The STEM Crisis Hidden in Plain Sight: What 2025 GCSE Results Really Tell Us
26/08/25, 11:00
Every August, thousands of 16-year-olds across the UK open their GCSE results with nervous excitement. Behind those individual moments of triumph and disappointment lies a deeper story, one that reveals the fractures in our STEM education system and points toward a crisis we can no longer ignore.
The 2025 GCSE results have set off alarm bells across the UK’s science and technology community. On paper, STEM subjects still account for nearly half of all GCSE and A-level entries. But behind the headline figures, the details reveal a crisis that threatens the country’s future workforce.
This year alone, more than 17,500 fewer girls sat science GCSEs. At A-level, only 18.6% of Computing students are female. In subjects like Computing and Engineering, male participation continues to outpace female by as much as 30%. Meanwhile, nearly half of employers say young people are leaving education without the skills needed for careers in areas like AI, clean energy, and digital technology.
The cost of these shortages is not abstract. Industry bodies estimate a shortfall of 124,000 engineers every year, with the economic impact running at £1.5 billion annually. The message is clear: the pipeline of talent is leaking badly, and not just at university or apprenticeship level. The cracks are visible much earlier, at the point where children begin to imagine what kind of futures are open to them.
That’s why organisations like ours are shifting the focus to the very start of the journey. Research shows that children begin to form their “STEM identity” in primary school. If curiosity isn’t nurtured there, GCSE choices may already come too late.
At ClickSafe Club, we’re working to change this by building what’s known as science capital: the mix of knowledge, experiences, and confidence that helps children see STEM as “for me.” Our approach blends:
Coding and robotics with Scratch, Python, and LEGO Spike
Maker challenges that turn abstract ideas into real, tangible outcomes
Digital skills paired with online safety, preparing children for a connected world
Youth leadership programs,, ensuring young people see role models who look like them
The transformation is visible in small but powerful moments. When an eight-year-old writes their first line of code and sees a character move across the screen, they don’t just learn programming syntax. They learn that technology can respond to their imagination, and that they belong in this space.
The skills crisis is real, but so is the opportunity. By sparking curiosity early, showing children that they can succeed, and opening the door to underrepresented groups, the UK can begin to repair the pipeline.
At ClickSafe Club, we believe the future of STEM isn’t secured through statistics or targets, it starts with one child, one project, one moment of possibility at a time.