Record north-south gap in top GCSE grades blamed on ‘London-centric policies’

North-east school leaders call for government to recognise challenges for pupils in different parts of England

The largest gap on record between top GCSE grades awarded to pupils in London and those in north-east England has prompted warnings of a continuing widening" in the north-south education divide.

School leaders in the north-east accused the government of London-centric" policies, while Labour said it showed that levelling up is dead and buried" through the failure to help disadvantaged communities.