As it happened: North-South divide widens in GCSE results

1. The pass rate for this year's GCSEs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland has fallen since 2021, but remains higher than 2019
2. In London, 32.6% were marked at grades 7/A and above but in north-east England and in Yorkshire and the Humber, just 22.4% got top grades
3. This gap is wider than in 2019 and 2020 - with some opposition parties saying the government has failed pupils
4. Schools Minister Will Quince says the government is trying to address the gap, but that schools have a responsibility to tackle inequalities too
5. The overall pass rate is still much higher than last time exams were sat, before the Covid pandemic
6. In Wales, 25.1% of grades were A and A* and in Northern Ireland 37% were A and A*
7. Those taking BTec Firsts and other level 2 qualifications are also getting their grades today - but some are facing delays

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Pupils celebrate after receiving results in London - where 32.6% of entries got top grades

We're drawing our live coverage of GCSE results day to a close - but first, here's a look back at what's been happening.

• The GCSE pass rate across England, Wales and Northern Ireland is down from last year, but up compared with the pre-pandemic exams season in 2019 - the last time pupils were graded in the usual way
• Students in Northern Ireland achieved the highest proportion of top grades, with 37% of entries given an A or A*, while the comparable figure in England was 26% and 25.1% in Wales
• Campaigners and opposition politicians have called attention to a north-south divide in England's top grades, as well as a "disadvantage gap" between private and state schools that is higher than 2019
• Schools Minister Will Quince said it was up to both the government and individual schools to address inequalities
• Some students still awaiting results in their BTec Level 2 exams have received an apology from exam board Pearson, whose Level 3 results were also delayed this time last week
• And students appealing exam results in Scotland could also face delays after workers voted in favour of strike action

This page was brought to you by Alice Evans, Andrew Humphrey, Catherine Evans, Chris Giles, George Wright, James FitzGerald, Nathan Standley and Vanessa Clarke.

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WATCH: A (nervous) day in the life of a GCSE student

GCSE results: One student's results day

Tavinder is among hundreds of thousands of teenagers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who've endured an anxious wait for their GCSE results.

The BBC followed her throughout the day, joining her at Lyndon School in Solihull for the all-important moment she opened an envelope containing her grades.

Video journalist: Kristian Johnson

What is a T-Level?

The Gatsby Foundation

Isha is about to start an apprenticeship with her T-level placement company

If you've just got your GCSE results, one of your options is to study a T-Level at college.

As we mentioned earlier, a T-level is equivalent to three A-levels and involves 45 days of work placement - so about 20% of your time will be on the job and 80% on studying.

Richard Brennan, assistant principal of Walsall College, tells the BBC that T-levels are "for students who really know what they want to be in the future".

Students can study all sorts of subjects, from civil engineering to nursing.

"For a 16-year-old, you’ll get a chance to study at a really high level with some fantastic resources in college," Brennan says.

"It’s that opportunity to be able to study at college but also have a really meaningful, large extended placement that means that you can leave this place not just with a piece of paper with a qualification, but you’ve got that real-life experience. And it’s experience that’s been shaped by the employer."

Isha did a digital T-Level course at Cranford Community College for two years, with a placement at a company.

After learning various topics - from coding to business and - she sat two exams on the theory she had learned in college.

"The advantages are that you get to experience new skills, you meet new people, you gain that confidence," she says.

She's starting an apprenticeship with her placement company in September, with four days a week at university.

What are the most popular GCSE subjects?

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Pupils decide on their options after receiving their GCSE results at the Oasis Academy Hadley in Ponders End, London

The number of students taking GCSE computing has overtaken those taking PE for the first time.

The number of pupils taking PE has been falling since 2016, while computing now has five times more entries than it did in 2014, according to stats from the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ).

But there are concerns from some groups about the gender gap among students taking the subject, with girls making up just 20% of entrants over the past few years.

Overall, the most popular GCSE subjects were the same this year as in 2021. They include:

• Double award science
• Maths
• English
• English literature
• History
• Geography
• Religious studies
• Art and design
• Biology
• Chemistry

Business studies and geography, both of which are optional at GCSE, have seen increases in entries, by 4.6% and 2.7% respectively.

French is still the most popular modern foreign language, while Spanish is in second place.

Urgent need to fix Covid impacts on schools - Sunak

Reuters

There's a need to "urgently address" issues in the education system that have arisen from the coronavirus pandemic, Conservative leadership candidate Rishi Sunak has told the BBC.

"A lot of things" have impacted children's learning, he told Radio 4's World at One programme, before promising education "reforms" that would work to "level up" the country if he becomes prime minister.

Sunak, the former chancellor, was asked about a Covid catch-up programme for schools, which suffered an alleged lack of funding which led to the resignation of a government education tsar.

He insisted: "We funded all the tutoring that could be done at the time."

WATCH: What happens to my exam paper?

A-level and GCSE exams: What happens to your papers?

Ever wondered what happens to your exam paper after you leave the school hall?

Wonder no more, thanks to this video filmed inside a giant special factory run by exam board AQA, which operates 24 hours a day during peak season.

Have a watch to see some of the chopping and scanning machines that are involved in preparing your paper for marking.

I still don't have my BTec result - what should I do?

As we've been reporting, there have been some delays to results being released today for some students taking BTec Firsts, Technicals and Tech Awards.

The exam board, Pearson, has apologised to the 5,700 students who are “currently ineligible to receive a result” because of a lack of information. It's understood some of that number might not have a result because they dropped out of their course early - but other students who were expecting a result today will not have received one. The exam board hasn't given more exact figures on how many are still waiting for their grades.

If you are still waiting, the advice is to speak to your school or college or call Pearson on 0345 618 0440 - their lines are open until 7pm.

We have asked Pearson why this problem wasn’t dealt with before today - as schools have to submit information to the exam board by July - but we are still waiting for a response.

Throwback Thursday...

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This year’s students are the first in three years to sit GCSE exams.

The coronavirus pandemic threw exam preparation into chaos in 2020, when lockdown led schools to close their doors and pupils had to try to learn at home.

Exams were cancelled and an algorithm was devised to estimate grades instead - which led to uproar as 40% of A-level results in England were downgraded.

The government apologised to students, scrapped the algorithm and used grades estimated by teachers instead, for both A-levels and GCSEs.

In 2021, hopes for exams were dashed again, when a new wave of coronavirus led to further lockdowns and teacher-assessed GCSE grades were used for a second time.

Top grades and passes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland hit a record high.

Things still haven't gone completely back to normal this summer.

Exams are back - but pupils have had lots of extra help - such as advance warning of topics to revise - to account for the disruption the pandemic caused to education.

Twins celebrate identical GCSE grades

Benenden School

Nicola (left) and Victoria Tsang are non-identical twins - but their GCSE grades were totally matched

Twins at Benenden School in Kent are celebrating after receiving identical high grades.

Nicola and Victoria Tsang, aged 15, both achieved 9s (the highest mark available) in nine subjects, as well as two 8s, both in Spanish and Further Maths.

"We can’t believe it, it’s crazy,” says Nicola, the younger of the two by one minute.

Victoria adds that she's pleased they can celebrate together.

"I was quite worried about, for example, Nicola doing really well and if I didn’t do quite as well she’d be celebrating and me not so much,” she says.

The sisters from Hong Kong are now preparing to start their A-levels at Benenden and - you guessed it - they've picked the same subjects.

Victoria says: “We don’t have twin telepathy – but we do try to trick people that we do."

Nicola adds that they always know what the other is thinking. "When she’s lying, I know it.”

'The impact of the pandemic is far from over'

The Sutton Trust, a charity aimed at improving educational inequalities across the UK, has responded to today's GCSE results.

Founder Sir Peter Lampl, who is also chairman of the Education Endowment Foundation, says he hopes attention will now be focussed on supporting students through the cost-of-living crisis.

"Today’s results are a testament to the hard work of pupils and teachers in the face of continued disruption," he said.

"We are still seeing some regional inequalities, with London and the South East continuing to get the highest levels of top grades. But it is good to see that the inequalities in today’s GCSE results are less pronounced than for the A-level results last week.

"Despite positive news, the impact of the pandemic is far from over, and the focus must be on catch-up. Schools and colleges should be well funded to enable disadvantaged youngsters through their next steps into post-16 education.

"We must make sure that this winter, young people’s education prospects are not negatively influenced by the cost-of-living crisis."

BBC

WATCH: How to get an apprenticeship after your GCSE results

Sophie Maguire, 18, from Norwich, started as a plumbing apprentice straight after her GCSEs two years ago.

She's been sharing her top tips on doing an apprenticeship.

Video by Neve Gordon-Farleigh

Norfolk apprentice shares top tips on making it work

Eton scholarship for full-time carer

BBC

Ilyan Benamor has cared for his mum since aged 11

A London schoolboy, who's a full-time carer for his disabled mum, says he's "ecstatic" after being awarded an £80,000 scholarship by Eton College.

Sixteen-year-old Ilyan Benamor has spent five years caring for his mother Lalia Amal, who has a neurological condition.

He learned today that he'd got the GCSE grades he needed to go to the prestigious Berkshire school.

"The opportunity is incredible", says Ilyan, who hopes to become prime minister one day.

Laila, who fled Algeria before Ilyan was born, told the BBC it was a "dream come true".

Read more about their story here.

Do the Tories deserve an F for North-South divide?

Rob Halfon, chair of the education committee and MP for Harlow, has been asked about claims from the Liberal Democrats that the government deserves an "F" because of a North-South divide in England's GCSE results.

In London, 32.6% were marked at grades 7/A and above but in north-east England and in Yorkshire and the Humber, just 22.4% got top grades.

"I don’t want to go down a party political partisan path," he tells Ben Fryer on BBC Essex.

"There are some very good things that have happened - literacy rates have improved, numeracy rates have improved across the board dramatically - 1.9 million children got an outstanding score," he says.

"There are significant problems," he says, but references the £5bn Covid catch-up fund, which includes cash for tutoring, as an example of steps the government is taking.

WATCH: 'Birthday GCSE result was a shock’

One student opens her results expecting a 4, but gets a pleasant surprise.

‘Birthday GCSE result was a shock’

Fears for younger pupils over North-South divide in GCSE grades

Hayley Clarke

BBC News

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There are concerns for younger pupils over the regional differences in this year's GCSE grades

We’ve been chatting to Fiona Spellman, chief executive of education charity SHINE, which supports disadvantaged children in northern England.

She’s one of the people who wrote the open letter that we spoke about earlier, warning of the North-South difference in the “disproportionate learning loss” suffered by students during Covid.

Fiona says regional inequalities already existed but are reaching an “untenable situation” after being exacerbated by the pandemic.

Fiona’s “biggest fear” is that GCSE and A-Level results are “just the start”, with younger cohorts coming down the line.

“In the North there’s no shortage of incredible teachers doing hard work. But the truth is they don’t always have the resources they need to do that job," she says.

In pictures: Mixed emotions for students getting their grades today

There's been a visible mix of emotions as students open their GCSE results, ranging from unadulterated delight - to pure shock.

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Finney was visibly ecstatic after receiving his GCSE results at Norwich School in Norfolk

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It's a big thumbs up from Jonathan receiving his GCSE results at Norwich School in Norfolk

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Student Nyla appears stunned by her GCSE results at Notting Hill and Ealing High School in west London

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A mix of emotions for students receiving their GCSE results at Rockwood Academy secondary school in Alum Rock, Birmingham

Can I appeal my exam results?

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If you are unhappy with your GCSE or BTec grades, speak to your school or college first as they can help set out what your options are.

They can contact the exam board and ask them to review your marks.

After that, if you’re still not happy, you can ask your school or college to appeal the result – and the exam board will then look at your work again.

BTec students can also appeal directly to the exam board.

There’s also the option of re-sitting your exam – again, it’s best to ask your teachers for advice about this.

The results day dogs helping worried students

BBC

Adele Normington with her miniature Shih-Tzu, school therapy dog Minnie, at The Deanery Church of England High School in Wigan

Therapy pup Minnie has been trotting around The Deanery Church of England High School today, soothing students struggling on results day.

The miniature Shih-Tzus’s owner, Adele Normington, who is also the school’s mental health practitioner and wellbeing lead, said Minnie is proud of the pupils.

"I am so excited for the students and Minnie is very proud." she said.

Plenty of other people have been sharing pictures of their dogs on social media too, cheering on the students getting their grades today.

Scottish student appeals could be delayed by strikes, union warns

Up to 22,000 student appeals will be "severely delayed" after workers voted in favour of strike action, a trade union has warned.

Staff at the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) have decided to go on strike after voting against a "derisory" pay-rise offer that ranged from 1.7% to 4%.

The union, Unite, confirmed that the strikes will happen on 8, 15 and 16 September.

The SQA has said it will continue to discuss the pay offer with unions and the Scottish government, and that priority appeals shouldn't be affected.

"However, as always our primary focus is on learners, and it is important to stress that anyone waiting for the outcome of a priority appeal to secure a university place or job will be unaffected," a spokesperson said.

It comes after the AQA exam board in England said staff strikes won't affect today's GCSE results. Around 180 employees walked out yesterday as part of a series of strikes - and this latest one is expected to last until Sunday.

What's happened so far today?

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Students at The Grammar School at Leeds celebrate after getting their results

If you've just joined us, or need a bit of revision, here's a quick recap of what's been happening this morning:

• Teenagers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland received their GCSE results this morning
• The pass rate has fallen since 2021 - when teachers were responsible for awarding grades due to the coronavirus pandemic - but is up since 2019, the last time exams were taken before Covid
• In England, there's a widening regional disparity in the proportion of entries getting the best marks: 22.4% got top grades in Yorkshire and the Humber compared with 32.6% in London
• Meanwhile in Northern Ireland, 37% of entries got an A or A* while in Wales the figure was 25.1%
• Schools Minister Will Quince acknowledged that Covid had worsened the "attainment gap" but said the government was working to address it
• And exam board Pearson has said sorry to some pupils whose BTec Level 2 results have been delayed - after similar issues for Level 3 students last week