The Department of Education has published data on the qualifications and destinations of school-leavers for the 2015/16 year.
This statistical bulletin presents an analysis of the GCSE and A level qualifications and destinations of pupils leaving post-primary schools.
It shows that the proportion achieving at least five GCSEs at grades A* to C or equivalent has increased by 8.5 percentage points from five years ago – from 73.2 per cent in 2010/11 to 81.7 per cent in 2015/16.
At 67.7 per cent, the proportion achieving at least five GCSEs at grades A* to C including GCSE English and maths is also up.
A higher percentage of poorer children – those entitled to free school meals – are reaching the five including maths and English target.
This has risen by 3.5 percentage points from 41.3 per cent in 2014/15 to 44.8 per cent in 2015/16.
The proportion of pupils leaving non-grammar schools achieving at least five Cs in their GCSEs is also increasing – up 13.1 percentage points from 2010/11 to 70.4 per cent in 2015/16. The corresponding proportion for grammar schools remains stable at about 97 per cent.
The bulletin also examines the qualifications of school-leavers by gender and religion.
About two in three (65.8 per cent) children from a Protestant background achieved five or more GCSEs including the two core subjects at grade C or above. Among Catholic secondary school children the proportion was 68.7 per cent.
Catholic girls were the most likely to achieve this target (72.4 per cent) while Protestant boys were least likely (60.4 per cent).
There are concerns about the number of young people leaving school without qualifications, working class Protestant children, and wider male underachievement.
A Stormont inquiry designed to tackle this was scrapped, however, when the Assembly dissolved in January.