GCSE results - live: Protesters to call for Gavin Williamson to resign as Scottish Tory leader refuses to back him

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GCSE grades surge after U-turn gives pupils results based on teachers’ estimates

Hundreds of thousands of students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are receiving their GCSE results on Thursday morning.

Teenagers across those countries will be awarded their final results, the higher of either their teachers' estimated grade or the moderated grade, after exams were cancelled.

It follows a government U-turn, with the announcement that GCSE and A-level students would be able to receive grades based on assessments by schools or colleges, rather than an algorithm, after thousands of A-level results were downgraded last week.

Meanwhile, Btec pupils will have to wait for their grades amid last-minute changes.

Btec grades were not included in the original government U-turn, but on Wednesday - with just hours to go until results day - Pearson said it would regrade Btecs to "address concerns about unfairness".

The exam board told schools and colleges not to publish level 1 and 2 results in the vocational qualifications on Thursday to give them more time to recalculate the grades.

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Key Points

• Scottish Tory leader calls on Gavin Williamson to ‘reflect’ on grading controversy
• Gavin Williamson and Ofqual warned of flaws in grading system weeks ago - reports
• Students may face ‘scramble’ for college places
• Nick Gibb apologises for ‘the pain and the anxiety’ caused by grading system
• Protesters call for Education Secretary to resign over exams furore

[20 August 2020 15:17 · Kate Ng]

More students than ever likely to attend college following record GCSE grades

College leaders have said more students than ever are likely to attend college and progress to A-levels and vocational courses as the GCSE pass rates for maths and English hit record highs today.

Nearly three in four (71.2 per cent) entries in England received a grade 4 or above (equivalent to a C or above) in English this year, compared to 61.8 per cent last year.

Data published by exams regulator Ofqual showed the pass rate for maths also increased, by seven percentage points. Two int here entries received a grade 4 or above, compared with 59.6 per cent last year.

David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said course choices “may be different” this year because of the results.

“With an increase in top grades and passes, it is likely that more students than ever will progress to Level 3 vocational courses or A-levels,” he said.

“At the same time there may be fewer apprenticeship opportunities for school leavers because of the pressures in the labour market.”

He added that although he is “certain there is enough capacity in colleges despite an expected increase in applications, support from the government is needed to ensure “colleges have the confidence that they will be funded to meet the demand”.