GCSE grades fall but still above pre-Covid levels - see full stats

GCSE results freebies and discounts - from Nando's to Frankie & Benny's

GCSE students have been working hard over the last two years on their studies and many will have felt nervous about today which is perfectly normal. However, everyone receiving results today should be proud of the work they have done - no matter what the results.

So after what will likely be a stressful morning for many, what's a better way to celebrate the hard work than going out for a meal and getting a great deal at the same time?

From Nando's to Bill's and Frankie and Benny's, students will be spoilt for choice on where to go - here are some of the deals that will be on offer on results day today.

Find out more here.

Students react as they receive their GCSE results (Getty Images)

Everything you need to know about GCSE exam resits - dates and how to apply

The majority of colleges, including some sixth forms, allow pupils to take exams again while still studying for A-Levels or other further education certificates. Tests for Maths and English are typically held in November and January, in addition to the traditional spring schedule.

But there is often no requirement for teenagers to retake exams in other subjects, even if do disastrously on some occasions, depending on what they want to do after school. It isn't essential to get a top grade in some subjects which aren't compulsory, such as French or Geography, for example. If you want to take these at A-Level though, you are often required to achieve a certain grade, usually a level 4.

The deadline to submit a request to resit any subject is Wednesday October 4, 2023, by which time it is likely you'll have started further education anyway. Resit exams in English and Mathematics are scheduled for November this year and students will get results of these in early January, as they prepare for AS Level exams typically held in the spring months.

Read more here.

PM congratulates pupils picking up their GCSE results

Rishi Sunak has congratulated pupils picking up their GCSE results today.

The Prime Minister tweeted: "Congratulations to everyone receiving their GCSE results today and thank you to hardworking teachers and parents for helping to make it possible. Whether you’re moving on to do A Levels, T Levels or an apprenticeship, there are so many options available to you."

Striking teacher forced to take a second job to pay bills ahead of mass walkout

I second this – congratulations to everyone receiving their GCSE results today and thank you to hardworking teachers and parents for helping to make it possible.

Whether you’re moving on to do A Levels, T Levels or an apprenticeship, there are so many options available to you https://t.co/9jGALwAgnS

— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) August 24, 2023

Royal GCSE results - grades Kate, Harry and William got in their exams

Teenagers across the country are finding out their GCSE grades today, and it's once a position that members of the royal family were in.

Even though they had the privilege of going to some of the best schools in the land, they still had to take the exams at the end of Year 11 and then nervously await their results. But it seems among the likes of the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince Harry and even King Charles, some aced the exams, while others just scraped through.

So who did the best, who flunked the tests and what did they do once their GCSE results were finally in? Find out some of the royals' GCSE grades here.

Teen, 18, who left school after GCSEs has built a £1m a year car sales business

A teenager who sold his first car aged 14 and left school after GCSEs two years ago has seen his business turn over more than £1m. Morgan Wilce says he knew he never wanted to do A levels and that “school wasn’t for me”.

The 18-year-old, who owns and runs Birchwood Motors car sales, started his business with cash he made from selling his mountain bike for £1,500 on eBay. Morgan used that to buy a VW Polo for the same price, which he wasn’t even old enough to drive, but sold for a £500 profit.

As teenagers receive their GCSE results, Morgan, who left Whitchurch High with nine GCSEs in 2021, wishes schools did more to help support those who aren’t academic. Exams aren’t the only route to success, he said. “School was just not for me. I think the biggest problem with school is they don’t put effort into people who want alternatives to A levels like running their own business," said Morgan.

And he had this message for teenagers picking up their GCSE results: "Running a business isn’t for everyone but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t get the exam grades you wanted, there are other things you can do."

Morgan Wilce left school after his GCSEs and set up a car sales business (Media Wales)

Key statistics in this year's GCSE results

Here are the main figures for this year's GCSE results:

• The proportion of candidates receiving the highest grades has fallen from last year, but remains higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic. A total of 22.0% of entries were awarded 7/A or above, down from 26.3% in 2022 but up from 20.8% in 2019.
• Some 68.2% of entries received a 4/C grade or above. This is down from 73.2% last year, but higher than 67.3% in 2019.
• The overall rate for grades 1/G or above is 98.0%, down from 98.4% in 2022 and also below 98.3% in 2019.
• The lead enjoyed by girls over boys for the top grades has narrowed. The proportion of female entries awarded 7/A or above was 24.9%, 5.8 percentage points higher than male entries (19.1%). This is the narrowest lead enjoyed by girls since 2009. Last year, girls led boys by 7.4 percentage points (30.0% girls, 22.6% boys).
• The gap at grade 4/C has narrowed for the sixth year in a row. A total of 71.7% of female entries were awarded 4/C or higher, compared with 64.9% for boys, a lead of 6.8 points. This is the narrowest lead for girls at 4/C since at least 2000. Last year the gap was 6.9 points.
• The most popular subject in terms of entries this year was science double award, with a total of 935,436 entries, up 3.5% on 2022.
• Maths remains the second most popular subject, with 821,322 entries, up 4.9% on 2022.
• Business studies saw the biggest percentage rise for any subject with at least 100,000 entries, jumping by 14.8% from 107,283 last year to 123,166 this year.
• Statistics saw the biggest percentage rise for any subject with at least 10,000 entries, increasing by 20.4% from 22,066 in 2022 to 26,559 in 2023.
• Music saw the largest percentage fall for any subject with at least 10,000 entries, falling by 12.5% from 37,705 last year to 32,980 this year.
• Overall, there were a total of 5,905,000 GCSE entries, up by 3.4% on last year's figure of 5,708,871.
• A total of 1,150 16-year-olds in England taking at least seven GCSEs achieved a grade 9 in all their subjects. This is down from 2,193 in 2022 but up from 837 in 2019.

Raymond Xie (left) opens his GCSE results at Ffynone House School (Getty Images)

GCSE grade percentages by nation and region

Here are the percentage of GCSE entries awarded the top grades (7/A or above) by nation and region, with the equivalent figures for 2022 and the pre-pandemic year of 2019:

• North-east England 17.6% (2022: 22.4%; 2019: 16.4%)
• North-west England 18.6% (2022: 23.1%; 2019: 18.6%)
• Yorkshire & the Humber 18.2% (2022: 22.4%; 2019: 17.8%)
• West Midlands 18.4% (2022: 22.8%; 2019: 18.1%)
• East Midlands 18.5% (2022: 22.5%; 2019: 18.3%)
• Eastern England 21.9% (2022: 26.2%; 2019: 20.5%)
• South-west England 20.8% (2022: 25.3%; 2019: 20.4%)
• South-east England 24.4% (2022: 29.2%; 2019: 23.5%)
• London 28.4% (2022: 32.6%; 2019: 25.7%)
• England 21.6% (2022: 26.0%; 2019: 20.7%)
• Wales 21.7% (2022: 25.1%; 2019: 18.4%)
• Northern Ireland 34.5% (2022: 37.0%; 2019: 30.5%)
• All 22.0% (2022: 26.3%; 2019: 20.8%)
  Here is the GCSE pass rate (entries awarded 4/C or above) by nation and region:
• North-east England 65.3% (2022: 71.2%; 2019: 63.8%)
• North-west England 64.8% (2022: 70.3%; 2019: 64.9%)
• Yorkshire & the Humber 64.4% (2022: 69.6%; 2019: 64.1%)
• West Midlands 63.9% (2022: 69.9%; 2019: 63.8%)
• East Midlands 65.8% (2022: 71.5%; 2019: 65.8%)
• Eastern England 68.6% (2022: 73.7%; 2019: 67.1%)
• South-west England 69.2% (2022: 74.2%; 2019: 68.3%)
• South-east England 70.7% (2022: 75.5%; 2019: 70.2%)
• London 72.6% (2022: 76.7%; 2019: 70.6%)
• England 67.8% (2022: 73.0%; 2019: 67.1%)
• Wales 64.9% (2022: 68.6%; 2019: 62.8%)
• Northern Ireland 86.8% (2022: 90.0%; 2019: 82.2%)
• All 68.2% (2022: 73.2%; 2019: 67.3%)

Pupils celebrate their GCSE results at Balshaw's Church of England High School (James Maloney/Lancs Live)

GCSE grades fall across England - but still above pre-Covid levels

The proportion of GCSE entries awarded top grades has fallen from last year but is higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic, national figures show.

Hundreds of thousands of teenagers across the country received their GCSE exam results on Thursday in a year when efforts have been made in England to return grading to pre-pandemic levels. More than a fifth (22.0%) of UK GCSE entries were awarded the top grades - at least a 7 or an A grade - this year, down by 4.3 percentage points on last year when 26.3% of entries achieved the top grades.

However, this remains higher than the equivalent figure for 2019 - before the pandemic - of 20.8%. The figures, published by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), cover GCSE entries from students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Overall, there were around 203,000 fewer top grades (7/A) compared with last year, but there were 142,000 more top grades awarded this year than in 2019. The proportion of entries getting at least a 4 or a C grade - considered a "standard pass" - has fallen from 73.2% in 2022 to 68.2% this year - a drop of five percentage points, but higher than 67.3% in 2019.

The overall rate for grades 1/G or above is 98%, down from 98.4% in 2022 and 98.3% in 2019.

Read more here.

Pupils celebrate their GCSE results in Lancashire (James Maloney/Lancs Live)

Meet the high-ranking NHS nurse who achieved her dream after failing all her GCSEs

Kelly Foster, 42, failed all eight of the GCSEs she sat at 16 years old – and she is now a high-ranking senior nurse in for the NHS.

Kelly is a band eight nurse and the service lead in a community Macmillan team in Trafford, Manchester. She is responsible for managing the Macmillan nursing teams across the area for Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.

She is responsible for managing the Macmillan nursing teams across the area for Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. Band 8 is one of the highest-level NHS nurse qualification before Chief roles - it requires extensive knowledge and stellar qualifications.

She received grades D in maths and F in English and science, and was also bullied for being overweight, but this never stopped her following her dream. Instead, she spent ten years grafting at college and university - while working and having a family - and now "loves" her job and is "proud of her journey".

Mum-of-three Kelly, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, said: "I hated school, I didn't thrive and I felt like I was trapped in the school walls with no refuge - ultimately I felt depressed and a failure from a young age,

"I was mainly teased throughout both primary and secondary school because I was overweight which was just horrible. I'm not the academic type, I'm a practical worker and thinker. So, after being told I was lazy, and useless in school, to achieve what I have achieved, I am really proud."

Senior NHS nurse Kelly Foster (Kelly Foster / SWNS)

Question parents should never ask kids on GCSE results day if they fail exams

For many teenagers, GCSE results day is the most nerve-wracking day of their young lives. The first time they've ever had to shuffle into an exam hall, before being handed an envelope which could decide their future - there's a lot at stake.

Of course, even if things don't go to plan, there's a wealth of opportunities available to youngsters, and academic achievement is far from the only route to success. But it's understandably a stressful experience for everyone involved. As such, a psychologist has shared advice for parents, who will likely be feeling the pressure themselves, outlining the things you shouldn't say to your child if they're disappointed with their results.

First up, there's a question that's best avoided: "What are you going to do now with these results rather than the ones predicted?" According to Dr Nihara Krause, a consultant clinical psychologist specialising in teenage mental health, parents should "avoid indicating that there are no alternatives and painting a bleak future." Equally, she advised not asking your child how their peers got on, otherwise, you risk harming their self-esteem.

Read more here.

Jamie Oliver shares message to any students struggling with dyslexia

Jamie Oliver has shared a message on GCSE results day to any pupils struggling with dyslexia. The celebrity TV chef, who has lived with dyslexia all of his life, said: "Today is GCSE results day, which I know can be a stressful time.

"A lot of bright kids with dyslexia will be frustrated by what they receive, because the education system doesn't play to their strengths – but I’m always keen to say don't let this define you. The wider world is more open to you coming at life in a slightly different way.

"You don't have to be conventional, you just have to have the confidence to do it. And remember, school is just one part of your journey. We’ve come a long way since I was at school, but it’s nowhere near enough. We need to embrace everyone’s inner genius, which definitely comes in different shapes and forms.

"Whatever your results today, I know you can and will achieve amazing things!"

Today is GCSE results day, which I know can be a stressful time. A lot of bright kids with dyslexia will be frustrated by what they receive, because the education system doesn't play to their strengths – but I’m always keen to say don't let this define you. The wider world is… pic.twitter.com/eE8sfzhZa4

— Jamie Oliver (@jamieoliver) August 24, 2023

Find out grade boundaries for Edexcel, AQA, OCR, CCEA, WJEC and Eduqas

Grade boundaries are not set until after students take their exams and they have been marked by independent examiners, who use published mark schemes to decide their grades.

It's thought thousands of students could be left disappointed after missing out on their predicted grades. Just last week, A-level results across the country dropped significantly compared to previous years. A similar outcomes is expected for GCSE students.

This year, the number of results receiving a grade 7 or higher mark, which equates to an A or A*, is expected to plummet by a massive 230,000. The number of passes is also expected to drop, according to an analysis by Professor Alan Smithers, head of the Centre for Education and Employment Research.

Pearson Edexcel

The grade boundaries for exams set by Pearson Edexcel are available here.

CCEA

The grade boundaries for exams set by CCEA are available here.

AQA

The grade boundaries for exams set by AQA are available here.

OCR

Grade boundaries for exams set by OCR are available here.

WJEC

The grade boundaries for exams set by WJEC are available here.

Eduqas

This is part of WJEC and has its own webpage for grade boundaries which you can find here.

Maria Khan (centre) and Renad Bouattou receiving their results today (Darren Robinson Photography)

Nervous students flood social media with GCSE memes

Students are flocking to social media to post memes as they anxiously await their results.

One teen wrote: "It’s today. GCSE Exam results are TODAY", while another anxious pupil tweeted: "GCSE results in less than an hour I feel SICK".

Good luck everybody!

gcse results in an hour (i’m losing my mind) pic.twitter.com/pV5os5zgtk

— arilikesart (@hoiiimari) August 24, 2023

gcse results in 8 hours pic.twitter.com/Vx1pFktwls

— zizi ☆ (@zuhagrapes) August 24, 2023

It’s today. GCSE Exam results are TODAY. pic.twitter.com/4ZgsN0RSf4

— lili☆ Z4 ☆ (@sweetcuddlesrry) August 23, 2023

Celebrity GCSE results from Jodie Marsh to Ant and Dec

Just like us, those from the world of fame have been students at some point, and either knuckled down in class to achieve the best grades or as many found, quit school with no qualifications after realising academia wasn't for them.

As as some stars have publicly stated, today's results aren't the be-all and end-all. Take billionaire Sir Ricard Branson, who has done more than well for himself after dropping out of school.

From This Morning hosts to Olympians, we see how celebrities fared in their school exams, with model Jodie Marsh proving to have a set of unexpected results while unsurprisingly, presenters Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly ended up bagging identical grades.

Find out the GCSE results of a whole host of celebrities here.

3 gruelling GCSE exam questions that only the sharpest minds will solve

As students up and down the country today open up those all-important envelopes, many adults may well have forgotten just how difficult sitting such exams can be, with even one tricky question having the power to leave stressed-out pupils feeling utterly stumped.

To mark GCSE results day, The Mirror has set puzzle-loving readers three particularly challenging questions, taken from a real paper sat by Year 11s. No cheating please, and do make sure to put your calculator firmly away.

Take our quiz here.

GCSE exam results at Barlow RC Didsbury in Manchester (Mark Waugh Manchester Press Photography Ltd)

Mum, 49, 'nervously' awaiting her biology GCSE result

A mum from Birmingham "nervously" awaiting her GCSE biology grade, saying it would "make a long-term ambition come true".

Zoe Lee, 49, a marketing and communications director at BMet College, is also a mature student who has completed her GCSE biology at the college. She left school in 1990, saying she did not get a science GCSE but that "didn't bother" her as she was "very much into the arts".

As she got older, Ms Lee said she "wished" she had a GCSE in "at least one of the sciences", which led her to do biology at the Sutton Coldfield College on the BMet campus. She said her daughter Megan, 13, will be going into Year Nine in September and had to choose her GCSE subjects, so she thought about studying biology as well as helping her daughter.

Ms Lee said: "I've got those nerves, trying to replay the paper, have I done it. Obviously the extra layer for me is that now I'm working and if I don't pass, oh my goodness, that's embarrassing. But I've decided that if I don't get the number that I want, that I will go back next year and do it again, because never give up, that's what I say."

Zoe Lee, 49, is awaiting her GCSE biology result (PA)

GCSE grades 'returning to pre-Covid levels'

Schools minister Nick Gibb said it was important to get GCSE grading "back to normal".

Speaking on GB News, he offered his congratulations to students and thanks to teachers, saying: "We are returning 2019 grading. It's important to get back to normal, away from the three years when we had higher grades because of teacher assessed grades and then the transition last year from teacher assessed grades back to 2019 levels.

"We've seen a big increase based on provisional numbers in computer science, in languages, and so these I hope will be a good set of results when they come out at 9.30am."

He also said differences in GCSE grading across the UK should not disadvantage pupils. Asked if some pupils were being disadvantaged through a lack of continuity across all four nations of the UK when it comes to grading, he added: "No they won't be because the sixth form or wherever they are going to go next in the next phase of their education, they take that into account, they know there is a difference approach to grading.

"And we saw that last week with A Levels, that universities are aware of the different approaches to these qualifications in different parts of the United Kingdom. And the same applies to GCSEs. Most young people will transition to an institution local to them."

GCSE results day at North Liverpool Academy in Everton (Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)

Millions of lesson hours taught by non-specialist teachers, say Lib Dems

Students in England are being let down as millions of lesson hours are being taught by non-specialist teachers, the Liberal Democrats have said, amid expectations that fewer top GCSE grades will be awarded when results are released today.

Analysis by the Lib Dems claims to show that the average GCSE pupil will have had one in 10 lessons with a teacher who is not a specialist in that subject over the past two years.

The party's analysis estimates that 75 million lessons across England in state-funded secondary, special and alternative provision schools and non-maintained special schools for GCSE pupils over the last two years were taught by teachers without specialist subject-specific qualifications.

The party highlights that 12.2% of lesson hours for England's secondary pupils in maths over the past two years were taught by teachers without any post-A-level qualification in the subject.

But Government data shows the equivalent statistic for maths in 2014/15 - the last year of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition - was 20.2%.

The Liberal Democrats hit out at the Government for failing to meet teacher recruitment targets and are calling for a teacher workforce strategy, a new teacher development programme, and pay reforms.

The party points to Department for Education (DfE) figures which show that just 59% of the overall target for secondary subject trainees was reached in the latest year of available data, down from 79% in 2021-22, when the target was also missed.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "There are now record numbers of teachers in our schools, up by 27,000 since 2010.

"We have introduced a range of initiatives to attract the best candidates into teaching, including tax-free bursaries and scholarships worth up to £29,000. And our Levelling Up Premium, worth up to £3,000 per year for the first five years of teaching maths, physics, chemistry and computing, is supporting teachers working in disadvantaged schools.

"This is helping to support the recruitment and retention of specialist teachers in schools and areas that need them most."

Lib Dem education spokesperson Munira Wilson (PA)

Top GCSE grades expected to drop on last year

Similar to the pattern with A-level results last week, it is expected that top GCSE grades will drop on last year as part of a plan to bring grades down to pre-pandemic levels in England this year.

It comes after Covid-19 led to an increase in top grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams.

Some sixth forms and colleges could decide to admit pupils with lower GCSE grades on to A-level courses this summer compared with recent years.

Greater attention may be given to the induction process for this cohort of students starting sixth form next month to ensure "they cope as best they can", the leader of a headteachers' union has suggested.

Last year, more than a quarter (26.3%) of UK GCSE entries were awarded top grades, compared with 28.9% in 2021 and 26.2% in 2020.

In 2019 - the year before the pandemic - around one in five (20.8%) entries in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were awarded a 7/A or above.

Pupils in Manchester receiving their results (Darren Robinson Photography)

How do GCSE grades differ across the UK?

Grading is different in England, compared with Wales and Northern Ireland.

In England, GCSEs are graded using a numerical system from 9 to 1 rather than from A* to G – with 9 being the highest grade. In general, a grade 7 and above is roughly equivalent to an A and above, while a grade 4 and above is roughly equivalent to a C and above.

Grade 4 and above is considered a “standard pass”. But performance data released by the Government highlights the percentage of pupils in a school who achieved a 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs – which is roughly equivalent to a high grade C or low grade B.

In Northern Ireland, the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations & Assessment uses a nine-category grade scale A* – G – which includes a C*. In Wales, the traditional eight-category grade scale A*- G has been retained.

Pupils receive their GCSE results at Balshaw's Church of England High School in Leyland (James Maloney/Lancs Live)

How to check AQA, Edexcel and OCR GCSE grade boundaries on results

Welcome to our live blog as students across the country get their results today.

GCSE students can check their grade boundaries on the AQA, Edexcel and OCR website on results day Thursday morning.

Grade boundaries are not set until after students take their exams and they have been marked by independent examiners, who use published mark schemes to decide their grades.

It's thought thousands of students could be left disappointed after missing out on their predicted grades. Just last week, A-level results across the country dropped significantly compared to previous years. A similar outcomes is expected for GCSE students.

This year, the number of results receiving a grade 7 or higher mark, which equates to an A or A*, is expected to plummet by a massive 230,000. The number of passes is also expected to drop, according to an analysis by Professor Alan Smithers, head of the Centre for Education and Employment Research.

Click here for the full story.

GCSE results at Whalley Range 11-18 High School (Darren Robinson Photography)