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Department for Education written question – answered at on 21 January 2019.

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Photo of Kevin Brennan Kevin Brennan Shadow Minister (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) (Arts and Heritage)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) students and (b) students eligible for free school meals studied GCSE computer science in each year since 2012.

Photo of Nick Gibb Nick Gibb Minister of State (Education)

The number of pupils[1], in state-funded schools, at the end of Key Stage 4, who entered into GCSE (or equivalent) computer science[2], between 2011/12 – 2016/17[3] are provided in the table below:

Pupils[1] in state-funded schools, at the end of Key Stage 4, entered into GCSE (or equivalent) computer science[2], between 2011/12 – 2016/17[3]

Academic year

Total pupils

entering

computer science

Percentage of all pupils[4],

at the end of Key Stage 4,

entering computer science

Entrants who

were eligible

for free

school meals

(FSM)

Percentage of

entrants that

were eligible

for FSM

2011/12[5]

1,549

0.3

75

4.8

2012/13

3,835

0.7

331

8.6

2013/14[6]

15,213

2.7

1,509

9.9

2014/15[7]

32,258

5.8

2,961

9.2

2015/16

60,410

11.2

6,191

10.2

2016/17

67,175

12.7

6,713

10.0

[1] Includes state funded pupils.Total number of entries include pupils who were absent, whose results are pending and results which are ungraded or unclassified.

[2] Discounting has been applied where pupils have taken the same subject more than once and only one entry is counted in these circumstances. Prior to 2014, best entry discounting, where the pupil’s best result is used was in place in performance tables. From 2014 onwards, first entry rules were introduced, where a pupil’s first entry in that subject is used in performance tables. For more information on discounting and early entry, see: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/key-stage-4-qualifications-discount-codes-and-point-scores.

[3] All figures are based on final data so will deviate from total entries figures published in the Department's statistical release.

[4] In state funded schools.

[5] Figures for 2011/12 are based on GCSE entries only and does not include equivalents. Caution should be used when comparing these figures to later years.

[6] In 2013/14, two major reforms were implemented which affect the calculation of Key Stage 4 performance measures data: 1) Professor Alison Wolf’s Review of Vocational Education recommendations which; restrict the qualifications counted; prevent any qualification from counting as larger than one GCSE; and cap the number of non GCSEs included in performance measures at two per pupil, and 2) an early entry policy to only count a pupil’s first attempt at a qualification, in subjects counted in the English Baccalaureate.

[7] From 2014/15, early entry policy, under which only a pupil’s first attempt at a qualification is counted in performance measures, is extended to all subjects.

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