Provisional figures from Ofqual reveal a decline in students opting for drama and media studies at both GCSE and A-level in England. Drama at A-level has dropped by 5.8% and by 0.8% at GCSE. Media studies entries at A-level fell by 1.3%, while performing arts at GCSE saw a 3.1% decline.
Meanwhile, subjects like statistics, computing, physics, and maths have gained popularity. Entries for computing have risen by 6.2% at GCSE and 11.8% at A-level. Modern foreign languages have also seen an uptick; A-level entries for French, Spanish, and German increased by 8%, 2.3%, and 3.1%, respectively. Additionally, further maths experienced a notable rise of almost 20% at A-level.
Overall, the total number of exam entries for both GCSEs and A-levels has increased, with GCSE entries up by 4.8% and A-level entries by 2.4%. This trend contrasts markedly with the declining interest in arts subjects, prompting calls for government support to maintain a broad curriculum.