?

In summer 2024, approximately 32.4 per cent of students completing their GCSE maths did not achieve a grade 4 or above. In November 2024, 152,610 students resat the exams, compared to 125,615 in November 2023 – an increase of 21 per cent.

Unfortunately, come GCSE results day in August 2025, more young people discovered that they had failed maths and began preparing for the autumn resit. Despite record entries — 346,000 for 17–19-year-olds, around only one in six went on to pass. This persistently low success rate has reignited calls to scrap compulsory resits, with critics arguing the policy is demoralising, ineffective, and disproportionately impacts disadvantaged students.

The government’s policy states: ‘You’ll need to continue studying GCSE English, GCSE maths, or both if you’re on a 16 to 19 study programme and do not have a grade 4 or above in one or both of these subjects.’ Ministers have confirmed, however, that the ongoing curriculum and assessment review, due to be reported later in 2025, will consider alternatives, including functional skills qualifications and competency-based assessments.

However, students, parents, and some educators are questioning the necessity of this policy, asking whether students should be made to continue studying maths and resitting the exam.

One of the biggest arguments for requiring GCSE maths resits is, of course, that most employers cite it as a required qualification for jobs. Once students leave education and are looking for work, many will find that most role advertisements list GCSE maths as a necessity, even if the position itself is not directly related to mathematics. This is likely because it is viewed as a basic qualification, equipping young people with problem-solving and analytical skills.

It is similar for accessing university, with many listing it as an entry requirement for courses. Not having a grade 4 in the subject as a minimum could heavily limit a student’s options, especially when it comes to course choice. Degrees in the field itself, or in areas like science and business, will require it alongside relevant Level 3 qualifications.

It is also important to remember that every child’s circumstances are different, and mental health can play a huge part in the outcome of exams. Some young people might have been dealing with difficult issues at home, within themselves, or with extra responsibilities. Their emotions might have impacted their performance on exam day or their time and ability to focus on revision in the lead-up.

The resits offer these students another opportunity to focus on their studies in a new academic year and succeed. Plus, the achievement of succeeding, for any young person, can lead to a huge boost in confidence about what they are capable of and what can be achieved. On the other hand, others argue that the stress or upset that students may potentially feel about failing and the resit process might not be worth the emotional toll.

Finding out that you have failed a qualification that is typically viewed as incredibly important and vital for a successful future is a feeling that is likely to be overwhelming for young people and one that might impact their mental health. This, coupled with juggling other commitments such as A-levels or an apprenticeship, could be too much, and lead to reduced performance and confidence across both.

For some, it might feel incredibly frustrating to continue studying a subject that does not demonstrate any clear relevance to their future ambitions. If one wishes to pursue a career in the arts or humanities, for example, the necessity of a GCSE maths resit might be seen as a distraction or barrier.

Over the years, GCSE maths has also received plenty of criticism for its course content and its relevancy to normal life. For example, the inclusion of topics like complex geometry or vectors in the curriculum, but the lack of content about understanding tax, budgeting, and credit.

In some cases, a student may understand concepts relevant to everyday life, such as money, time, measurement and basic percentages, but struggle with more abstract areas like trigonometry, transformations, graphing and complex algebra, failing their GCSE as a result.

For many young people, maths isn’t just difficult, it’s daunting. Anxiety, fear of failure, and a lack of confidence can turn the subject into a genuine barrier. A person who understands this is Rebecca Ginger, a maths teacher and mum of three, who works with children of all ages through her company, Fables World. Each year, she helps more than 1,000 students overcome their maths anxiety and rebuild their confidence. Commenting on why students can struggle with maths Rebecca suggests students process maths differently, yet the system often assumes everyone learns in the same way. Research shows that people remember stories, images, and associations more effectively than abstract numbers and she believes if teaching was adapted to reflect how students’ brains naturally learn, many more young people could be helped to succeed.

Today’s technology has also completely changed the way people deal with mathematical problems, particularly for the younger generation. There is less of a need for complex mental calculations, as smartphones provide calculators, a wide range of specialised apps, and instant access to nearly endless maths support.

Another point to consider, particularly for schools, is the logistical and financial impact of students resitting GCSE maths. Exam boards charge schools approximately £30 to £100, with Pearson Edexcel charging £52.95 for one GCSE mathematics test and AQA charging £39.55 per student for GCSE mathematics. These costs, alongside funding that might need to be allocated for additional teaching hours, tutoring, and supporting resources, could prove difficult for schools and colleges, especially in the current recruitment crisis, with institutions also struggling to receive financial support. It also puts a strain on colleges, who end up having to facilitate these resits. There are 3,400 secondary schools, but there are only around 190 colleges that are doing most of this resit work. The logistics for colleges are overwhelming.

The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has also argued that the latest data shows the resit system is failing, with fewer than one in five post-16 students managing to secure a pass in English and just over 15 per cent in maths. The union has long called for reform, describing repeated resits as demoralising and ineffective, and instead urges the introduction of more suitable qualifications that prioritise practical literacy and numeracy. It believes students should be able to work towards alternatives that fit their needs and ambitions, rather than being forced back into GCSE exams, and has called for the curriculum in English and maths to be simplified and made more engaging.

Parents may also spend their own money on providing their children with resources and even private tutoring, which is usually regarded as expensive.

When thinking about alternatives to mandatory continuation of studying and resitting GCSE maths, some have suggested making it optional. A change like this would allow students to decide for themselves whether they would like to continue working towards the qualification, though it could also be discussed with teachers, parents, and carers.

Perhaps instead of resitting GCSE maths, and depending on the specific level of ability, some students could be registered for functional skills exams – qualifications that shift the numeracy focus to everyday topics without delving into more complex concepts that may be deemed unnecessary.

If resits were to be made optional, or even removed entirely, this decision would need support and understanding from universities and employers. They would need to recognise alternative qualifications and place more value on those that are directly relevant to the degree subject or role. This change would require the collaboration of all parties to ensure that no child is disadvantaged.

While it is important that young people possess the ability to use numeracy for everyday activities, it is also important that the curriculum is consistently reviewed and that policies like resits can evolve to meet the needs of a diverse range of students with different capabilities and ambitions. Maths teacher, Rebecca, suggests maths isn’t just an academic subject, it’s a survival skill. Strong numeracy underpins everything from managing money and debt to future job opportunities and confidence in adulthood. Giving every child the chance to leave school numerate is one of the most important things that can be done for their long-term wellbeing.

Additionally, it is essential that student voice and feedback are at the forefront of the conversation when it comes to educational changes too, particularly with something as significant as resits for key qualifications.

Whether continuing to study and resitting GCSE maths should remain mandatory is a complex issue and one that, as mentioned, should perhaps prioritise the needs of individuals rather than rely on a one-size-fits-all policy.

To explore this issue further, Educate invited Caroline Hamilton from Rethink Maths to share her perspective. Drawing on her experience of helping students engage with the subject in new ways, she reflects on why so many young people struggle, what could be done differently, and whether resits are always the right answer.

Why do you think GCSE maths pass rates, as well as resits, remain so low?

Around a third of students each year don’t achieve a grade 4 at 16. If you track back, it’s roughly the same percentage who don’t meet age-related expectations at the end of primary school and the same at the end of EYFS. It’s a revolving door, and we’re doing far too little to break the cycle for these students.

Every student still sits the exam, yet too many leave with the feeling they’ve failed. We need to build a system where everyone can feel success in maths, even if their journey looks different. That might mean exploring different types of assessment, recognising progress more fairly, or thinking about how exams are structured. It’s also worth noting that international studies show confidence is a real and growing issue in this country, particularly for girls.

I also think we need to keep perspective on the resit pass rate. We hear a lot about only one in five passing post-16, but let’s remember who we’re talking about, these are all students who scored between a U and a grade 3 at GCSE. How many should we realistically expect to reach grade 4 in a single year, sometimes by November? Progress is happening, but it’s not always recognised. Imagine if this moved to 50 per cent we’d be saying GCSE maths is too easy if 50 per cent can move from a grade 1 to 4 in a year! To give some context, currently, by age 19, around 85 per cent of learners will have achieved a grade 4 in maths. The bigger ambition should be – how do we move that figure closer to 90 per cent? That doesn’t require radical change, a small improvement in the 16+ pass rate, from one in five to one in four,, would get us most of the way there. The headline number sounds low, but seen in this light, the progress already being made looks very different.

What could be done to better support students who struggle with maths?

The most important change has to be with GCSE itself. Right now, it tries to serve every learner through one structure, but in reality, it often works best for those in the middle. We need a sharper focus. One possible step is to split the qualification into two (like GCSE English), one with more applied, everyday content, and one more theoretical, every student has to sit both exams, but I feel it will give more relevance to many. The more applied one could be the one they sit post-16 providing more meaningful contexts to study. Students want to learn skills that will genuinely help them in life, such as managing their money and understanding data.

We should also start valuing progress more visibly. Moving from a grade 1 to a grade 3 is an enormous step for a learner, but it rarely gets acknowledged. Recognising those gains would do a lot for motivation and confidence. Crucially, students who need the most support must be taught by teachers who are confident in this space. Targeted CPD, high-quality teaching and carefully designed resources can completely change the resit experience.

Do you think students who fail GCSE maths at 16 should be required to resit, or should they have the option to pursue alternative qualifications or focus on other subjects?

From our own work in this area, it’s clear that students themselves still want to take GCSE. They know it’s the qualification that carries weight. Employers understand it, universities and colleges require it and it feels like a badge of success they aspire to. We’ve trialled alternative qualifications before in this country, but for whatever reason, they’ve never carried the same respect. A new version, introduced only for those who “didn’t make it first time,” would risk feeling like a consolation prize. Young people are very alive to that.

That’s why the focus should be on changing GCSE maths itself, not replacing it. If the qualification was reformed, made more relevant to some extent in places, designed with better progression built in then the resit wouldn’t feel like a punishment, it would feel like a fair second chance. For many students, that’s all they’re asking for.

How important is maths as a qualification for students’ future opportunities?

Maths remains one of the biggest gateways to future study, training and employment. Employers value it because it signals reasoning, problem-solving and persistence. But it’s not just about what employers think, students themselves recognise how important it is. They want to pass GCSE maths because they know it opens doors.

The problem is that the current system leaves too many young people believing they’ve failed before they’ve even started. We mustn’t respond to that by lowering ambition or creating ‘second-tier’ alternatives. Instead, we should rethink GCSE maths to ensure it better supports the full range of learners, while keeping the rigour and respect that makes it valuable. Done well, that gives students both confidence and opportunity. It is possible to do this.