GCSE results: Shock and relief for NI students

Students across Northern Ireland have received their GCSE results

GCSE students across Northern Ireland have been experiencing the shock and relief of receiving their exam results after a challenging two years due to the pandemic.

For the vast majority, it was the first time they sat formal summer exams.

BBC News NI spoke to students at Bangor Academy and Abbey Christian Brothers' Grammar School in Newry.

Bangor Academy student Danielle Bennett got a "really good shock" when she opened her results envelope.

Danielle Bennett from Bangor Academy did much better than she had expected in her GCSEs

"It went really well. I did not expect to get what I did, considering the year we've all had with the pandemic," she said.

Preparing for exams had been "really difficult", Danielle said, due to being in and out of school as Covid-19 restrictions changed.

She said she had thought about doing hairdressing but, after receiving her results, she would now like to go back to school and do A-levels.

"I know for sure I want to study child development further because I was really good in that," Danielle said.

Beth Nihell (right) said that despite the challenges of the pandemic her teachers had been very helpful

Twins Myah and Beth Nihell both said they had been nervous about their results but relieved when they got them.

Myah said she undertook the first part of her exams when coronavirus restrictions were still in place.

"The first ones were really nerve wracking because we had to wear masks as well," she said.

She hopes to do maths for A-level, as well as a science subject, as she did further maths for GCSE.

Beth admitted being pleasantly surprised by her results.

'Hard to have competition'

"Covid has made things a bit weird. Despite that, it was all right - the teachers did their best and were very helpful."

She said she hoped to do moving image art for A-level and maybe ICT.

It might be assumed that the twins competed with each other when it came to exam results, but that wasn't the case.

"We like completely different subjects, so it's hard to have competition," said Myah.

"We don't look alike, we don't like the same things so it kind of makes sense we wouldn't pick the same choices."

Myah and Beth Nihell's mum Liesel said she was delighted with her daughters' results

Their mum Liesel said she was "gobsmacked" by the girls' results.

"I'm delighted, absolutely delighted. I can't thank the school enough," she said.

"They did put the work in and, with Covid, and not being able to access the school during those times, I was worried that it would have some kind of ongoing effect.

"But it just proves that the support they had and being able to have online teaching, they got through it."

Adam McGuinness said he felt nervous before he got his results

Adam McGuinness, a student at Abbey Christian Brothers' Grammar School in Newry, said he hoped to do A-levels in PE, ICT and English literature.

He said he had felt nervous before he got his results.

"It just kept dragging and last night I could barely sleep," he said.

Niall Maguire, a student from Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar School, said coming into school to collect his results was 'scary enough'

Niall Maguire said he was happy with his results, achieving five A*s, 3 As and a B.

"I'm pretty happy with that," Niall said.

He said it was "scary enough" coming to collect his results.

"I slept very well, but I woke up this morning and it started to kick in."

He said he would like to stay on at school to do A-levels and hopefully study law at university.

Sean Sloan, principal of Abbey Christian Brothers' Grammar School

School principal Sean Sloan said results had been slightly down from teacher-assessed grades last year but students had done "exceptionally well".

"This is actually the first public exam these boys have sat," he said.

"They've gone through five years of school and faced their first set of public exams."

Mr Sloan said most students would return to do A-levels, while some would pursue courses at further education colleges.