Image source, Sydney Russell school

Syeda at the Sydney Russell school in Dagenham says: “I did it. I got all 9s in my GCSEs and two distinctions.

"It’s the best possible results and I’m so proud of myself. I think there is a big sense of relief across the board.”

She’s aiming to sit A-levels next year and hopes to later study English literature at the University of Cambridge.

Her mum, Shahima came to the school with her to share the experience.

She says: “I’m extremely, extremely proud of Syeda. She’s put so much effort and hard work into this and lots of sleepless nights.”

Although exams were cancelled, Syeda says she still had to sit 62 assessments.

To those people who criticise the value of this year’s grades, Syeda says: "I would tell them, they should try and be in our place where we are sitting 60 exams and see how difficult it actually is.”

GCSE students have received another set of record grades in the second year of Covid disruption to exams in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Top grades (7/As and above) rose 2.7 percentage points to 28.9%, while grades 4/Cs and above - seen as good passes - rose 0.8 percentage points to 76.3%.

This a smaller rise than last year, the first time exams were cancelled and teacher-assessed grades were used.

Exams regulators have insisted the process has been fair and thorough.

Last year top grades rose a record 9 percentage points and good passes were up 5.4 percentage points.

The grades were calculated by teachers again this year from a combination of mock exams, course work and tests.

Read more here

As we've been hearing, GCSE results are expected to be higher this year as they've been determined by teacher assessment rather than exams.

But National Association of Head Teachers leader Paul Whiteman says talk of "grade inflation" is unhelpful as the way results have been determined mean they are not comparable with previous years.

"In a normal year, we would see the process of comparable outcomes ranking students from top to bottom, meaning that broadly the same proportions of students received each grade," he says.

"This year, students have been able to show what they know, understand and can do, without the high-pressure snapshot moment of an exam, where some students will always underperform."

Geoff Barton, from the Association of School and College Leaders, agrees.

"It is important to focus on the achievements of this cohort rather than fixate on comparisons with other years, which are somewhat meaningless," he says.

Higher grades predicted after exams cancelledpublished at 09:15 British Summer Time 12 August 2021

09:15 BST 12 August 2021

Branwen Jeffreys
Education Editor

Most expect GCSE results this year to improve even on last year’s record passes and high grades.

Once again teacher assessments have been used as the starting point, which unlike exams tends to give all pupils the benefit of the doubt.

The summer series of exams were cancelled in light of the disruption caused by the pandemic.

In England, the Labour Party says its analysis suggests that on average, pupils missed 14 weeks of face-to-face teaching last year, and eight this year.

Children in the north of England were calculated to have lost a week more in the classroom than those in the south.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is calling on the Conservatives to match his party’s idea of a £15bn pound catch-up programme. The current government plans are for £1.4bn over three years.

The government has consulted on modifying next year’s exams in England in recognition of the disruption faced by pupils.

Image source, Sydney Russell School

Roman is feeling calm and confident about getting the grades he needs.

But the pupil, at Sydney Russell School, in Dagenham, Essex, he says that the challenges he’s faced over the past two years have had an impact.

“It’s been a rollercoaster," he says. "So many ups and downs and so many battles, both mental battles and physical ones.”

He says he would actually have preferred to sit exams as he feels one exam at the end would have been easier than the constant pressure of lots of tests.

However, he says: “I feel like the teachers have done a good job in explaining what was needed and that helped with the pressure.”

Image source, Sydney Russell School

Molly from Romford is nervously waiting for her BTec Level 2 result in business and enterprise.

She has had a particularly challenging year as her father and step-grandfather died within weeks of each other.

She is hoping to pass and says anything more will be a shock.

Molly struggled with studying at home.

“It was very isolating and frustrating because obviously I’m a people person so I like being around people a lot," she says.

"Being at home every day and not being able to go out was just too boring."

She found this year a “complete shock but her aim was not to give up”.

One day she hopes to run her own business, she says.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Responding to concerns about grade inflation, Nick Gibb says teacher-assessed grades are the right approach this year because pupils have experienced different levels of disruption due to the pandemic.

However, he tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme that in normal circumstances "exams are the fairest system of assessing young people” and they will return in 2022.

“In the longer term we do want to get back to the system we had prior to the pandemic where year-on-year you didn’t see great variation between the grades awarded," he adds.

Asked if elements of teacher assessment for exam results could remain in the future, the schools minister says this approach takes up "a vast amount of teaching time" and the regulator also didn't feel it was the fairest way to assess pupils achievements.

Image source, PA Media

In England, GCSE results are now graded on a numerical system from 9 to 1, rather than from A to E.

The highest grade is 9, while 1 is the lowest, not including a U (ungraded).

Three number grades - 9, 8 and 7 - correspond to the two previous top grades of A* and A.

Pupils need a 4 for a standard pass and 5 for a "strong pass".

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland has introduced a new nine-category grade scale - A* to G, including a C*.

But students may also get results with grades 9-1 if they take exams set by English boards.

In Wales, the government retained the letter-based grading structure A* to G.

Scotland has its own system of public examinations - Nationals and Highers.

You can read more about the grading systems across the UK here.

BBC Breakfast

Nick Gibb is also asked about concerns the gap in exam results between state and private school pupils has widened during the pandemic.

A-level results on Tuesday showed record levels of top grades - but for independent school pupils in England, 70% of A-level results were A* or A, compared with 39% for comprehensive pupils.

The schools minister defends the government's record, saying the attainment gap narrowed between 2010 and the start of the pandemic last year.

He says independent schools have always had a higher proportion of top grades because they are academically selective and argues young people across the board have achieved the high results this year.

However, he acknowledges the pandemic has "amplified" inequalities in education.

BBC Breakfast

Schools Minister Nick Gibb has congratulated GCSE pupils for "an amazing achievement in what has been a very challenging year".

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he also thanks teachers, saying they have had "a huge task" providing evidence to award grades.

Asked about concerns this year's grades will not be comparable to other years after exams were cancelled, he tells the programme: "This is a very different year and I think it’s like comparing apples and oranges."

However, he says people can still be confident in the grades awarded.

“Inevitably you will get a higher proportion of top grades in this system this year, but they are still valid grades that are backed up by very real evidence of the performance of those young people," he adds.

Gibb says exams will take place in 2022, but there will be adjustments to ensure fairness. For example some advanced notice of topic areas, after teaching was disrupted by the pandemic.

He adds that the grading system is a matter for the exams watchdog Ofqual, and the government will be saying more about grading in the autumn term.

Image source, PA Media

With exams cancelled for the second year in a row, teachers have been given the responsibility to award grades.

Schools decide what teachers base their decisions on – this can include mock exams, coursework or homework.

Exam boards have been checking the schools' assessment methods to make sure they follow guidance.

They may also have asked schools for a sample of their results to check that grades are not significantly out of line with previous years.

You can read more about how GCSE results are working this year here.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of GCSE results day.

Hundreds of thousands of pupils across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are finding out their grades, after exams were cancelled for the second year in a row because of the pandemic.

Instead, grades are being based on teachers’ judgements, with pupils assessed using mock exams, homework or coursework.

A spike in grades is predicted, after there was a leap in top marks at A-level earlier this week.

Exam officials say pupils had multiple chances to show their greatest potential – so grades are likely to be higher on average.

We’ll be bringing you all the latest reaction and updates on the picture across the country throughout the day.