Blackpool sees one of England's biggest drops in GCSE results since lockdown
With GCSEs in full swing, a new study has looked at which areas of the UK have seen the biggest drop in GCSE results since lockdown and Blackpool is one of the worst offenders.
The study by Teachers To Your Home, which provides qualified teachers for tuition, analysed Department for Education data from 2018/19 to 2023/24 to find the areas that have seen the biggest drop in Attainment 8 average scores since before lockdown.
Attainment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average achievement across their best eight GCSE-level qualifications, with a maximum score of 90.
Coming in as having seen the third biggest drop in results is Blackpool with a drop of 7.9%.
In the Fylde Coast town, attainment 8 scores dropped from 37.8 on average in 2018/19 to 34.8 in 2023/24.
Which other areas saw big drops?
The 10 local authorities with the biggest drop in GCSE scores since 2018/19:
| Rank | Local authority | 2018/19 | 2023/24 | 2018/19 to 2023/24 change | % change |
| 1 | Halton | 45.4 | 39.9 | -5.5 | -12.1 |
| 2 | Wirral | 48.4 | 44.4 | -4 | -8.3 |
| 3 | Blackpool | 37.8 | 34.8 | -3 | -7.9 |
| 4 | Stoke-on-Trent | 42.8 | 39.6 | -3.2 | -7.5 |
| 5 | North Lincolnshire | 44.6 | 41.5 | -3.1 | -7 |
| 6 | Southampton | 44.1 | 41.3 | -2.8 | -6.3 |
| 7 | Telford and Wrekin | 46.2 | 43.3 | -2.9 | -6.3 |
| 8 | Shropshire | 46.2 | 43.5 | -2.7 | -5.8 |
| 9 | Sefton | 44.2 | 41.7 | -2.5 | -5.7 |
| 10 | Central Bedforshire | 44.8 | 42.3 | -2.5 | -5.6 |
And which areas did the best?
The 10 local authorities with the biggest increase in GCSE scores since 2018/19
| Rank | Local authority | 2018/19 | 2023/24 | 2018/19 to latest change | % change |
| 1 | Salford | 39.3 | 41.6 | 2.3 | 5.9 |
| 2 | Plymouth | 43.7 | 46.2 | 2.5 | 5.7 |
| 3 | Wandsworth | 49.4 | 52.1 | 2.7 | 5.5 |
| 4 | Lewisham | 43.7 | 45.9 | 2.2 | 5 |
| 5 | Leicester | 43.1 | 45.2 | 2.1 | 4.9 |
| 6 | Southwark | 49.5 | 51.9 | 2.4 | 4.8 |
| 7 | Islington | 45.8 | 48 | 2.2 | 4.8 |
| 8 | Newham | 48.8 | 51.1 | 2.3 | 4.7 |
| 9 | Richmond upon Thames | 54.1 | 56.4 | 2.3 | 4.3 |
| 10 | Wokingham | 50.9 | 53 | 2.1 | 4.1 |
What has been said about the findings?
Cillian Dixon, CEO of Teachers To Your Home, said, "With many northern areas featuring in the list of the biggest GCSE score drops, it could be suggested that there is a divide between how the pandemic has affected educational outcomes between the north and the south of the country.
“A significant drop in Attainment 8 averages, as seen in some of the areas on this list, could mean more pupils see a long-term impact, with knock-on effects for access to higher education and employment prospects.
“In London, where a lot of areas have seen improvements, work has been done post-pandemic to focus on any loss of education. Initiatives like Reconnect London, for example, took on the job of educational recovery by providing tutoring and mentoring to London pupils.”