Gender Differences in Achievement
Questions & Answers
Which official statistics show the differences in achievement of boys and girls at starting school? -
Answer - In 2013, teacher assessments of pupils at the end of year 1 showed girls ahead of boys by
between 7 and 17 percentage points.
A DfE (2013) study found that in state primary schools, boys were 2.5x more likely than girls to have
special educational needs.
-62 % of girls could concentrate for 10 minutes without supervision- compared to 49% of boys.
Which official statistics show the differences in achievement of boys and girls at Key Stages 1-3? -
Answer - Girls consistently do better than boys- especially in English, where the gender gap widens with
age, and in science and maths, where the gap is much narrower- but they still achieve better.
Which official statistics show the differences in achievement of boys and girls at GCSE? - Answer - Girls
are around 10 percentage points above boys.
Which official statistics show the differences in achievement of boys and girls at AS and A-Level? -
Answer - In 2013, around 46% of girls gained A or B grades at A Level, compared to 42% of boys.
Girls were more likely to achieve than boys in "boys subjects" such as maths and physics.
Which official statistics show the differences in achievement of boys and girls at vocational courses? -
Answer - More girls achieve distinctions, including those in engineering and construction, where there is
a small female population.
How has feminism impacted girls' achievement? (External) - Answer - -Angela McRobbie's (1994) study
of girls' magazines in the 1970s emphasised the importance of getting married and not being "left on the
shelf", whereas today there are many images of powerful women.
What changes have there been in the family since the 1970s, which have affected girls' achievement?
(External) - Answer - -Increased divorce rates= may suggest to girls that it is unwise to rely on a man for
financial support.
-Increased cohabitation and decrease of first marriages = many argue marriage is the catalyst to
inequality, as women become subordinate to their husbands and are often placed in the housewife role.
-Increased lone-parent families = more women need to take on the breadwinner role, and shows
children how strong an independent woman is.
-Smaller families = better conditions to study, more support from parents to the fewer children.
Questions & Answers
Which official statistics show the differences in achievement of boys and girls at starting school? -
Answer - In 2013, teacher assessments of pupils at the end of year 1 showed girls ahead of boys by
between 7 and 17 percentage points.
A DfE (2013) study found that in state primary schools, boys were 2.5x more likely than girls to have
special educational needs.
-62 % of girls could concentrate for 10 minutes without supervision- compared to 49% of boys.
Which official statistics show the differences in achievement of boys and girls at Key Stages 1-3? -
Answer - Girls consistently do better than boys- especially in English, where the gender gap widens with
age, and in science and maths, where the gap is much narrower- but they still achieve better.
Which official statistics show the differences in achievement of boys and girls at GCSE? - Answer - Girls
are around 10 percentage points above boys.
Which official statistics show the differences in achievement of boys and girls at AS and A-Level? -
Answer - In 2013, around 46% of girls gained A or B grades at A Level, compared to 42% of boys.
Girls were more likely to achieve than boys in "boys subjects" such as maths and physics.
Which official statistics show the differences in achievement of boys and girls at vocational courses? -
Answer - More girls achieve distinctions, including those in engineering and construction, where there is
a small female population.
How has feminism impacted girls' achievement? (External) - Answer - -Angela McRobbie's (1994) study
of girls' magazines in the 1970s emphasised the importance of getting married and not being "left on the
shelf", whereas today there are many images of powerful women.
What changes have there been in the family since the 1970s, which have affected girls' achievement?
(External) - Answer - -Increased divorce rates= may suggest to girls that it is unwise to rely on a man for
financial support.
-Increased cohabitation and decrease of first marriages = many argue marriage is the catalyst to
inequality, as women become subordinate to their husbands and are often placed in the housewife role.
-Increased lone-parent families = more women need to take on the breadwinner role, and shows
children how strong an independent woman is.
-Smaller families = better conditions to study, more support from parents to the fewer children.
