GCSEs: Rise in top grades in Northern Ireland as results issued

Pupils use their GCSE results to progress to A-level, courses in Further Education, training or employment

There has been a rise in the number of top GCSE grades in Northern Ireland.

Grades A* and A were awarded to just under 40% of entries, which is up from 37.1% in 2020.

As exams were cancelled for a second year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, pupils' results were based on grades calculated by schools.

Similar arrangements for A-levels saw a record number of entries awarded top grades on Tuesday but the rise in results at GCSE has been less dramatic.

Ian Bell, principal at Movilla High School in Newtownards, said his pupils had done "remarkably well in some very difficult circumstances".

"Sometimes I think it's very easy for people to jump to conclusions where they think 'oh it seems that they were easier' or 'it was an easier process' and I would certainly refute that and I'm sure every other principal in the province would refute that too," he said.

Ian Bell said pupils had had to deal with events "over which they had no control"

"Hopefully, things as they start to return to normal, we will be able to get back to our normal procedures, but I don't think the examination systems have anything to lose from learning some of the lessons we've had, especially over the last two years."

The pupils at the high school said their whole summer had "been leading up to results day" and that there were a lot of nerves in the last few days.

"Last night I was really nervous, but I was excited to come and see everybody, " one pupil said.

The pupils at Movilla High School say they dealt with a lot of uncertainty

"It was hard going into this year because you're going into uncertainty and you didn't know would exams go on or would exams be cancelled, but I think we had to just go head on and do the best that we possibly could."

About 29,000 students in Northern Ireland received their GCSE results on Thursday.

Others received results for BTec, vocational or entry level qualifications.

Aaron (left) and Angus (right) celebrate their results with parents Bill and Cathy at Campbell College

Teachers will have used evidence like classwork, homework, coursework and in-class tests to provide grades for pupils.

Grades calculated by schools were also used to give pupils their GCSE results in 2020 after exams were cancelled.

There has been some criticism that the assessment system used has led to a grade-inflation, but one Londonderry principal believes there are some benefits for pupils not having to sit traditional GCSE exams.

Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle, Michael Allen, principal of Lisneal College in the Waterside, said there was "certainly elements I prefer" about using an evidence-based method for the determination of grades.

Michael Allen said there were some positive aspects to exams being cancelled

"Examinations and grades are pre-determined by the exam boards so the number of kids who achieve an A*, A or B is already pre-determined," he said.

"By removing the algorithm I think we are actually seeing what young people are actually capable of before examination boards are in a position to manipulate results."

2019 was the most recent year in which a full exam series took place.

Pupils had to come in to collect their GCSE results

Just under a third of all GCSEs in Northern Ireland were awarded A* or A in 2019, and that has risen to 39.9% of entries this year.

About nine in every 10 (89.6%) entries were awarded A* to C grades, similar to 2020.

Girls continue to outperform boys in achieving the top grades.

Just under half of entries from girls in 2021 received A* or A grades compared to about a third of entries from boys.

Pupils shared news of their results with family and friends

In 2020, almost one in every eight GCSE entries (12.4%) in Northern Ireland was awarded the top A* grade, a rise from 8.1% of entries in 2019.

More than one in three GCSE entries (37.1%) received the top A* or A grades in 2020.

The vast majority of GCSEs in Northern Ireland are taken by pupils through the exams board CCEA and results were available from 08:30 BST on Thursday.

• Record rate of top A-level grades for NI students

• Exams to resume in the next school year

Many pupils went to their school to pick up results as unlike A-levels, they cannot receive them online.

About 98% of entries are through CCEA, with the remainder through English and Welsh exam boards.

That means some pupils in Northern Ireland received results in the form of numbers as well as letters.

That is because GCSEs in England are graded numerically from nine to one.

Pupils use their GCSE results to progress to A-level, courses in further education, training or employment.