GCSE’s Results Day: Students across Flintshire are celebrating today as they receive their GCSE results

Students across Flintshire are celebrating today as they receive their GCSE results.

This year’s assessment and qualification process has been different to previous years, as examinations for summer 2021 were cancelled in response to the pandemic.

A new system was designed and delivered by schools and colleges, drawing on a range of assessment evidence to determine learners’ grades.

Last year the proportion of GCSE entries awarded top grades rose from 18.4% in 2019 to a record 25.5% after grades were allowed to be based on teachers’ assessments.

This year that has been smashed again with nearly 29% receiving top marks, nearly 10% higher than when pupils last took an exam in 2019.

Wales-wide results:

• There were 328,658 summer GCSE entries this year, a rise of 8.6% compared to 2020.
• 29% of entries achieved an A* or A, with 74% receiving between A*- C.
• 98% of entries resulted in a pass between grades A*-G.

Councillor Ian Roberts, Leader of Flintshire County Council and Cabinet Member for Education and Youth, said:

“The Council is very proud of all of our year 11 pupils on their hard work to achieve the grades that they have received this summer.”

“In a year of unprecedented challenge, they have worked hard to achieve their goals. I am very proud of them for the resilience and dedication they have shown.”

“There has been a robust process across the system to ensure that students are awarded the qualifications they deserve and to enable them to move to the next step of their career.”

“I wish them every success in their next steps and encourage them to continue to work hard and aim high.”

We’ve had a fantastic morning celebrating our students’ GCSE successes. We are so proud of you all! #outstandinglearningcommunity @leaderlive @icphotography @DeesideDotCom @abbiewrightwick @BBCWalesNews pic.twitter.com/rAem4nyAoO

— Elfed High School (@ElfedHS) August 12, 2021

Chief Officer, Education and Youth, Claire Homard, said:

“Our learners have continued to work hard over the last twelve months, even with the challenges presented by COVID. This has been a year like no other year for our learners!”

“I would like to express my thanks to parents and carers for the support and guidance they have given their children, particularly during periods of remote or blended learning.”

“I know how positively families have engaged with our schools in responding to these new ways of learning. ”

“I want to also thank our school staff who have worked tirelessly throughout the year to ensure that our pupils are given every opportunity to succeed.”

“In particular, they have shown great commitment to implementing this year’s new process of Centre Determined Grades. ”

“It is a privilege to send my congratulations to all of our GCSE students. They should be enormously proud of their achievements. I wish them every success as they take on new challenges.”

The Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles, has congratulated learners in Wales, he said:

“Our priority this year has been to put a system in place so that learners receive grades based on evidence of their work and enables them to progress to the next stage of their education, training or work with confidence.

“My message to this year’s GCSE students is a huge ‘well done’. You’ve had everything thrown at you over the last 18 months – periods in lockdown, time away from your friends and families, and times where you’ve missed out on many of the social activities you should be enjoying. You’ve shown tremendous resilience to overcome all of these challenges.

“I also want to congratulate learners on their vocational qualification results. Skills in priority sectors are vitally important in meeting the range of needs of the Welsh economy, now more than ever, and your hard-earned qualifications will put you in good stead for the future.

“It’s also been a remarkable achievement by all the school and college staff who’ve worked so hard to enable qualifications this year. It’s been an almighty task to put measures in place so that learners could get their results, like any other year. You should be very proud of the work you have done to help our learners progress.”

Laura Doel, Director of NAHT Cymru said: “Yet again, the grades awarded at GCSE level today are a testimony to the hard work and dedication of learners throughout Wales.”

“This is a milestone moment for this cohort; this is the first time they have been through a nationally-recognised grading process and they have done so in the most extraordinary of circumstances. We congratulate them on everything they’ve achieved.”

“We should all have the confidence that these results were awarded through a rigorous evidenced-based process by the people who know them best academically – their teachers.

“We cannot underestimate the role of schools in this process and our whole education workforce should be commended for all they have done to support learners.

“Many of these young people will be going on to study AS/A levels and therefore our attention must be turned to support them into this phase of learning.

“We owe it to these learners to look at the exam process and make sure we have a system that is equitable and supports the ambition for the New Curriculum of Wales.”