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Previous literature indicates that educational aspirations are an important predictor of achievement at school and beyond. This paper examines the factors that are associated with high educational aspirations. It also looks at the relationship between aspirations and achievement at the General Certificate of Secondary Education in a deprived area of London. The results show that educational aspirations are associated with individual characteristics. Girls were more likely than boys to express a wish to remain in education beyond the age of 16. For the most academic route post-16, there were substantial ethnic differences, with minority ethnic groups generally being more likely to state a desire to follow this path. Students who were eligible for free school meals tended to have lower aspirations. Socio-psychological variables were also shown to be of importance, particularly self-esteem and psychological distress. Importantly, educational aspirations had a strong association with actual achievement at age 16, remaining associated even after controlling for a number of other variables, including prior achievement. These findings are discussed in light of previous research and potential intervention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article addresses the concern of Association for Language Learning (ALL) members on the severe grading of languages examinations at General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) in comparison with other subjects. Helen Myers, member of executive and chair of ALL London, commissioned a detailed paper giving statistical evidence that GSCE grades for languages were overall lower than other subjects.

This research aims to examine Spanish-speaking students' attainment to improve our knowledge about students at the end of secondary school in England. The sample consisted of students who completed the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) in inner London Local Authority. The findings of the analysis of GCSE results by language spoken at home suggest that, overall, students who speak Spanish language do less well than other groups, and their low attainment is a key concern for policymakers and teachers. However, while this is true overall, there were wide differences in performance when broken down into European speakers and Latin American speakers. The empirical evidence suggest that European Spanish speakers do better that Latin American Spanish speakers. A number of factors were identified in the underachievement of Spanish students, including the language barrier, poverty, and pupil mobility rate. Policy implications for data collection and further research are discussed in the final section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young British Bangladeshi women are often perceived as a marginalised, vulnerable group unlikely to succeed within the UK education system. Although achievement at GCSE level has improved significantly in recent years, female British Bangladeshis continue to be identified as an under-performing group at A-level1 and in higher education (Dale, 2002; Hussain, 2005). This article examines the educational experiences of a group of young British Bangladeshi women at one east London secondary school, exploring their perceptions of educational success and their aspirations for the future. Through a narrative, case-study approach, and drawing on a range of theoretical perspectives, the research seeks to challenge commonly held perceptions of a group of young women whose voices are often absent from academic and policy discourse. Using the concept of 'liminality'2 (Turner, 1969) as a way to conceptualise the location of young British Bangladeshi women within the education system, the article argues that we need to re-visit the widening participation3 (WP) agenda, in the light of the real, lived experiences of young people from second-and third-generation migrant communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]