I notice that both the Department for Education press release and the summary of the Wolf review show the national figures for young people gaining at least a C in both English and maths GCSEs to be 45 per cent. This figure is, I believe, for 2006. The figures for 2010 in the maintained sector show that 55 per cent gained five or more A*-C GCSEs including both English and maths; 75.7 per cent gained five or more A*-C GCSEs, not necessarily with both English and maths. These are taken from the performance tables for 2010, out in January.

There is no excuse for the DfE not to make clear what the 2010 figures are. And even the Wolf review should have been able to use the 2009 figure of 51 per cent.

Bridget Baines, Poole, Dorset.