GCSE results day for Shropshire students
Students across the region were opening GCSE results today with results across the nation expected to be similar to those pre-pandemic.
Schools have congratulated pupils who they say spent a significant amount of time having to work online from home during their secondary education.
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 a plan to return to pre-pandemic grading this summer.
Covid-19 led to an increase in top GCSE grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams.
One school principal, Mr Andy McNaughton, the principal of Charlton School, Wellington, said: "This is the first year group since the pandemic which has not received any concessions for this exam series and students have had to just sit their exams as if Covid was never a thing.
"The brilliant results are a testament to the dedication, hard work, and unwavering support of the students, families and the school's outstanding teaching staff."
"We are immensely proud of the exceptional achievements of our GCSE students. Their results reflect the tireless efforts of our talented staff and the unwavering commitment of our students to excel in their studies.
"The outstanding results across a broad range of subjects, including vocational subjects, demonstrate our school's dedication to providing a well-rounded education that equips our students for future success."
He said the performance of its students in vocational subjects highlighted the school's dedication to offer a comprehensive curriculum that prepares students for both academic and vocational pathways ensuring their readiness for the next phase of their educational journey.
The Learning Community Trust says it is pleased with this summer’s GCSE results, especially in the backdrop of the legacy of Covid.
All three of its Telford secondary schools – Hadley Learning Community, Ercall Wood, and Charlton - have improved in a number of areas, which coincides with positive Ofsted reports.
The trust’s chief executive Jane Hughes said: “Across the schools, the attainment and average grades of the students increased, with a number of students achieving the highest grades possible across all their subjects.”
Highlighted at Ercall Wood is the success of students with special educational needs who have outperformed expected national averages.
HLC continued to improve with exceptional performances across all subject areas. And Charlton School, following its strong Ofsted report, has seen a large number of students achieve outstanding personal results.
The trust also runs Queensway School in Telford, which caters for children and young people on the autistic spectrum, and those with social, emotional and mental health difficulties. This school recorded its best-ever results, with many students achieving GCSE grades of 4 or above in English, maths and science.
Jane Hughes added: “We are pleased with the results from all of schools. The outcomes reflect the hard work of our students and staff during what remains a challenging time after the impact of Covid.
“Our schools have worked tirelessly providing outstanding lessons and additional catch-up opportunities to ensure that all students met their potential.”
She added: “Our average grades have increased across our trust schools, which means that our learners have achieved the outcomes they need to go to college, apprenticeships or into employment and I am proud that our schools have provided the springboard for their successful futures.”
This year pupils in England were given formulae and equation sheets in GCSE mathematics, physics, and combined science exams to acknowledge pandemic disruption to learning.
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.
Many GCSE students in Wales and Northern Ireland were given advance information about topics to expect in their exam papers this summer, but pupils in England were not given the same support.
The headteachers' union, ASCL, says a more humane GCSE system should be introduced so teenagers are not stuck in a "demoralising" cycle of retakes when they do not achieve a "standard pass" in English or maths.
Speaking on the eve of the results Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, called for a new literacy and numeracy qualification to be developed that "does not represent a cliff-edge over which many must fall".
Many students who do not secure at least a grade 4 - which is considered a "standard pass" - in English and/or maths GCSE are required to retake the subjects during post-16 education.
"It is incredibly demoralising and instead of building confidence in the vital skills of literacy and numeracy, it has precisely the opposite effect," Mr Barton said.
