ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the relationship between gender and achievement and includes an examination of the educational performance of boys and girls in the UK. The chapter opens with a brief historical introduction to the area and then the evidence on the performance of girls and boys is presented. Whilst our focus is, in the main, on England, pertinent findings relating to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are presented. Some international findings are then reported, before we analyse reasons for gender differences and possible strategies for addressing them. Recommendations for schools are followed by the conclusions.
