GCSE results: Students find out grades as thousands more hit by Btec delays

It comes as efforts to curb grade inflation kick in

Results day: Everything to know for A-Levels and GCSEs

Students have picked up GCSE results while thousands more were hit with delays to Btecs grades.

The pass rate and proportion of top grades dropped in GCSEs this year as efforts to crack down grade inflation kicked in.

But as hundreds of thousands found out their results on Thursday, an exam board said around 5,700 students had been deemed ineligible to get grades in another qualification.

”We need to work with schools and college to resolve queries, run eligibility checks and confirm if the student still wishes to claim a grade,” a spokesperson for Pearson said. “We apologise to any student waiting for a result.”

It came a week after other pupils faced delays in getting results from the same awarding body.

In other exam news, London came out on top in England for GCSE results. Around 32 per cent of grades in the capital were the highest marks, compared to 22 per cent in other regions - including Yorkshire and the North East.

Key Points

• More delays for BTec students
• GCSE grades fall from Covid record high in crackdown on grade inflation
• Students celebrate as they open GCSEs
• Lower GCSE grades ‘part of the plan’, says schools minister
• ‘Evidence of gaping regional disparities in GCSE results’

[25 August 2022 10:30 · Zoe Tidman]

Pass rate in different areas

Here is how the pass rate varied across the UK as well:

England:

North East: 71.2 per cent

North West: 70.3 per cent

Yorkshire and the Humber: 69.6 per cent

West Midlands: 69.9 per cent

East Midlands: 71.5 per cent

Eastern England: 73.7 per cent

South West: 74.2 per cennt

South East: 75.5 per cent

London: 76.7 per cent

Wales:

Overall: 68.6 per cent

Northern Ireland:

Overall: 90 per cent

[25 August 2022 10:46 · Zoe Tidman]

More images of students opening GCSE results

Some more images here of students opening GCSE results:

Sara Bertea and Jemima Gotto both opened their results in Norwich on Thursday (PA)

Jonathan Ikazaboh opened his results in Norwich (PA)

Students at Roedean School in Brighton opened their results on Thursday (PA)

Ieuan Nelson hugs his mum after opening his GCSE results in Wales (Getty Images)

[25 August 2022 11:00 · Zoe Tidman]

Message from Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson has congratulated students getting their GCSEs:

[25 August 2022 11:14 · Zoe Tidman]

92-year-old gets GCSE result

A 92-year-old has achieved his GCSE maths today.

Here he is talking about it:

[25 August 2022 11:26 · Zoe Tidman]

Next year’s GCSEs should also have mitigations, union says

Mitigations should be put in place again for 2023’s GCSE exams, a headteachers’ union has said.

The Association of School and College Leaders said next year’s cohort will also have been “heavily impacted” by the pandemic and warned of potentially being further affected by any future infections during autumn and winter.

PA

[25 August 2022 11:35 · Zoe Tidman]

What are the figures?

Both the overall pass rate and proportion of top grades have dropped this year, according to official figures.

Around 73 per cent of GCSE entries received a 4/C, which is considered a pass. This was down from a record 77 per cent last year, when grades were awarded by teachers instead.

Meanwhile, 26.3 per cent of GCSEs were given the top grades of 7/A or above this year compared to 28.9 per cent - another all-time high - in 2021.

Marks were still higher than before the Covid pandemic - when the pass rate was 67.3 per cent and top grades stood at 20.8 per cent - in recognition of disruption experienced.

[25 August 2022 11:49 · Zoe Tidman]

Parents post about children’s GCSE results

Proud parents are posting on social media about their students getting results today:

[25 August 2022 12:30 · Zoe Tidman]

State comprehensive pupils close top grades gap with private school pupils

Around 53 per cent of private school grades got the top marks in GCSE this year, compared to 23.3 per cent at comprehensive schools.

This attainment gap was narrower than during the Covid pandemic - but still wider than before the pandemic hit.

[25 August 2022 12:52 · Zoe Tidman]

More delays for BTec students

An exam board has apologised to students after thousands were deemed ineligible to be awarded grades on Thursday, a week after other pupils faced delays in getting results from the same awarding body.

Pearson said some 5,700 students were awaiting BTec (Business and Technology Education Council) results on Thursday, on the day hundreds of thousands of pupils were receiving their GCSE grades.

The awarding organisation has previously said changes this year, made in order to take into account disruption to teaching and learning during the pandemic, had “added more complexity to the process” and that without full information it is unable to award students their results.

PA

[25 August 2022 13:11 · Zoe Tidman]

Birmingham student ‘ecstatic’ to get grades for apprenticeship

Gulam-Mustafaa Aslam needed certain grades to secure his offer of an apprenticeship at huge West Midlands’ employer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), so Thursday was an “anxious” day for him.

But opening his results at Birmingham’s Rockwood Academy, the news was good with Gulam keen to get home and tell his family.

“I signed the contract and everything but needed the grades, so coming here I was very anxious. As soon as I opened the envelope and I saw my grades, I was ecstatic,” he said.

“I needed five fours and guaranteed maths and English; I got a six and five in English, a five in maths and I passed everything else.”

Gulam-Mustafaa Aslam has got the grades he needs for his apprenticeship (PA)

PA