GCSE results day 2025: Pupils across UK receive exam grades amid warning of ‘fiercest ever’ scramble for college places – live updates

More pupils are taking GCSEs in unusual languages such as Chinese and Russian amid claims native speakers are using them to boost their grades.

Government data for this year shows 42,945 pupils took GCSEs in niche languages – up 70 per cent from 25,225 just four years ago.

This is roughly 10,000 more than those that take German, and it is a third of the number who take French.

Experts said it was likely pupils from migrant backgrounds were taking qualifications in their mother tongue to get an ‘easy’ GCSE under their belt.

Here are some pictures from Solihull School in the West Midlands where pupils opened their GCSE results at 8am.

Boys and girls could be seen smiling and hugging their parents after discovering their grades.

Education minister Catherine McKinnell has said the Government is ‘tackling’ the barriers to better grades after she was asked why white working-class children are ‘doing so badly’.

Ms McKinnell said the question was a ‘really profound’ one and that underachievement in that demographic ‘has persisted over many years’.

We’ve seen there have been some improvements in our school system in the last decade, there have been over 30 years improvements in our school system.But this challenge has persisted, which is why we are very focused on tackling child poverty in the early years.

We’re extending free school meals to (an) additional half a million children.We’re investing in free breakfast clubs to make sure that children get that really good start to the day, both from a socialised perspective, but also food. So, we are tackling what we see are the barriers that are holding young people back, and also making sure that they want to be in school as well.

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.

A grade 7 and above is roughly equivalent to an A and above, while a grade 4 and above – which is considered a “standard pass” – is roughly equivalent to a C and above.

The rollout of the numerical grading system began in 2017 in England, and by 2020, all subjects were graded in numbers.

In Northern Ireland, the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations & Assessment uses a nine-category grade scale A* – G – which includes a C*.

In Wales, the traditional eight-category grade scale A* – G has been retained.

Scotland has a different qualification system and pupils received their results for National 5 exams earlier this month.

Last year, more than a fifth (21.8%) of UK GCSE entries were awarded the top grades – at least a 7 or an A grade, down from 22.0% in 2023.

That figure remained higher than in 2019 – the year before the Covid-19 pandemic – when 20.8% of UK GCSE entries scored the top grades.

In England, Ofqual brought GCSE grading standards back in line with pre-Covid levels in 2023, and exam regulators in Wales and Northern Ireland returned to pre-pandemic grading last year.

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

Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research (CEER) at the University of Buckingham, has suggested that the proportion of GCSE entries scoring the top grades this summer could be similar to last year but remain higher than in 2019.

Last week, the proportion of A-level entries awarded top grades surpassed pre-pandemic highs.

Pupils will now be able to receive their GCSE and level 2 vocational and technical qualification (VTQ) grades at schools across the country.

We will soon be able to bring you the national picture but before then we’ll aim to bring you the reactions from thousands of young people opening their envelopes.

Speaking ahead of GCSE results day, the Education Secretary said that while options available for pupils receiving their grades today are ‘better than ever’, there remains ‘entrenched inequalities’ in schools across the country.

These young people moved from primary to secondary school right in the midst of the pandemic, showing remarkable resilience despite the disruption to those crucial years of education. Their options now are better than ever, whether it’s A-levels, T-levels, or an apprenticeship.

While it’s a moment to celebrate, today’s results will expose the inequalities that are entrenched in our education system. Too many young people continue to have their life chances defined by their background and where they live, and while we are beginning to see promising signs in critical areas like attendance and teacher recruitment, I am absolutely determined to deliver on our Plan for Change and truly break the link between background and success once and for all.

Speaking ahead of today, Sir Ian Bauckham, chief regulator at Ofqual, said receiving GCSE results marked an ‘important milestone’ for students.

Results day is an important milestone for students. While there will inevitably be nerves as students receive their results, they should be proud of their achievements and can be confident that their grades will be widely recognised by employers, schools and colleges.

Today’s grades will open up opportunities for students as they move on to their next stage.

Experts are predicting this year’s competition for the most selective sixth forms will be ‘fiercer than ever’ this year.

Lee Elliot Major, professor of social mobility at the University of Exeter, suggested more families may seek out state sector places after the VAT change on private school fees introduced in January.

Meanwhile, Bill Watkin, chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association (SFCA), said he expected admissions to become ‘more competitive’ because of a rising 16-year-old population.

Read the full story by Eleanor Harding here:

Many of the pupils who are receiving their GCSE results this summer were in Year 6 when schools closed because of the pandemic.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said this cohort of students – who moved from primary to secondary school in the middle of the pandemic – had shown ‘remarkable resilience’ despite the disruption to their education.

Education leaders warned they had faced a series of challenges – including school attendance issues and cost-of-living pressures.

There has been a rise in requests from young people who want extra time in their exams – and who want to sit in rooms away from the main exam hall – since the pandemic, it has been suggested.

Bill Watkin, chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association (SFCA), told the PA news agency:

I think we’re going to go on experiencing the negative impact of Covid-19 and the cost-of-living situation for a number of years still.

Pupils across the country can pick up their grades from 8am this morning although times may vary depending on schools.

Much like with A-level results last week, it will take some time before the national picture emerges of how this year’s cohort has performed.

Later this morning we will discover the proportion of students receiving the highest grades, the strongest and weakest areas of the countries in terms of results and the comparison between boys and girls.

This summer, more than 95,000 pupils in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands will receive their results using an app as part of a Government pilot.

The Education Record, which will bring pupils’ GCSE exam results and certificates into one app, aims to help young people when applying to further education, apprenticeships or employment.

Hello and welcome to the Daily Mail’s live coverage of GCSE results day.

For hundreds and thousands of pupils across England, Wales and Northern Ireland the day has arrived.

Today, they will receive their GCSE and level 2 vocational and technical qualification (VTQ) grades to help them progress on to sixth form, college or training.

Ministers have already described this cohort of students – who moved from primary to secondary school in the middle of the pandemic – as showing ‘remarkable resilience’ following the disruption to their education.

Stick with our coverage for the latest news, pictures and reaction from throughout the day with reporting from the Daily Mail’s Education Editor Eleanor Harding and Jamie Bullen.