Girls set to beat boys at GCSE for 38th year as expert suggests differences could be inherent

Professor Alan Smithers, an education expert at the University of Buckingham, has highlighted the persistent trend of girls outperforming boys in GCSE examinations, a pattern that has now continued for 38 years. In his analysis, he noted that boys only managed to achieve better results in maths-based subjects during the previous year, a continuation of a long-term trend. The gap between the sexes at the top grades was at its narrowest since the year 2000 in 2025, yet the overall pattern of female superiority remains unbroken. Professor Smithers has begun to consider what he describes as 'the unthinkable' in the current climate of cancel culture, suggesting that the consistent and regular nature of these educational disparities might point to inherent differences between the sexes. He has also proposed that the underperformance of boys could indicate a systemic failure to fully develop the talents of half the population. Despite his repeated calls for a formal government investigation into the issue, he reports that his concerns have been met with complacency, which he attributes to a fashionable narrative that focuses on male success in the workplace later in life. The professor pointed out that girls are also ahead in achieving the highest possible marks, such as straight grade 9s in seven or more subjects. In contrast, A-level results from the previous week showed boys outperforming girls at the top grades, a phenomenon Smithers explained by the fact that no subjects are compulsory at that stage, allowing boys to specialize in areas of strength. The grading system in England has shifted to a numerical scale from 1 to 9, replacing the old alphabetical system, with a 4 equivalent to a C and a 7 equivalent to an A, while Wales and Northern Ireland have retained the traditional system. Across both sexes, more than a fifth of UK entries, specifically 21.9 percent, were awarded top grades of at least a 7 or an A, a slight increase from 21.8 percent in 2024 and higher than the 20.8 percent recorded in 2019 before the pandemic. Professor Smithers predicts that the proportion of top grades in the current year will be similar to the last. His wide-ranging paper also touched upon a proposal by Andy Burnham to offer high-quality vocational routes at age 14, which Smithers believes would require a major overhaul of the education system. A Department for Education spokesman responded by stating the government's commitment to ensuring every young person has the opportunity to succeed regardless of gender or background, and that support is being put in place to extend ambition for everyone.

The persistent nature of this educational gender gap has led Professor Smithers to a controversial hypothesis. He has been thinking what he calls 'the unthinkable' in an era where cancel culture is prevalent, proposing that the sex differences in educational achievement are so regular and persistent that they could be inherent. This suggestion moves beyond social and environmental explanations to consider biological or innate cognitive differences between males and females as a contributing factor. He insists that any future inquiry into the matter should take this possibility on board, marking a significant departure from conventional educational discourse which often focuses on social conditioning and bias. The professor's comments are set against a backdrop where boys are habitually seen as privileged, and their weaker GCSE results do not receive the attention he believes they deserve.

The reaction to Professor Smithers' concerns has been muted at the official level. He has repeatedly called for a government investigation into the underperformance of boys, but these calls have been met with what he describes as complacency. He suggests this lack of action may be due to a fashionable narrative that emphasizes how men, on average, perform better once they enter the workplace, thus diminishing the perceived urgency of addressing earlier educational disparities. This perspective, he argues, overlooks the immediate and long-term consequences for boys who leave compulsory education with lower qualifications. The Department for Education's response, while affirming a desire for all young people to succeed, did not directly address the call for a specific inquiry into the gendered performance gap, instead offering a general statement about putting the right support in place.

The broader context of these findings includes the structure of the examination system itself. The divergence in performance between GCSEs and A-levels provides a key insight. At A-level, where students choose their subjects, boys outperformed girls in terms of top grades. Professor Smithers attributes this directly to the lack of compulsory subjects at this advanced stage, allowing boys to focus on areas where they traditionally excel, such as mathematics and sciences. This contrasts with the broad, compulsory curriculum of GCSEs, where girls' consistent strengths across a wider range of subjects, including humanities and languages, lead to an overall higher performance. The data from the previous year showed that 21.9 percent of all UK entries achieved top grades, a figure that has remained relatively stable, with Professor Smithers forecasting a similar outcome for the current year's results.