A-Level results highlight the importance of STEM
Today’s A-Level results have shown a welcome increase in the participation across core-STEM subjects, with Mathematics becoming the first A-Level to surpass 100,000 entrants. There’s been a 5.1% increase in the number of female core-STEM A-Level entrants, with over 7,000 more core-STEM A-Levels being taken by female entrants in 2024.
However, a huge increase in male participation has seen female participation drop below 43% this year, despite female entrants increasing in core-STEM subjects. Dr Laura Norton, WISE Managing Director says “despite us seeing a positive increase in female uptake, it is clear there is still work to be done to tackle gender parity in STEM.”
Let us break it down for you…
Whilst it may seem like a step backwards for gender parity, the participation rates for females are up in every core-STEM subject, apart from Biology which has seen a very minor drop. Computing has 28.6% more female entrants in 2024 with overall female participation rising by more than 2%. Further Mathematics and Physics have also been significant participation increases, with 15.7% and 13.7% more female entrants this year, respectively.
Female participation across STEM subjects is up, but male participation rises higher
STEM subjects have proven to be hugely popular this year with Mathematics becoming the first A-Level subject to surpass 100,000 entrants with a 10.9% participation increase. Further Mathematics is the fastest growing A-Level of 2024 with a 19.9% increased participation since 2023 and after a disappointing year last year, Physics is on the rise again with a 12.3% increase in entrants. This sees Physics overtake Economics to take 9th place in the top 10 most popular A-Levels of 2024, with Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry remaining firmly in the top 5.
Commenting on today’s results, WISE Managing Director Dr Laura Norton said:
“Congratulations to everyone receiving their A-Level results today. It’s great to see STEM subject A-levels are proving to be a priority and popular amongst young people and the top grade rates have increased for females and males this year too. However, today’s results have shown that we’ve still got work to do in ensuring gender parity within STEM, with there still being a noticeable gap between male and female participation.
“It is fantastic to see participation rates rising considerably in subjects where girls make up a low proportion of entrants, such as Computing and Physics, but more needs to be done to address this imbalance and ensure the trend stays on an upward trajectory.
“Despite us seeing a positive increase in female uptake, it’s concerning to see the gap is growing between male and female participation in Core-STEM subjects as a whole. Today is yet another reminder of the persisting problem that we all face, and continues to harm our sector. It’s time we moved forward and shifted the dial on gender parity in STEM.”
But what can be done?
You can’t be what you can’t see
Role models play a crucial role in inspiring the next generation. At WISE we are committed to spotlighting the many incredible women in STEM to highlight that there is a place for girls in our sector. We have created a resource as part of our My Skills My Life campaign that showcases inspirational STEM role models that school-age girls can aspire to be.
You can find out more about our role models, or how to become one, on our website My Skills My Life | Become A Role Model – WISE (wisecampaign.org.uk).
Building confidence
As well as providing real-life role models for young people, our My Skills My Life campaign looks at empowering girls and young women to pursue their passion in STEM. We provide a unique careers tool to showcase STEM careers and the personality traits that go with them to encourage school-aged girls to delve deeper into potential job opportunities.
Get involved by partnering with WISE
Your organisation can help us achieve gender parity in STEM. WISE exists to deliver women-centred equity, diversity and inclusion to the STEM sectors, with many leading UK organisations improving their gender balance through membership with us.
Join us on the journey to gender parity by speaking to someone about how you can get involved. Please email info@wisecampaign.org.uk or visit the membership page for more details.
Margaret Farragher, JCQ’s Chief Executive, said: “Huge congratulations to students on their achievements, spanning a range of vocational, technical and academic qualifications. While the pandemic is now behind us, we must acknowledge that this group of students faced disruption during their education and pay tribute to their resilience. I would also like to recognise and thank exams officers and teachers for supporting students with their assessments. They have once again helped to deliver a smooth and successful exam series, evident from today’s results.”
For more information about A-Level results 2024, you can read a full breakdown of the STEM subject statistics on our website.