Responding after today’s GCSEs results showed a greater proportion of students in England will have to resit maths and English exams during post-16 education, Sarah Hannafin, head of policy at school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“Urgent change is needed to the current government policy which forces some students into what can be a dispiriting round of resits for maths and English until they achieve the required grade.  

“All students should develop the knowledge and skills in maths and English to enable them to progress to the next stage of their education or training, and for many students this will be achieved through GCSEs. But for some young people alternative qualifications in maths and English would be more appropriate and government policy should allow much more flexibility in this.

"Students who need to continue their learning in maths and English post-16 should not be forced into repeated resits which can lead them to feel disillusioned and disengaged.

"They should be able to take the qualification which they and their school or college deem most appropriate, be that a GCSE, or a functional skills or other relevant qualification - enabling them to move forward with their education, training or employment."

Students who achieve a grade 3 have to retake their GCSE; students with a grade 2 or below can either take a functional skills level 2 or resit their GCSE.