Level 3 Maths Participation Charts

▪ In this presentation you will find a collection of graphs that

show the trends in the number of students taking Level 3

Qualifications in England and the UK.

▪ There are graphs for total entries, by subject and also by

gender.

▪ You are free to use the graphs in your own presentations.

AS and A level UK 2020

▪ Slide 3. A and AS level Mathematics and Further Mathematics

entries in the UK 2003-2020

▪ Slide 4. A level Mathematics and Further Mathematics entries in

the UK 2003-2020

▪ Slide 5. A and AS level Mathematics entries in the UK 2003-2020

▪ Slide 6. A level Mathematics entries in the UK 2003-2020

▪ Slide 7. A level Further Mathematics entries in the UK 2003-2020

▪ Slide 8. A and AS level Further Mathematics entries in the UK

2020

▪ Slide 9. A level Mathematics and Further Mathematics entries by

gender in UK in 2020

https://www.jcq.org.uk/examination-results/

A and AS level Mathematics and Further Mathematics

entries in the UK 2003-2020 (JCQ data)

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

180,000

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

En

trie

s

(JC

Q d

ata

)

AS Maths A level Maths AS Further Maths A level Further Maths

A level Mathematics and Further Mathematics entries in the UK 2003-

2020 (JCQ data)

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

En

trie

s

(JC

Q d

ata

)

A level Further Maths A level Maths

A and AS level Mathematics entries in the UK 2003-2020 (JCQ data)

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

180,000

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Entr

ies

(JC

Q d

ata)

A level Maths AS Maths

A level Mathematics entries in the UK 2003-2020 (JCQ data)

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

En

trie

s

(JC

Q d

ata

)

A level Maths

A level Further Mathematics entries in the UK 2003-2020 (JCQ data)

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

En

trie

s

(JC

Q d

ata

)

A level Further Maths

A and AS level Further Mathematics entries in the UK 2003-2020 (JCQ data)

0

2,500

5,000

7,500

10,000

12,500

15,000

17,500

20,000

22,500

25,000

27,500

30,000

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

En

trie

s

(JC

Q d

ata

)

AS Further Maths A level Further Maths

A level Mathematics and Further Mathematics entries by gender in UK

in 2020 (JCQ data)

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

A Level Mathematics (94264 Entries) A Level Further Mathematics (14979 Entries)

Male Female

AS, A level and Core Maths England 2020

▪ Slide 11. A level Mathematics entries in England by gender

2005-2020

▪ Slide 12. A level Further Mathematics entries in England by

gender 2005-2020

▪ Slide 13. Entries for A level Further Mathematics as a

proportion of A level Mathematics entries in England 2003-

2020

▪ Slide 14. Core Maths entries 2016-2020 chart

▪ Slide 15. Core Maths entries 2016-2020 table with

gender percentage

A level Mathematics entries in England by gender 2005-2020

(JCQ data)

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Male Female

A level Further Mathematics entries in England by gender 2005-2020

(JCQ data)

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Male Female

Entries for A level Further Mathematics as a proportion of A level

Mathematics entries in England 2003-2020 (JCQ data)

8.0%

9.0%

10.0%

11.0%

12.0%

13.0%

14.0%

15.0%

16.0%

17.0%

18.0%

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Core Maths entries 2016-2020 (from awarding organisation results)

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Core Maths 2016 to 2020 (from awarding organisation results)

GRADE 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Entries 2930 5376 6849 9027 11791

% Female 33.9 41.2 42.9 45.2 46.8

% Male 66.1 58.8 57.1 54.8 53.2

Data as provided to MEI: https://mei.org.uk/files/pdf/Summary-of-Core-Maths-entries-and-results-2020.pdf

Other charts

▪ Slide 17. 2020 UK A level entries by subject

▪ Slide 18. Gender split for A level entries in the UK 2020

▪ Slide 19. Gender balance differences in A level entries in the UK 2020

▪ Slide 20. 2020 A level entries in England by subject – female

▪ Slide 21. 2020 A level entries in England by subject – male

▪ Slides 22 & 23. Summary of changes since 2016

▪ Slide 24. Gender split for A level Mathematics and Further

Mathematics entries from 2016 to 2019

▪ Slide 25. Participation rates in A level Mathematics and Further

Mathematics in England 2019

▪ Slide 26. Numbers of first year undergraduate students in England by

Subject Area in 2019

2020 UK A level entries by subject (JCQ data)

315

1333

2849

4777

5699

8263

8707

10588

10919

11454

11711

12428

14979

17539

17659

21585

30203

31391

36188

37921

38994

41846

44898

56100

64312

65120

65263

94264

0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 70000 80000 90000 100000

Irish

ICT

German

Classics

Music

French

Spanish

Design & Tech

Drama/ Exp Arts

PE

Law

Computing

Further Maths

RE

Politics

Media Std

Geography

Economics

Business

Physics

Sociology

Art/Design

History

Chemistry

English

Biology

Psychology

Mathematics

Gender split for A level entries in the UK 2020 (JCQ data)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Computing

Physics

Further Maths

Economics

Design & Tech

ICT

Mathematics

Business

PE

Politics

Music

Geography

Chemistry

Media Std

History

German

Classics

Biology

Law

Spanish

Irish

French

RE

Drama/ Exp Arts

Psychology

Art/Design

English

Sociology

All

Male % Female %

Gender balance differences in A level entries in the UK 2020 (JCQ data)

-80% -60% -40% -20% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Sociology

English

Art/Design

Psychology

Drama/ Exp Arts

RE

French

Irish

Spanish

Law

Biology

Classics

German

History

Media Std

Chemistry

Geography

Music

Politics

PE

Business

Mathematics

ICT

Design & Tech

Economics

Further Maths

Physics

Computing

Higher Proportion Female Higher Proportion Male

2020 A level entries in England by subject – female (JCQ data)

1635

1688

2414

2820

2992

4118

4465

5406

5576

7223

7259

7796

8004

9429

10616

10788

13191

13748

23178

28156

28484

29086

34185

38094

45317

46340

0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000 40000 45000 50000

German

Computing

Music

Classics

Design & Tech

Further Maths

PE

French

Spanish

Drama/ Exp Arts

Law

Politics

Physics

Economics

RE

Media Std

Business

Geography

History

Chemistry

Sociology

Art/Design

Mathematics

Biology

English

Psychology

2020 A level entries in England by subject – male (JCQ data)

1031

1779

2151

2457

2505

2617

3838

3948

5786

6175

8306

8425

8729

9831

9920

10020

13566

14484

16208

17693

19609

21010

21433

23767

27020

53067

0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000

German

Classics

French

Spanish

Drama/ Exp Arts

Music

Law

RE

PE

Design & Tech

Sociology

Politics

Media Std

Art/Design

Computing

Further Maths

Geography

English

Psychology

History

Business

Economics

Biology

Chemistry

Physics

Mathematics

Summary of changes since 2016

UK A level Mathematics A level Further Mathematics All A levels

% Change Male Female All Male Female All Male Female All

2016-17 2.65% 4.45% 3.34% 6.12% 5.67% 6.00% -0.42% -1.47% -1.00%

2017-18 2.13% 3.08% 2.50% -1.31% 3.13% -0.09% -2.21% -1.83% -2.00%

2018-19 -5.03% -7.17% -5.87% -10.34% -9.45% -10.09% -1.31% -1.34% -1.33%

2019-20 1.47% 4.33% 2.58% 2.40% 4.90% 3.11% -3.35% -1.79% -2.49%

UK AS level Mathematics AS level Further Mathematics All AS levels

% Change Male Female All Male Female All Male Female All

2016-17 -1.70% -0.96% -1.41% 3.66% 7.03% 4.63% -36.33% -41.59% -39.15%

2017-18 -48.95% -50.30% -49.49% -34.54% -33.20% -34.15% -52.37% -52.54% -52.46%

2018-19 -69.07% -66.36% -68.02% -69.28% -64.97% -67.99% -48.45% -40.00% -44.12%

2019-20 -30.06% -27.86% -29.16% -8.34% -11.55% -9.39% -20.52% -20.29% -20.40%

Summary of changes since 2016

A level Mathematics A level Further Mathematics

UK Male Female All Male Female All

% of all entries

201615.1% 7.7% 11.0% 2.9% 0.9% 1.8%

% of all entries

201715.5% 8.2% 11.5% 3.1% 1.0% 2.0%

% of all entries

201816.2% 8.6% 12.0% 3.2% 1.0% 2.0%

% of all entries

201916.0% 8.3% 11.7% 2.9% 1.0% 1.9%

% of all entries

202016.4% 8.6% 12.1% 3.0% 1.0% 1.9%

Data sourced from School Performance Tables (accessed 20th January 2020)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Total A levelstudents

2016

Total A levelstudents

2017

Total A levelstudents

2018

Total ALevel

students2019

A levelMathsentries2016

A levelMathsentries2017

A levelMathsentries2018

A levelMathsentries2019

A level FMentries2016

A level FMentries2017

A level FMentries2018

A Level FMentries2019

Percentage split by female/male for A level Maths and Further Maths entries over the three year period from 2016 to 2019 inclusive

AMSP Region

Percentage of female A level

students entered for Maths

Percentage of male A level

students entered for Maths

Percentage of all A level

students entered for Maths

Difference in percentage

between male and female A level Maths entries

Percentage of female A level

students entered for Further Maths

Percentage of male A level

students entered for Further Maths

Percentage of all A level

students entered for Further Maths

Difference in percentage

between male and female A level Further Maths

entries

East of England 12.58% 26.36% 20.17% 13.79% 1.51% 5.17% 3.39% 3.66%

East Midlands 12.25% 25.96% 19.96% 13.71% 1.19% 4.45% 2.98% 3.26%

London &South East 15.53% 27.14% 24.50% 11.61% 1.54% 4.66% 3.46% 3.13%

North East 12.80% 24.79% 19.74% 11.99% 1.22% 4.46% 2.76% 3.24%

North West 12.58% 22.96% 19.64% 10.38% 1.05% 2.97% 2.18% 1.92%

South of England 15.08% 27.33% 24.09% 12.24% 1.90% 5.50% 4.18% 3.60%

South West 11.96% 23.95% 19.59% 12.00% 1.76% 4.48% 3.46% 2.72%

West Midlands 13.93% 26.23% 21.15% 12.30% 1.24% 3.57% 2.54% 2.33%

Yorkshire & Humber 12.80% 25.32% 20.29% 12.52% 1.38% 3.47% 2.36% 2.09%

Overall 13.62% 25.84% 21.56% 12.22% 1.45% 4.36% 3.12% 2.91%

State Schools only. Entries in England in Summer 2019.

Data source: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/download-data?currentstep=datatypes&regiontype=all&la=0&downloadYear=2018-2019&datatypes=ks5mathsci

Participation rates in A level Mathematics and

Further Mathematics in England

Data sourced from https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/16-01-2020/sb255-higher-education-student-statistics/subjects

0 20000 40000 60000 80000 100000

Medicine & Dentistry

Subjects Allied to Medicine

Biological Sciences

Veterinary Science

Agriculture & Related Sujects

Physical Sciences

Mathematical sciences

Computer science

Engineering & technology

Architecture, building & planning

Social studies

Law

Business & administrative studies

Mass communications & documentation

Languages

Historical & philosophical studies

Creative arts & design

Education

Combined

Numbers of HE First Year Undergraduate Students in Englandby Subject Area and Sex in 2019

Female Male Other