Fall in number of top GCSE grades awarded in NI

“It’s been a lot of ups and downs, lots of struggles being from a different country," said James Read

A student who moved to Northern Ireland from Romania two years ago said picking up his GCSEs was a "proud moment".

James Read, 16, was one of 31,000 students in NI who received their GCSE results on Thursday.

James, who hopes to go to Belfast Metropolitan College, said there had been "sleepless nights, ups and downs and struggles," in the past few years.

There has been a fall in the number of top GCSE grades awarded in Northern Ireland compared to 2022.

However, as with last week's A-level results, that was widely expected as grades gradually return to pre-pandemic standards.

Grades A* and A were awarded to about 34.5% of GCSE entries in 2023 compared to about 37% in 2022.

In 2019, the last year before exams were cancelled due to pandemic restrictions, under a third of all GCSEs in Northern Ireland were awarded A* or A.

Poppy Irvine is thrilled with her GCSE results - one of 31,000 students to receive them on Thursday

The vast majority received their results at school as, unlike A-levels, they cannot receive them online.

Some 86% of GCSE entries in Northern Ireland were awarded grade C or above in 2023, compared to 90% in 2022.

Results in Northern Ireland are again higher, though, than those in England and Wales.

The Northern Ireland exams board, the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA), has said it expects to return to pre-pandemic standards across all subjects by the summer of 2024.

Some pupils also received results for BTEC, vocational or entry level qualifications on Thursday.

About 3% of GCSE entries in Northern Ireland are made through English exam boards which means that some pupils received results in the form of numbers as well as letters.

GCSEs in England are graded numerically from 9-1.

CCEA has, however, maintained the A*-G grading system in Northern Ireland.

The GCSE data for 2023 also shows that girls continued to outperform boys in Northern Ireland in achieving the top grades.

Almost 40% of entries from girls in 2023 received A* or A grades compared to under 30% of entries from boys.

The data also shows there was another rise in pupils studying for GCSEs in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects in 2023.

'So proud of my son'

Hewis Shek has surpassed expectations juggling school and helping his mum Lily in her Chinese restaurant

At Abbey Community College in Newtownabbey, Hewis Shek surpassed expectations juggling school and helping his mum in her Chinese restaurant.

He said he said he felt "pretty good today as the hard work paid off".

Hewis' mum said she was very proud of her son.

"I'm so busy and Hewis is always by himself," said Lily.

"He goes to school and then works in the restaurant and he has done everything and passed so he can go and do his A-levels."

Kacie Muckle hopes to get into a grammar school for her A-levels

Kacie Muckle moved schools for her GCSEs after feeling like she did not fit in at her old school.

She was delighted with her results and hopes to get into a grammar school for her A-levels.

"I felt really included here; I felt like I could achieve what I needed and honestly I'm just beside myself. This year has been crazy," she said.

Kacie's mum Andrea said her daughter had taken every challenge in her stride.

• GCSE results day in Northern Ireland: What next?

"She is so strong and she has gone through a lot of change and she just keeps going. I'm so emotional, she's just amazing," she said.

'I am thrilled'

Poppy Irvine said her dream was to join the RAF as a medic or engineer and she was one step closer to achieving it after receiving her results.

"I didn't think I'd do so well - I am thrilled," she said.

"I want to be a woman in STEM [science, technology, engineering and maths]. There's a real future for me and I am so close to that dream.

"I worked so hard and it's been a tough year for all of us - but I'm going to celebrate today."

There was another rise in pupils studying GCSE science, technology, engineering and maths in 2023

Darren Mornin, principal of Limavady High School in County Londonderry, said he had a nervous Wednesday before the school received the results.

Schools get the grades a day before pupils, giving headmasters and teaching staff a chance to "sit down and analyse them".

"It is always a very nervous Wednesday morning before the results come out," he told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today.

"We are so proud and so excited. There are some outstanding results this morning," he said.

In Northern Ireland, Mr Mornin said, examiners had taken the disruption of the pandemic into account.

In a statement, CCEA chief executive Gerry Campbell congratulated students receiving their GCSE results.

"The results are the culmination of two years' hard work and commitment by these students, their school leaders, teachers and wider school community," he said.

"Well done to every student and I wish you all the very best for the next stage of your journey."