GCSE results day: more students make the grade

GCSE results day: Valerie Iyamu, Buky Akinyemi, Danila MacDonald and Racheal Akinyemi celebrate outside London's Pimlico Academy Photograph: John Stillwell/PA

Lauren Knowles, 14, (left) who received three C grades and Amy Tuckey, 14, who received an A and a C grade, at Washwood Heath technology college in Birmingham Photograph: Rui Vieira/PA

GCSE pupils gather outside Pimlico Academy Photograph: John Stillwell/PA

Alice Thompson (left), 16, and Phillipa Jones, 16, from Badminton girls' school in Bristol win nine A* grades each Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

Pimlico Academy's Samad Arshad, Sam Ha, Sam Gebreselassie and Robeul Alom jump for joy Photograph: John Stillwell/PA

Students get their results at Badminton school Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

Full marks: Sarah Adams, Louise Simmons and Anda Chisster, pupils at Nonsuch high school for girls in Cheam, Sutton, each gain 13 A* grades Photograph: Ian Nicholson/PA

Oscar Selby, 7, who scored an A* in his maths GCSE and attends Stamford Green primary school in Epsom, spent four hours every Saturday for nine months studying for the course through Hertfordshire-based Ryde Teaching Photograph: Anthony Upton/PA

Synchronised swimming Olympic hopeful Anastasija Bates, 16, from Redland, Bristol got two A* and seven A grades Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA