A huge congratulations to all of you who have got your GCSE and other Level 2 results today.

Good grades or bad, we wish you all the best for whatever you do next.

On that, if you still need a bit of extra information on T-levels or apprenticeships, take a look here and here.

If you're thinking about appealing your results or resitting, have a read of our guide.

Or if it's a bit of light relief you're after, read more about the great-grandad passing his GCSE English, or watch the rapping science teacher spit some results day bars.

Have a great evening.

Today's live page reporters were Hollie Cole, Nathan Standley, Rahib Khan, Andre Rhoden-Paul, Ben Hatton, Pia Harold and Sophie Abdulla. The editors were Alice Evans and Jamie Whitehead.

We'll be wrapping up our live coverage soon. We hope you've had an amazing results day and that we've been able to answer some of the questions you might have had.

Here's a recap of some of the things you might have missed:

• It's the third year in a row that pass rates have fallen across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, returning to 2019 levels - the last year exams were sat before Covid.
• Pass rates in Northern Ireland dropped most steeply, falling to 82% from 86.6%

• The divide between the south and the rest of England continues: The percentage point gap between England's highest pass rate, in London, is now 9.4 percentage points up on the West Midlands, the lowest-performing region

• England's schools minister has said the divide is "huge" and the government is "committed to closing" it
• There have been some calls to end compulsory resits in English and maths in England - which have seen more low pass rates - but she says it's important pupils have a "strong foundation" in those subjects.

It's a big day for many – thanks to all of you who have shared your stories. We've picked out these five as particularly special:

• There are no rules if you want to go back to education – that's Anna Champneys' message. She said she hated school, and left with no GCSEs. Now she's a university lecturer
• The self-described "Brickie Boys" didn't make the grades at first. But this group of four young men found their path in vocational training. They're now winners of the BBC’s Young Reporter Competition for the south of England
• Among the fresh faces picking up their results today was great-grandad Danny Davey, 73, a retired roofer who left school about 60 years ago but who today collected his English GCSE. His message to anyone considering heading back to school? "Have a go"
• Scott James said he "never really got on with school". His coffee business now counts the House of Commons among its customers – in that context, Scott now says his D in GCSE business seems "hilarious"
• Ukrainian refugee Margot only knew basic greetings in English when she first arrived at school in Stoke-on-Trent, but today secured a 6 in the subject at GCSE.

As we've been reporting, the GCSE pass rate has fallen for the third year in a row - so thousands of you will be resitting.

Lee Elliot Major, a social mobility professor at the University of Exeter, says research shows half of children judged to be falling behind at the age of five end up not passing their GCSEs.

He adds that "about 80%" of young people fail again when they try for the second time.

The professor told the BBC Radio 4's World at One programme there should be a way of allowing "more academic" children to follow an academic route, and those who are "more practical and creative" to have "slightly different routes".

“We look down on those more vocational and even creative routes - I think we’ve really got to challenge those cultural attitudes that apply to this debate," he says.

It's been a busy day, but what's missing?

A teacher, a whiteboard, and a spatula of course.

Here are some top tips from YouTuber, Mr Salles Teaches English, for those of you looking to resit your English language GCSE.

This year’s GCSE results have "shown up regional and other kinds of disparities in achievements up and down the country", the head of England's exam regulator says.

Sir Ian Bauckham says there are areas that are underperforming, which the government and others need to focus their attention on "so opportunities for future success are evenly distributed".

He says the government's ongoing review of the curriculum will have the issue "at the top of its agenda".

“Our GCSE results provide really important and reliable evidence for that work," he adds.

Gloria Coles
reporting from Hetton Academy in County Durham

Hetton Academy has more than doubled the number of pupils getting five or more GCSEs - including maths and English - since 2019.

At the school, 45% of pupils are on free school meals - far higher than the national average, external.

Proud mum Lisa is overjoyed with her son Lewis's results.

Both of them can't stop smiling. She says the college proves that despite the north-south divide in results, "it doesn't matter where you live".

"People in Hetton can go on to do great things," she says.

"It just proves you're as good anybody else - it doesn't matter where you're from.

"As long as you work hard and you believe in yourself - and you've got the right support from home and school - anyone can go on and smash it."

Nathan Standley
Education reporter

We've been reporting on the rise of resits, as higher numbers of students in England fail their English or maths GCSEs.

The regional divide in pass rates overall between London and the lowest-performing region, the West Midlands, has also grown.

Mike Hopkins, from South & City College in Birmingham, says economic deprivation has a big part to play, with more affluent families able to pay for extra tuition while others are left behind.

And he fears that the rate of people failing their resits could get worse, as Covid-era funding for one-on-one and small-group tuition has now come to an end, external.

Graham Pennington, from Sandwell College, takes in students from some of the most deprived areas in the country.

He says he was pleased with his students getting their resit results today but he also worries about having to scale up provision for more students resitting next year.

Jake Wood
Reporting from Park School in Belfast, Northern Ireland

Joseph is a pupil at Park School in Belfast, which caters to young people with a range of learning difficulties.

The 19-year-old got an A* in maths, achieving full marks in the exam.

"I knew that I had done well, but not full marks."

"I’m over the moon," he adds, saying: "Maths comes really naturally to me."

Joseph wants to study teaching at university and aspires to eventually work at his school in Belfast, as "the maths coordinator".

Matt Weigold
Reporting from Thistley Hough Academy in Stoke-on-Trent

Margot joined Thistley Hough Academy at the end of year nine after she left Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country.

She only knew basic greetings when she first walked into the Stoke-on-Trent school, but has now secured a 6 (B equivalent) in GCSE English.

“I just did my best and worked really, really hard,” she says.

Throughout years 10 and 11, she attended afterschool, Saturday and half term interventions to support her progress and the results have paid off.

“I’m so happy! I’m really, really happy!” she beams before rushing to call her mum at work.

The government must address "enormous structural inequalities" between the North East and London to prevent "a widening of the disadvantage gap", a school-led regional network says.

Schools North East points in particular to the special educational needs and disabilities (Send) system as being at "breaking point" - whilst also saying buildings are deteriorating and there is a teacher shortage "crisis".

The network represents 1,150 schools in the region.

Figures show London remains the highest-performing region in England, with 72.5% of entries marked at 4/C and above. 65.2% of GCSE students in the North East received a grade 4 or above.

The schools network says results this year "continue to map the disproportionate impact of the pandemic and cost-of-living crises".

Gareth Bryer
Reporting from Pencoed Comprehensive School in Bridgend, Wales

Rowan says his results were “worse than I expected”.

Like most of you getting results today, he was a Year 7 pupil when the pandemic hit and says he spent most of 2020 and 2021 “playing Fortnite in my room”.

He says he found the Year 11 exams really tough because the support provided across Wales - in Year 10 - was dropped.

He continues “there should be more support” for pupils who went through the lockdown no matter how much or how little study they did.

Despite feeling disappointed, Rowan achieved what he needed to study carpentry - with a plan for an apprenticeship after that.

Hazel Shearing
Education correspondent

Overall, performance in English language and maths among 16-year-olds in England this year – in terms of the percentage who pass – is slightly worse than last year, but better than 2019.

However, the 16-year-old population has grown since the pandemic so, regardless of the pass rate, more Year 11s failed the subjects this year than in 2019 and in 2023.

In England, students need maths and English GCSEs at grade 4 or above to qualify for further study - although they can study for resits alongside other courses.

The data suggests that around 182,000 16-year-olds will need to resit English language, and around 176,000 will need to resit maths.

Looking at the number of 17-year-olds taking English language and maths gives us an indication of how many of last year’s Year 11 students resat this summer – and there has been rapid growth there.

The pass rate was low - 22.1% and 18.3% respectively.

Some of you, like Cheryl, who got results today are going on to study T-levels - but many might not have heard of them.

That's because they’re still a relatively new Level 3 qualification, having started up in 2020.

One T-level is roughly equivalent to three A-levels. They focus more on practical subjects than academic ones, including a mixture of both classroom learning and on-the-job experience.

You can study T-level courses in accountancy, digital business, finance, healthcare, and manufacturing. And more are being launched in September, including:

• animal care and management
• craft and design
• media, broadcastand production.

Want to know more about T-levels? Here’s our full guide.

Jake Wood
Reporting from Park School, Belfast

A little earlier, I was at Park School in Belfast, which is attended by pupils with a wide range of learning difficulties.

I met Cobhlith, 19, who is "very happy with my results".

She's bagged a Level 1 qualification in horticulture, a Level 2 in numeracy and a Level 3 in independent living. Level 2s are equivalent to GCSEs and Level 3s to A-levels.

“I’m proud of myself," she says.

“I’ve had the best three years of my life here at Park School, I made friends for life and all the teachers have been so helpful and caring."

One of the main news lines coming out of today's results is the stark difference between the south of England and the rest of the nation's GCSE results.

In a post on X, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "I know the power of education and opportunity.

"My government will make sure everyone’s path is determined by their talent, skills and ambition, not where you come from."

The education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, also posted to congratulate students and school staff.

"You’ve shown amazing resilience, overcoming challenges and you should be proud of all you’ve achieved," she said.

Gloria Coles
Reporting from Sunderland College, Tyne and Wear

The sports hall here is full of people enrolling.

But not everyone got exactly what they wanted.

Many are telling me they are resitting GCSE maths or English, which is a mandatory requirement if you do not pass, in England - although the National Association of Head Teachers trade union has called for this policy to be scrapped.

Matthew, aged 17, got a three in GCSE maths and English - he needed a 4 to pass.

He resat them this year and will now resit them again.

But he's not feeling too pessimistic.

"I've progressed this year. I got better results," Matthew says.

"I wasn't too far off, I think. I feel good about it."

He's about to start a BTec in health and social care, and says he wants to go into anything to do with hospitals.

"I'm actually really excited," he says, adding: "I'm looking forward to it."

Not everyone enjoys school, so some of you might be sick of it and hoping to wiggle out of it now you’ve got your GCSEs.

The minimum age you can leave school was raised from 15 to 16 in 1972.

In Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, that is still the case, but in England it’s slightly different. Until you turn 18, in England, you’ll have to do one of the following:

• stay in full-time education, for example studying A-levels, BTecs, or T-levels
• start an apprenticeship, meaning you'll gain work and study towards a qualification
• spend 20 hours or more a week working or volunteering, while in part-time education or training
• once you’re 16, you can also apply to join the Army.

Plenty of you will be familiar with Matt Green - or as he's more commonly known on social media, The Rapping Science Teacher.

He's got more than one million followers on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube and students across the UK watch his videos to revise.

Our friends at BBC Newsbeat have been chatting to him this morning.

And Matt's come prepared with some words for everyone picking up their results today.

We're getting some more reaction as you head in to pick up your results - with more tissues, anticipation and gasps.

Image source, PA

Image source, PA

Image source, PA