CaSE responds to A level results 2019

CaSE has responded to today’s A level results, showing increasing numbers of girls studying science

Today’s A level results revealed that the number of girls taking sciences was greater than their male counterparts for the first time. Entries in Biology, Chemistry and Physics continued to rise, despite a smaller cohort of 18 year olds, and entries in these subjects accounted for almost 21% of all A level entries. These three subjects are the most popular science subjects but there are also large numbers of students studying other scientific subjects, such as Psychology and Computer Science.

Diversity and inclusion in science is crucial to improving scientific outcomes in the future. Companies in the top quartile for gender diversity have 15% increased financial return and 80% of engineers report increased motivation and performance when they feel included. With STEM-related jobs predicted to rise at twice the rate of other jobs until 2023, increasing the number of students studying science at school is also important in meeting future skills needs to drive research and innovation.

 
Commenting on the release of today’s results, CaSE Executive Director Dr Sarah Main said: 

“Congratulations to all those students receiving their results today.”

“Increasing numbers of girls studying science later in school is not just good news for them, but for the future of science and the UK workforce. Increased diversity has been shown to increase outcomes for companies, and more women studying science can support the projected rise in STEM-related jobs. Progress has been made in subjects such as Physics, however it continues to lag behind most subjects in terms of gender diversity.”
 

ENDS
Notes to editors:

1. Female entries in Biology, Chemistry and Physics accounted for 50.3% of total entries in these subjects, up from 49.6% in 2018.
2. Chemistry entries were up by 9.2% from 2018, Biology up 8.4% and Physics up 3.0%.
3. The pass rate (A* – E) for Biology, Chemistry and Physics remained steady at 97.1%. 
4. A Level entries have increased as a proportion of 18 year-olds, with a decrease of 2.9% in the 18 year-old population in 2019, while the number of entries fell by 1.3%.
5. Companies in the top quartile for gender diversity have 15% increased financial return: McKinsey, Diversity Matters, 2015
6. 80% of engineers report increased motivation and performance when they feel included:  Royal Academy of Engineering, Creating cultures where all engineers thrive, 2017  
7. STEM-related jobs predicted to rise at twice the rate of other jobs until 2023: EDF Energy and Social Market Foundation, Jobs of the Future, 2017