Commenting as students receive their GCSE and VTQ level 1 and 2 results today, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“Congratulations to all students receiving their GCSE and VTQ level 1 and 2 results today. These grades will be the culmination of years of hard work by both pupils and teachers, and they should all be very proud of their achievements.”

Regional variation

“The regional gaps in attainment persist. The differences between London and the West Midlands and Yorks/Humber at C/4 are particularly significant – although this gap has reduced it is because of a dip in the London grades rather than an improvement in other regions.

“The reasons for this continued regional disparity need to be properly understood if they are to be tackled. This could range from differences in the impact of Covid and the cost-of-living crisis, to specific areas of poverty, and varying investment into education, health, social care and other support services and infrastructure in the London and the South compared to the North.

“We also need to see similar data collected for VTQs in order to build a complete picture of the situation, as these qualifications are equally important in supporting young people to take their next steps.”

English and maths resits

“The data released today is yet more evidence that the current GCSE resit policy is not fit for purpose,  with less than 20% of 17–19-year-old students achieving a grade 4 in English, and a little over 15% of students achieving a grade 4 in maths.

“NAHT has long called for reform of the current policy that forces students into repeated resits, which is demotivating and ineffective. What is needed are more appropriate and engaging alternatives to GCSEs in English and maths at KS4. Post-16 students who need to continue the subjects must be allowed to study for qualifications that suit their needs and ambitions, rather than defaulting to GCSE resits. Gaining the numeracy and literacy skills they need is what’s important, not what the qualification is called.

“In general, we need to see changes to improve students’ experiences of maths and English at key stage 4 and beyond, prioritising the literacy and numeracy skills needed for everyday life and not just academic progression. The curriculum needs to be engaging and motivational; the excessive content in GCSE maths and English should be cut and the exams shortened and simplified.”

GCSE reform

“Over 360000 VTQ results were received today which shows just how important these qualifications are alongside the GCSE offer for students.

“GCSEs alone don’t meet the needs of all learners. The volume of content, the reliance on final exams, and the average of 30+ hours of exams per student at the end of key stage 4 are all excessive and unnecessary.

“We must move away from an almost exclusive reliance on fully linear, terminal exams, and instead allow modular assessments and reintroduce more non-exam assessment and project-based assessments, in order to complement exams and better assess what students know and can do.

“We need to value a broad mix of qualifications, including vocational options and restore some meaningful subject choice for students at key stage 4 to reduce the negative impact that limiting qualification options can have. EBacc must be scrapped and Progress 8 reformed to enable that to happen.

“There is a lot to be improved at key stage 4 and we hope that the recommendations of the Curriculum and Assessment review reflect the urgent need for change.”

Education record app

The new “Education Record” mobile app is being piloted in two regions this summer.

“Providing students with a digital record of their exam results seems an entirely sensible development and if it goes well with GCSE results this year, development to include post 16 qualifications in the future could make this a really useful tool, not only for moving education provider, but for applications for training and employment too.

“It’s important to remember this app is not designed to replace the experience of students going into school to collect their results where they have access to the support of their teachers and friends.

“It will be interesting to see the how the app performs on today, hear the feedback from those who took part this year, and consider its potential expansion.”

Competition for sixth-form places

“There is extra pressure on secondary and sixth form admissions at the moment, due to a pupil population bulge at that age. Some sixth form colleges may be over-subscribed, especially in certain areas of the country – for example in areas with large amounts of new house building. This means competition for places for some students could be high.

“However, there are a very wide range of post-16 options for young people – attending a sixth form college to do A Levels is not the only next route. Colleges can often be more flexible in response to the applications they get, and are able to offer a huge range of academic and vocational courses. Young people should be confident they will find a course that's right for them, and that will allow them to take their next steps in education or training.”