Closing Summary
Here are the key points from today’s GCSE results
There has been an overall rise in grades among 16-year-olds taking GCSEs and the gap between boys and girls has narrowed to its smallest level since 2016. (See 9.52)
According to the Joint Council for Qualifications, a whopping 1,302 Y11 students in England got the highest grade 9s in seven or more subjects, up from 1,272 last year.
Results suggest that the government’s policy of forcing struggling students to resit maths and English GCSEs is turning into a crisis with those aged 17 or older in England, the bulk of whom are retaking the subjects having failed to get a grade 4 or better the first time around, just 17% got a grade 4 or above in maths.
There’s been little change in the regional gap this year, with London still on top with 28.4% of pupils achieving a top grade (a 7 or above) and only marginally down on last year (see 12.52)
Statistics the fastest growing GCSE subject in England year-on-year.
While Spanish surpassed French in popularity among students in historic first for language studies.
The Campaign for the Arts’ analysis of 2025’s GCSE results reveals that the share of total entries in arts subjects has shrunk again, reaching a new low of 7.04%
In Northern Ireland, the proportion getting grades A/A*(equivalent to 7 and above) and above rose by a full percentage point to 31.4%, while the percentage getting grades 4 or above went up to 63.8%.
In Wales, 16-year-olds getting the top three grades rose to 20.1%, up from 19.8% in 2024, and those getting a 4 or better edged up by 0.3 percentage points to 63.8% this year.
We’re closing the live blog for the rest of the day.
Thanks for following, and congratulations to everyone who received their results today, and good luck with your next chapter at sixth form or in further education.
You can catch up on Richard Adams and Sally Weale’s reporting here:
Updated
The assessment regime for GCSE is “outdated”, says the head of England’s NEU, the largest teaching union.
Daniel Kebede the general secretary of the union said:
The assessment regime for GCSEs is outdated. Regurgitating information on a single day is becoming less and less relevant.
The measurement of skills or knowledge should be tailored to the needs of a subject, not the one-size-fits-all of exams. A six-week window of stress is unnecessary and fails to prepare students for the world they are about to enter. Broader, mixed methods of assessment would help cultivate skills more effectively and allow all students the chance to show what they can do.
We need to see an end to both EBacc and Progress 8. A major improvement in school funding would ensure young people can access a wider range of subjects.
Updated
More than 170,000 BTec students receiving Level 2 results today
These students, the majority of whom are aged 14-16 and taking them in a school setting, are awarded grades ranging from a ‘Distinction*’ to a ‘Pass’. Level 2 BTecs are also taken by post-16 students who either move straight into work or progress into further learning or apprenticeships.
For the second year running around 135,000 of these will be receiving qualification level BTEC results for the new Tech Awards (2022), as part of the government’s wider reform programme.
35,000 learners will have completed a Level 2 BTec in Health and Social Care
28,500 learners in Sport and Leisure
26,000 in Business and Management
19,000 in ICT
Freya Thomas Monk, managing director of Pearson Qualifications, said:
Many congratulations to the Level 2 BTec students who received their results today. They will have gained a great combination of traditional academic learning alongside vocational and transferable skills, allowing them to discover and prepare for an exciting career in their chosen field.
Thank you also to the thousands of colleges and schools we work with every year, whose partnership is essential to our ability to award these final grades. We are grateful for your support, feedback and commitment to your students.”
Updated
Here are more images of pupils receiving their grades from Maesteg in Wales to Leeds in England.
Updated
Students in south England were more likely to get top grades in 2025
Here is data that shows why there remain concerns over regional disparities in achievement
On the face of it there was little change in the gap between public and state schools this year: the gap between independent and state-funded schools grew by just 0.2 percentage points to 28.6%. When you consider how wide the gap was in 2021 (35.8%) that sounds like things are still going in the right direction.
But, as ever, the devil is in the details: as Nick Harrison, CEO of the Sutton Trust points out: “While it’s encouraging to see the gap between pupils in state and private schools getting top grades has narrowed slightly, this needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. This gap had already widened last year, and remains no better than in 2019.”
What that means in real terms is that, again this year, almost half of private school pupils got a grade of 7/A or above (49.2%) compared to a fifth (19.8%) of those from secondary comprehensive schools. That is a 29.4 percentage point difference, marginally higher than the 28.9 points difference recorded in the pre-pandemic year of 2019.
But as in previous years, grammar schools do best, with almost two-thirds (63.2%) of the students achieving a top grade.
Carmen Aguilar García is a data journalist on the Guardian data projects team
Statistics the fastest growing GCSE subject in England year-on-year
What is the statistical likelihood of statistics becoming the fastest growing GCSE subject in England year-on-year. You may want to ask the next teenager you meet because, well, it is.
The total number of students sitting statistics in England grew by a staggering 10% between 2024 and 2025 (or, if you sat the exam, 9.7687%). That is despite the overall number of entries falling in the same year.
Its popularity grew more modestly in the 16-year-old cohort (up 5.2%) but it still made the second-highest gains compared with last year with only music attracting students at a higher rate (its sittings were up 6.3%). Business Studies, Spanish, Physical Education and Classical subjects also added students compared with last year.
The top ten remains the same (and in the same order) as last year: Science: Double Award comes out top (but really, it’s cheating because it counts twice: if life were fair it would be in fourth place not first) followed by English Language, Maths, English Literature, History, Geography, Religious Studies, Art and Design, Biology and Physics.
Pamela Duncan is data projects editor at the Guardian
Top grades achieved in England, Wales and Northern Ireland visualised
Here are top grades achieved in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Updated
The Campaign for the Arts’ analysis of 2025’s GCSE results reveals that the share of total entries in arts subjects has shrunk again, reaching a new low – but the rate of decline appears to be slowing.
Compared with last year, arts subjects made up a smaller but similar share of total entries with 7.04% in 2025 v 7.06% in 2024. But in 2010 arts subjects accounted for over 13% of total GCSE entries, meaning that in the past 15 years there has been a 48% decline.
Dance, Music and Performing / Expressive Arts all grew in popularity this year – by 9%, 7% and 9% respectively. But the longer-term trends are that all performing arts subjects have declined significantly at GCSE: Dance by 60%, Drama by 48%, Music by 35% and Performing/Expressive Arts by 72% since 2010, as a share of total entries.
Design and Technology has been the hardest-hit subject at GCSE, with the share of entries 74% smaller in 2025 than it was in 2010. Art & Design subjects have seen a smaller 4% decline over the same period.
Jack Gamble, director of the Campaign for the Arts, said:
It’s encouraging to see increases in the number of Dance and Music entries this year, but worth noting that this is from a historically low baseline after big drops in GCSE entries across all performing arts subjects since 2010.
The exclusion of arts subjects from the English Baccalaureate, the lesser weighting given to them in the ‘Progress 8’ school performance measure, and funding pressures on schools have all contributed to this disastrous trend.
It’s vital that the Government acts to turn this around. Arts education matters – for our young people, for the future of the UK’s creative industries and for the health of our entire society and culture.”
Updated
Meanwhile in Northern Ireland, education minister Paul Givan congratulated pupils during a visit to Saintfield High School in Co Down.
He said:
Pupils in Northern Ireland have once again delivered exceptional results and are continuing to outperform their peers in England and Wales.
This success reflects both the dedication of the students and the commitment and professionalism of teachers across Northern Ireland.
“I commend all our pupils as they take their next steps into further education, employment, or training.”
Gerry Campbell, chief executive of CCEA, congratulated all the students who received their results.
He said:
I want to extend my sincere thanks to the teachers, school leaders and lecturers who have supported students every step of the way.
I’m also grateful to our dedicated team of examiners and moderators, whose efforts ensure that results are delivered with fairness and care. Wishing every student success and fulfilment in whatever comes next.”
Stormont economy minister Caoimhe Archibald urged students receiving results today, and their parents/carers, to make use of the advice and guidance offered by her department’s Careers Service.
Updated
Deep-rooted structural inequalities that no government has addressed for decades mean schools in the north-east continue to fall behind counterparts in the south-east of England, the largest representative body for schools in the region has warned.
Schools North East said 64.9% of GCSE students in the north-east received a grade 4 or above, a slight decline on 2024. While 17.8% received a 7 or above, the same as last year.
The region had the lowest proportion of students receiving a grade 7 or above, and Schools North East said there are a number of underlying factors.
Highest levels of need – In 2024/25, 32.3% of pupils in the north-east were eligible for FSM (24.6% nationally), and over 40% in parts of Middlesbrough and Newcastle. The region also has the highest SEND rate in England (15.5% v 14.2% nationally) and the second-highest EHCP rate.
Weaker support infrastructure – Poor access to CAMHS and early intervention means schools are forced to carry unmet needs that specialist services should provide.
Crumbling buildings – RAAC disruption in 2023/24 was only the tip of the iceberg; our Condition Improvement Fund success rate was just 16% compared to 35% nationally.
Lower access to additional learning – the north-east has the lowest rates of private tutoring and lowest uptake of the National Tutoring Programme (51% v 68% in London).
Ongoing attendance challenges – Absence rates remain the highest in England: overall absence 6.86% (v 6.38% nationally), persistent absence 19.58% (v 17.79%).
Chris Zarraga, director of Schools North East, said:
North East students have done brilliantly again this year, but the structural gap between our region and London has grown yet again. This is not about school quality. Every August, our students prove their talent and determination, but deep-rooted inequalities remain unaddressed. Without urgent, sustained action, the gap will keep widening – and it will not be because our students or teachers are any less capable.”
Updated
Regional gap is ever present and 'stubbornly entrenched'
There’s been little change in the regional gap this year, with London still on top with 28.4% of pupils achieving a top grade (a 7 or above) and only marginally down on last year.
On the other side of the regional divide is the north-west where just 17.8% of students achieved a top grade, the same as last year’s cohort.
Nick Harrison, CEO of the Sutton Trust, said the results showed that regional differences in attainment “remain stubbornly entrenched” had widened significantly since 2019 and with no signs of improving.
“If the government is serious about breaking down barriers to opportunity, it needs a laser focus on closing the attainment gap and tackling regional inequalities. Funding should be rebalanced back towards the most deprived areas, and underlying issues of child poverty and huge gaps in opportunity across the country must be addressed.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said grades of 4 (C) and above were also evident, particularly between the capital and the West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber at C/4, a gap that had also only reduced because of a dip in the London grades rather than an improvement in other regions.
“The reasons for this continued regional disparity need to be properly understood if they are to be tackled. This could range from differences in the impact of Covid and the cost-of-living crisis, to specific areas of poverty, and varying investment into education, health, social care and other support services and infrastructure in London and the South compared to the North,” he said.
Meanwhile, Henri Murison, Chief Executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, meanwhile, pulled no punches:
In the North and Midlands, the gap in grade 7 and above with London has not closed since the pandemic. It remains more than ten percentage points in the north-east, East Midlands and Yorkshire & the Humber – a significantly wider gap than before Covid. In the north-east, the gap with London narrowed by just 0.1%, and only because London’s results fell from 2024, not due to any real improvement here.
If the education secretary is serious about tackling the persistent disadvantage faced by white working-class children, spending decisions by her department must prioritise the poorest pupils, or risk wasting yet more of the North’s young talent.”
Pamela Duncan is data projects editor at the Guardian
Carmen Aguilar García also contributed to this report
Updated
An award-winning Lancashire shepherd brought her rare breed North Ronaldsay sheep Kevin into her school to collect her GCSE results.
Milly Johnson, 16, who achieved eight GCSEs between grades 4 and 7, was accompanied to collect her results by Kevin the sheep, who also attended her school prom.
Milly is a student at Tarleton Academy near Preston, which is part of the Endeavour Learning Trust.
In August, Milly achieved outstanding success at the Trawden Agricultural Show, where she and her sheep, Kevin, won first place in the Over-11s Young Handler’s class. Milly regularly shows Kevin in shows throughout the year.
Milly said: ‘’I have always had a passion for animals, both big and small, however cattle and sheep are undoubtedly my favourite. Juggling farm work while studying for my GCSEs hasn’t always been easy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Working with animals is what I love most, and I’m proud to help preserve these rare breeds and back British farming.’’
Updated
Spanish surpasses French in popularity among students in historic first for language studies, according to the British Academy.
New GCSE data shows that Spanish has overtaken French for the first time as the most popular language choice among students, following a sustained rise in entries of nearly 25% since 2020.
Spanish entries increased from around 109,594 in 2020 to 136,871 in 2025, while French uptake remained steady – climbing slightly from 132,036 in 2020 to 134,651 in 2024 before dipping to 132,808 this year.
The data is released today by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) and has been analysed by the British Academy, the national academy for the humanities and social sciences. It reveals wider trends in student choice across the curriculum.
SHAPE subjects (Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts for People and the Economy) continue to make up more than half of all entries (54%) – a figure that has remained consistent since 2019.
How we report GCSE results
GCSEs are now significantly different in England, Wales and Northern Ireland so we report the results separately (see nerdy note below).
The Welsh trends broadly followed the English top-line results: one-in-five (20.1%) of students achieving A grade or above (Wales retain the traditional grading system), better than last year (19.8%) and quite a bit better than in 2019 (18.4)
Northern Irish students did do better than last year but those gains were more modest: 31.4% got a A/9 or above, up one percentage point on last year and almost that when compared with 2019 (30.5%)
(Nerdy note alert: Some other outlets report UK-wide results, but we focus on England and report figures for Wales and Northern Ireland separately. This is because exam structures and grading policies now differ significantly between the three nations. Scottish students don’t sit GCSEs. And while we usually report the results of the 16-year-old cohort only, the national topline figures come from Ofqual and reflect all sittings).
Pamela Duncan is data projects editor at the Guardian
Three significant developments over the next academic year will prove crucial for schools and young people in England but disparities continue to show, the Education Policy Institute have warned.
Jon Andrews, head of analysis and director for school system and performance, said the outcome of the Curriculum and Assessment Review, a new Ofsted inspection framework alongside the DfE’s consultation on school accountability and the long-overdue cross-government child poverty strategy were vital for addressing ongoing concerns.
As expected, the overall grade distribution for this year is similar to what we have seen in each of the last two years. But what is notable is that, while girls continue to outperform boys, the gap continues to close. Our previous analysis showed that girls’ outcomes were particularly affected by the pandemic, and there are worrying trends around girls’ wellbeing.
This year’s results continue to show disparities in outcomes. The evidence is clear: disadvantage continues to drive attainment gaps, and while schools step in to deal with the effects, these challenges cannot be solved by schools or the Department for Education alone.
He added: “Today is, of course, a day to celebrate the achievements of thousands of young people as they collect their results in Level 2 qualifications.”
Updated
According to the Joint Council for Qualifications, a whopping 1,302 Y11 students in England got the highest grade 9s in seven or more subjects, up from 1,272 last year.
Updated
Look at the topline figures and it gives the impression that this year’s results are same as it ever was with girls outperforming boys among the 16-year-old cohort in England.
But look again and you’ll see that the gender gap has shrunk. In broad terms, boys are closing the gap in subjects they traditionally fared worse in (like English, geography and history) or widening the gap in those they tend to do better in (like Maths and physics).
Look again and you’ll see that roughly the same proportion of girls are achieving grades of 7 and above (A and above in old money) … the difference is that boys are doing better. In 2019 – the last pre-pandemic year – 18.6% of boys got a top grade, climbing to more than one-five (20.5) this year.
The same pattern applies on lower grades. Just short of two-thirds of boys (65.5%) achieved a 4 or above (a C or better for those who are unfamiliar with the new marking system) in 2019, climbing to 67.5% while girls’ results remained broadly similar.
Pamela Duncan is data projects editor at the Guardian
Updated
The latest GCSE results suggest that the government’s policy of forcing struggling students to resit maths and English GCSEs is turning into a crisis, with increasingly poor performances by students retaking the exams for the second or third times.
For those aged 17 or older in England, the bulk of whom are retaking the subjects having failed to get a grade 4 or better the first time around, just 17% got a grade 4 or above in maths, meaning that many will be condemned to retry the following year. Only one in 100 of the older age group got a grade 7 or above, compared with 21.5% of 16 year olds taking the exam for the first time.
Jill Duffy, chief executive of OCR exam board, said:
Nearly a quarter of GCSE maths and English entries are resits. This is an all-time high. Less than a fifth of resitting students achieved the grade 4 they need to break out of the resit cycle. This is a resit crisis. Tinkering at the edges of policy won’t fix this. We need fundamental reform to maths and English secondary education – especially at Key Stage 3 - to support those who fall behind in these crucial subjects.”
Paul Whiteman, the NAHT general secretary branded the resit policy “not fit for purpose”.
NAHT has long called for reform of the current policy that forces students into repeated resits, which is demotivating and ineffective. What is needed are more appropriate and engaging alternatives to GCSEs in English and maths at KS4…Gaining the numeracy and literacy skills they need is what’s important, not what the qualification is called.”
Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders urged the ongoing the curriculum and assessment review to “grasp the nettle” around finding better ways to support literacy and numeracy.
Richard Adams is the Guardian’s education editor
Updated
Overall rise in grades; gap between boys and girls narrows in GCSE results
There has been an overall rise in grades among 16-year-olds taking GCSEs and the gap between boys and girls has narrowed to its smallest level since 2016.
The percentage of pupils who achieved a grade 7 and above was 23%, up from 22.6% in 2024.
While those who achieved a grade 4 and above (pass) was 70.4%, a slight increase from 70.4% last year.
The continued gap between boys and girls persists but has narrowed slightly with the percentage of boys at grade 7 and above rising to 20.5% compared with 19.8% last year, while girls with those grades stayed the same at 25.5%
For 16-year-olds in Northern Ireland, the proportion getting grades A/A*(equivalent to 7 and above) and above rose by a full percentage point to 31.4%, while the percentage getting grades 4 or above went up to 63.8%.
In Wales, 16-year-olds getting the top three grades rose to 20.1%, up from 19.8% in 2024, and those getting a 4 or better edged up by 0.3 percentage points to 63.8% this year.
The cabinet secretary for education in Wales, Lynne Neagle, has paid tribute to students and teachers across the country.
I hope you got the grades you wanted and whether you decide to carry on with education, choose vocational training or employment there are many options available. For those seeking guidance on their next steps, support remains available through your school or college and the Young Person’s Guarantee, which provides a range of options.
I wish you Pob lwc, and best wishes for the future.
We have seen some strong results at our top grades and across a range of subjects including Maths and English.
I also want to pay tribute to our teachers and education workforce whose support and hard work has helped our learners thrive.”
Updated
The class of 2025 had a lot to prove. The Covid pandemic disrupted their transition from primary to secondary; lockdowns meant they spent a chunk of second level learning online or in stop/start in-person schooling; and they missed the usual key stage 2 benchmark. All this combined meant no one knew quite what to expect today.
Well, we need not have doubted them. Not only did this year’s cohort do better than last year’s but they outperformed their 2019 peers (we don’t make comparisons with the 2020 and 2021 results because they were either teacher-assessed or 2022 which was exam-based but with mitigations in marking).
And this isn’t because they were marked softly: “results are a true reflection of the students’ ability, and there is no mitigation in place” due to the pandemic disruption,” Sir Ian Bauckham, Ofqual chief regulator said at this morning’s press briefing. “This year’s grade shows “a stable performance and the results look similar to those achieved in 2024”.
But dig deeper and you’ll see that Covid times do appear to have affected girls’ performance. The gender gap is the smallest it’s ever been. We’ll dig into that more deeply a bit later.
Pamela Duncan is data projects editor at the Guardian
Updated
Here are some photos of students celebrating their GCSE results:
Updated
“Vocational qualifications, like Cambridge Nationals, are increasingly important,” according to Jill Duffy, the chief executive of the exam board OCR.
She said:
Look at the range of vocational qualifications issued today and you’re bound to be impressed with what young people are achieving. Vocational qualifications in subjects like Engineering and Health and Social Care are increasingly popular, and for good reason. They offer practical, stimulating experiences that many students and employers are looking for.
Seeing this diversity of qualifications, and the well-deserved celebrations of so many young people, is what makes results day so exciting – it’s the highlight of our year as an exam board.”
Updated
Prime Minister Keir Starmer congratulated students and said their future under his Labour government would be dictated by their “ambition” and not by their “background”.
He wrote on X:
To everyone receiving their results today, a huge congratulations, you should be proud of all you’ve achieved.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) August 21, 2025
My government will ensure that your future is shaped by your talent and ambition, not your background.
“Results day is an important milestone for students,” said the chief regulator at Ofqual, Sir Ian Bauckham.
He said: “While there will inevitably be nerves as students receive their results, they should be proud of their achievements and can be confident that their grades will be widely recognised by employers, schools and colleges.
“Today’s grades will open up opportunities for students as they move on to their next stage.”
Earlier this month in an exclusive interview with the Guardian, Bauckham put up a staunch defence of Ofqual after it was forced to withdraw a decade of statistics detailing the number of students granted extra time and other assistance for A-levels and GCSEs.
Bauckham said the confusion had arisen because, rather than showing access arrangements solely for students entered for GCSEs and A-levels in one particular year, the data includes a much broader list of access arrangements.
Each access arrangement lasts two years. There can be duplicate applications for the same student, and the list may include pupils with special arrangements in place who did not sit exams that year at all.
I’ve been clear that moving forward … we need to publish actual granted access arrangements that relate to actual entries in the year in question.”
Updated
The amount and volume of assessment for students at the end of key stage 4 is “excessive and unnecessary,” the general secretary of the NAHT has warned.
The Government launched a review of curriculum and assessment in schools and colleges in July last year.
The independent review is expected to consider whether there are opportunities “to reduce the overall volume of assessment” at GCSE.
Before the final report from the review, which is due in the autumn, headteachers’ unions have called for the burden of assessment to be reduced at GCSE to alleviate some of the pressures on young people.
Paul Whiteman said:
The volume of content, the reliance on final exams, and the average of 30+ hours of exams per student at the end of key stage 4 are all excessive and unnecessary.
We must move away from an almost exclusive reliance on fully linear, terminal exams, and instead allow modular assessments and reintroduce more non-exam assessment and project-based assessments, in order to complement exams and better assess what students know and can do.”
The negative impact of Covid-19 and the cost-of-living situation will linger for a “number of years still,” according to the chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association.
Bill Watkin said that there are more young people with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) which “makes it difficult” for schools and colleges to accommodate all their needs.
Colleges have been faced with “large numbers” of students who are calling for their own room, invigilator, and extra time to do exams, Watkin said.
He added: “It’s very difficult to provide for all of them.
“There just aren’t enough rooms or enough invigilators and that’s not going to get easier anytime in the immediate future.”
He also said he expected sixth form college admissions to become “more competitive” because of a rising 16-year-old population.
Government urged to introduce a national corps of undergraduate tutors to improve literacy and numeracy in schools.
Lee Elliot Major, professor of social mobility at the University of Exeter, has called for a national corps of undergraduate tutors to help pupils improve their literacy and numeracy in school.
He said:
Every August we accept a grand illusion that GCSEs are a level playing field.
In reality, they are a mirror of the deeply divided society we’ve created, a measure of how much extra support students receive as much as their academic capability.
Stark socio-economic divides in GCSE results are a legacy of the Covid disruption and the crisis in school absenteeism which threaten to scar a whole generation.”
Prof Elliot Major added that competition for the most selective sixth forms will be “fiercer than ever” this year as more families may seek out state sector places after the VAT change on private school fees introduced in January.
The Government is “tackling” the barriers to better grades, said the education minister Catherine McKinnell after she was asked why white working-class children are “doing so badly”.
McKinnell said the question was a “really profound” one and that underachievement in that demographic “has persisted over many years”.
She told Times Radio:
We’ve seen there have been some improvements in our school system in the last decade, there have been over 30 years improvements in our school system.
But this challenge has persisted, which is why we are very focused on tackling child poverty in the early years.
We’re extending free school meals to (an) additional half a million children.
We’re investing in free breakfast clubs to make sure that children get that really good start to the day, both from a socialised perspective, but also food.
So, we are tackling what we see are the barriers that are holding young people back, and also making sure that they want to be in school as well.”
Updated
Nearly 100,000 year 11 pupils will receive their GCSE results through a government app this year.
Pupils in the Greater Manchester and the West Midlands combined authority areas will be the first to trial the app, called Education Record, which automatically collates their key information and exam results.
Alongside receiving their GCSE results through the app today, pupils can enrol for a college course or an apprenticeship with an employer without needing to bring physical copies of their qualifications or ID.
Using the app, pupils can share their information with a sixth form, college or training provider. This will then automatically share their unique learner number, date of birth, sex, address, GCSE results, school information, financial and learning support needs.
According to the Department For Education the digital record app could collectively save schools and colleges up to £30 million per year in admin costs if fully rolled out.
Key event
Today’s results are likely to “expose entrenched inequalities in our education system,” Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary warns.
She said:
Huge congratulations to everyone receiving their results today – you should be incredibly proud of what you’ve achieved. To the brilliant teachers, school and college staff, and parents who have been there every step of the way, thank you for your unwavering support.
These young people moved from primary to secondary school right in the midst of the pandemic, showing remarkable resilience despite the disruption to those crucial years of education. Their options now are better than ever, whether it’s A levels, T Levels, or an apprenticeship.
While it’s a moment to celebrate, today’s results will expose the inequalities that are entrenched in our education system. Too many young people continue to have their life chances defined by their background and where they live, and while we are beginning to see promising signs in critical areas like attendance and teacher recruitment, I am absolutely determined to deliver on our Plan for Change and truly break the link between background and success once and for all.”
Hundreds of thousands of pupils across England, Wales and Northern Ireland await grades
Good morning and welcome to our GCSE results day blog.
Hundreds of thousands of pupils across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are nervously awaiting their grades today.
Last year, the aftermath of the Covid pandemic was squeezed out of results as 16-year-olds received grades more similar to pre-pandemic levels in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Overall, the top grade 9 was awarded to 5.1% of the more than 5m courses taken by 16-year-olds in England, a fraction better than in 2023.
The proportion of A*s and As awarded to 16-year-olds in Northern Ireland dropped from 35.1% to 31%, and Cs or above from 87% to 82.4%.
In Wales, the top A* and A grades for 16-year-olds dipped from 22% in 2023 to 19.4%, and the proportion of Cs from 65.6% to 63.2%, which was lower than in 2019.
This year’s GCSEs are for pupils who possibly got the rough end of the Covid stick: their final year at primary school and first year of secondary (key transition point) disrupted, Sats cancelled, mental health and special needs increased, etc.
Stay with us as we look at whether the overall 9-4 pass rates are affected in English and maths, as well as if girls’ overall results dip again (previous research suggests girls came out of Covid-era school closures worse off), and any unusually bumpy results in individual subjects, and resits.
Updated
