GCSE Results Day: Students across Peterborough learn what grades they have achieved

Here are the percentage of GCSE entries awarded the top grades (7/A or above) by nation and region, with the equivalent figures for 2022 and the pre-pandemic year of 2019:

– North-east England 17.6% (2022: 22.4%; 2019: 16.4%)

– North-west England 18.6% (2022: 23.1%; 2019: 18.6%)

– Yorkshire & the Humber 18.2% (2022: 22.4%; 2019: 17.8%)

– West Midlands 18.4% (2022: 22.8%; 2019: 18.1%)

– East Midlands 18.5% (2022: 22.5%; 2019: 18.3%)

– Eastern England 21.9% (2022: 26.2%; 2019: 20.5%)

– South-west England 20.8% (2022: 25.3%; 2019: 20.4%)

– South-east England 24.4% (2022: 29.2%; 2019: 23.5%)

– London 28.4% (2022: 32.6%; 2019: 25.7%)

– England 21.6% (2022: 26.0%; 2019: 20.7%)

– Wales 21.7% (2022: 25.1%; 2019: 18.4%)

– Northern Ireland 34.5% (2022: 37.0%; 2019: 30.5%)

– All 22.0% (2022: 26.3%; 2019: 20.8%)

Here is the GCSE pass rate (entries awarded 4/C or above) by nation and region:

– North-east England 65.3% (2022: 71.2%; 2019: 63.8%)

– North-west England 64.8% (2022: 70.3%; 2019: 64.9%)

– Yorkshire & the Humber 64.4% (2022: 69.6%; 2019: 64.1%)

– West Midlands 63.9% (2022: 69.9%; 2019: 63.8%)

– East Midlands 65.8% (2022: 71.5%; 2019: 65.8%)

– Eastern England 68.6% (2022: 73.7%; 2019: 67.1%)

– South-west England 69.2% (2022: 74.2%; 2019: 68.3%)

– South-east England 70.7% (2022: 75.5%; 2019: 70.2%)

– London 72.6% (2022: 76.7%; 2019: 70.6%)

– England 67.8% (2022: 73.0%; 2019: 67.1%)

– Wales 64.9% (2022: 68.6%; 2019: 62.8%)

– Northern Ireland 86.8% (2022: 90.0%; 2019: 82.2%)

– All 68.2% (2022: 73.2%; 2019: 67.3%)

If you’re an avid BBC Radio 1 listener, Jack Hunt pupils in Peterborough will be appearing on Newsbeat throughout the day.

They will be featured on the 12.45pm and 5.45pm programmes today and the BBC News live page, so keep your eyes peeled.

Teenagers across the country are waking up to their GCSE results in a year when the proportion of top grades awarded is expected to fall.

Hundreds of thousands of pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are receiving grades to help them progress to sixth form, college or training.

Similar to the pattern with A-level results last week, it is expected that top GCSE grades will drop on last year as part of a plan to bring grades down to pre-pandemic levels in England this year.

It comes after Covid-19 led to an increase in top grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams.

Some sixth forms and colleges could decide to admit pupils with lower GCSE grades on to A-level courses this summer compared with recent years.

Teenagers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are receiving their GCSE grades on Thursday to help them progress to sixth form, college or training.

– What will grades look like?

Grading is different in England, compared with Wales and Northern Ireland.

In England, GCSEs are graded using a numerical system from 9 to 1 rather than from A* to G – with 9 being the highest grade.

In general, a grade 7 and above is roughly equivalent to an A and above, while a grade 4 and above is roughly equivalent to a C and above.

Grade 4 and above is considered a “standard pass”.

But performance data released by the Government highlights the percentage of pupils in a school who achieved a 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs – which is roughly equivalent to a high grade C or low grade B.

– How do approaches to grading differ?

In England, the exams regulator has said this year’s GCSE results will be lower than last year, but they are expected to be similar to 2019 as part of its plan to return to pre-pandemic grading this summer.

But Ofqual has built protection into the grading process which should enable a pupil to get the grade they would have received before the pandemic even if their quality of work is a little weaker this year.

It comes after Covid-19 led to an increase in top GCSE grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams.

– What was done to support students taking exams?

In England, pupils were given formulae and equation sheets in GCSE mathematics, physics, and combined science exams to acknowledge pandemic disruption to learning.

GCSE students were also not expected to confront unfamiliar words in language exams.

Exam papers in the same subject were spaced out more in the GCSE timetable than they were prior to the pandemic to give students more time to revise.

Good morning, today is the day.

The Peterborough Telegraph wishes the best of luck to all GCSE students across the city who are receiving their grades today at 10am.

Stay tuned throughout the day as we document the results on this live blog.