South East students receive GCSE results

Pupils at Burgess Hill Academy getting their GCSE results

Students across the South East have been receiving their GCSE results.

Results across England, Northern Ireland and Wales have fallen for a second year running in an effort to return grades to pre-pandemic levels.

In England, GCSEs are now graded using a numerical system, from 9-1 rather than A-E, with students needing a 4 for a "standard pass" and 5 for a "strong pass".

Medway Council's education spokesman said the disruption caused by Covid "could not be underestimated".

Tracy Coombs, portfolio holder for education at Medway Council, said: "Some students have faced considerable mental health difficulties as a result of Covid and we can't underestimate how that's still impacting right now and will do for some time for students coming up through the years."

John Biggs, head of Year 11 at King Ethelbert School in Birchington, Kent, said there had been "tears of joy and tears of sadness" as the results were opened in the school hall, and praised the year group's "resilience".

"They've worked hard, they've listened to the guidance we've given them," he said, "and we've got some fantastic results to celebrate this year."

Student Dexter, who is now going to take A-levels in physics, maths and geography, said: "When we had Covid, that was a bit problematic with the online lessons through Year 8 and 9."

Grades this year are back down to pre-pandemic levels

Cobham Hall School in Kent has seen two of its pupils, both refugees from Ukraine, score highly in their results.

One of the girls, Yulila, fled to the UK last summer to live with a host family in Kent and achieved six grade 9s and two grade 8s.

"I was worried if I could cope with GCSEs with only one year of studying them," she said.

"But all the teachers gave me revision sessions at a very high level, which was an immense help.

"Students as well were very friendly and helped me with some subjects. I can’t express how much gratitude I have for them.”

'Big challenges'

Shelley Baker, head of Varndean School in Brighton, East Sussex, said despite national "doom and gloom" with general results down in some areas, she found pupils had performed "on par" with the last few years.

Ms Baker said one of the big challenges was getting pupil attendance back up since Covid.

She said: "My duty is to get students back into school, we know when they are here they're going to do well."

West Sussex County Council said its provisional standard pass rate for grades 4 and above was 69.9%, which the authority said was slightly above the national average of 68.8%