Overall rise in grades; gap between boys and girls narrows in GCSE results
There has been an overall rise in grades among 16-year-olds taking GCSEs and the gap between boys and girls has narrowed.
The percentage of pupils who achieved a grade 7 and above was 23%, up from 22.6% in 2024.
While those who achieved a grade 4 and above (pass) was 70.4%, a slight increase from 70.4% last year.
The continued gap between boys and girls persists but has narrowed slightly with the percentage of boys at grade 7 and above rising to 20.5% compared with 19.8% last year, while girls with those grades stayed the same at 25.5%
For 16-year-olds in Northern Ireland, the proportion getting grades 7 and above rose by a full percentage point to 31.4%, while the percentage getting grades 4 or above went up to 63.8%.
In Wales, 16-year-olds getting the top three grades rose to 20.1%, up from 19.8% in 2024, and those getting a 4 or better edged up by 0.3 percentage points to 63.8% this year.
The cabinet secretary for education in Wales, Lynne Neagle, has paid tribute to students and teachers across the country.
I hope you got the grades you wanted and whether you decide to carry on with education, choose vocational training or employment there are many options available. For those seeking guidance on their next steps, support remains available through your school or college and the Young Person’s Guarantee, which provides a range of options.
I wish you Pob lwc, and best wishes for the future.
We have seen some strong results at our top grades and across a range of subjects including Maths and English.
I also want to pay tribute to our teachers and education workforce whose support and hard work has helped our learners thrive.”
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Updated at 05.10 EDT
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Deep-rooted structural inequalities that no government has addressed for decades mean schools in the North-East continue to fall behind counterparts in the South East of England, the largest representative body for schools in the region has warned.
Schools North East said 64.9% of GCSE students in the North East received a grade 4 or above, a slight decline on 2024. While 17.8% received a 7 or above, the same as last year.
The region had the lowest proportion of students receiving a grade 7 or above, and North East Schools say there are a number of underlying factors.
Highest levels of need – In 2024/25, 32.3% of pupils in the North East were eligible for FSM (24.6% nationally), and over 40% in parts of Middlesbrough and Newcastle. The region also has the highest SEND rate in England (15.5% vs 14.2% nationally) and the second-highest EHCP rate.
Weaker support infrastructure – Poor access to CAMHS and early intervention means schools are forced to carry unmet needs that specialist services should provide.
Crumbling buildings – RAAC disruption in 2023/24 was only the tip of the iceberg; our Condition Improvement Fund success rate was just 16% compared to 35% nationally.
Lower access to additional learning – The North East has the lowest rates of private tutoring and lowest uptake of the National Tutoring Programme (51% vs 68% in London).
Ongoing attendance challenges – Absence rates remain the highest in England: overall absence 6.86% (vs 6.38% nationally), persistent absence 19.58% (vs 17.79%).
Chris Zarraga, director of Schools North East, said:
North East students have done brilliantly again this year, but the structural gap between our region and London has grown yet again. This is not about school quality. Every August, our students prove their talent and determination, but deep-rooted inequalities remain unaddressed. Without urgent, sustained action, the gap will keep widening — and it will not be because our students or teachers are any less capable.”
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Regional gap is ever present and ‘stubbornly entrenched’
Pamela Duncan
There’s been little change in the regional gap this year, with London still on top with 28.4% of pupils achieving a top grade (a 7 or above) and only marginally down on last year.
On the other side of the regional divide is the north-west where just 17.8% of students achieved a top grade, the same as last year’s cohort.
Nick Harrison, CEO of the Sutton Trust, said the results showed that regional differences in attainment “remain stubbornly entrenched” had widened significantly since 2019 and with no signs of improving.
“If the government is serious about breaking down barriers to opportunity, it needs a laser focus on closing the attainment gap and tackling regional inequalities. Funding should be rebalanced back towards the most deprived areas, and underlying issues of child poverty and huge gaps in opportunity across the country must be addressed.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said grades of 4 (C) and above were also evident, particularly between the capital and the West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber at C/4, a gap that had also only reduced 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 London and the South compared to the North,” he said.
Meanwhile, Henri Murison, Chief Executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, meanwhile, pulled no punches:
In the North and Midlands, the gap in grade 7 and above with London has not closed since the pandemic. It remains more than ten percentage points in the north-east, East Midlands and Yorkshire & the Humber – a significantly wider gap than before Covid. In the north-east, the gap with London narrowed by just 0.1%, and only because London’s results fell from 2024, not due to any real improvement here.
If the education secretary is serious about tackling the persistent disadvantage faced by white working-class children, spending decisions by her department must prioritise the poorest pupils, or risk wasting yet more of the North’s young talent.”
Pamela Duncan is data projects editor at the Guardian
Carmen Aguilar García also contributed to this report
Pupils at The Grammar School at Leeds receiving their GCSE results. Photograph: Danny Lawson/PAShare
Updated at 07.06 EDT
An award-winning Lancashire shepherd brought her rare breed North Ronaldsay sheep Kevin into her school to collect her GCSE results.
Milly Johnson, 16, who achieved eight GCSEs between grades 4 and 7, was accompanied to collect her results by Kevin the sheep, who also attended her school prom.
Milly is a student at Tarleton Academy near Preston, which is part of the Endeavour Learning Trust.
In August, Milly achieved outstanding success at the Trawden Agricultural Show, where she and her sheep, Kevin, won first place in the Over-11s Young Handler’s class. Milly regularly shows Kevin in shows throughout the year.
Milly said: ‘’I have always had a passion for animals, both big and small, however cattle and sheep are undoubtedly my favourite. Juggling farm work while studying for my GCSEs hasn’t always been easy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Working with animals is what I love most, and I’m proud to help preserve these rare breeds and back British farming.’’
Milly Johnson, 16, and her sheep Kevin receiving her GCSE results at Tarleton Academy near Preston, Lancashire. Photograph: Eleanor Barlow/PAShare
Updated at 06.49 EDT
Spanish surpasses French in popularity among students in historic first for language studies, according to the British Academy.
New GCSE data shows that Spanish has overtaken French for the first time as the most popular language choice among students, following a sustained rise in entries of nearly 25% since 2020.
Spanish entries increased from around 109,594 in 2020 to 136,871 in 2025, while French uptake remained steady – climbing slightly from 132,036 in 2020 to 134,651 in 2024 before dipping to 132,808 this year.
The data is released today by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) and has been analysed by the British Academy, the national academy for the humanities and social sciences. It reveals wider trends in student choice across the curriculum.
SHAPE subjects (Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts for People and the Economy) continue to make up more than half of all entries (54%) – a figure that has remained consistent since 2019.
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Pamela Duncan
How we report GCSE results
GCSEs are now significantly different in England, Wales and Northern Ireland so we report the results separately (see nerdy note below).
The Welsh trends broadly followed the English top-line results: one-in-five (20.1%) of students achieving A grade or above (Wales retain the traditional grading system), better than last year (19.8%) and quite a bit better than in 2019 (18.4)
Northern Irish students did do better than last year but those gains were more modest: 31.4% got a A/9 or above, up one percentage point on last year and almost that when compared with 2019 (30.5%)
(Nerdy note alert: Some other outlets report UK-wide results, but we focus on England and report figures for Wales and Northern Ireland separately. This is because exam structures and grading policies now differ significantly between the three nations. Scottish students don’t sit GCSEs. And while we usually report the results of the 16-year-old cohort only, the national topline figures come from Ofqual and reflect all sittings).
Pamela Duncan is data projects editor at the Guardian
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Three significant developments over the next academic year will prove crucial for schools and young people in England but disparities continue to show, the Education Policy Institute have warned.
Jon Andrews, head of analysis and director for school system and performance, said the outcome of the Curriculum and Assessment Review, a new Ofsted inspection framework alongside the DfE’s consultation on school accountability and the long-overdue cross-government child poverty strategy were vital for addressing ongoing concerns.
As expected, the overall grade distribution for this year is similar to what we have seen in each of the last two years. But what is notable is that, while girls continue to outperform boys, the gap continues to close. Our previous analysis showed that girls’ outcomes were particularly affected by the pandemic, and there are worrying trends around girls’ wellbeing.
This year’s results continue to show disparities in outcomes. The evidence is clear: disadvantage continues to drive attainment gaps, and while schools step in to deal with the effects, these challenges cannot be solved by schools or the Department for Education alone.
He added: “Today is, of course, a day to celebrate the achievements of thousands of young people as they collect their results in Level 2 qualifications.”
Students receive GCSE results in London. Photograph: Hannah McKay/ReutersShare
Updated at 05.47 EDT
According to the Joint Council for Qualifications, a whopping 1,302 Y11 students in England got the highest grade 9s in seven or more subjects, up from 1,272 last year.
Minister for school standards Catherine McKinnell (second right) meets pupils and parents at Bede Academy in Blyth as pupils receive their GCSE results. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PAShare
Updated at 05.37 EDT
Pamela Duncan
Look at the topline figures and it gives the impression that this year’s results are same as it ever was with girls outperforming boys among the 16-year-old cohort in England.
But look again and you’ll see that the gender gap has shrunk. In broad terms, boys are closing the gap in subjects they traditionally fared worse in (like English, geography and history) or widening the gap in those they tend to do better in (like Maths and physics).
Look again and you’ll see that roughly the same proportion of girls are achieving grades of 7 and above (A and above in old money) … the difference is that boys are doing better. In 2019 – the last pre-pandemic year – 18.6% of boys got a top grade, climbing to more than one-five (20.5) this year.
The same pattern applies on lower grades. Just short of two-thirds of boys (65.5%) achieved a 4 or above (a C or better for those who are unfamiliar with the new marking system) in 2019, climbing to 67.5% while girls’ results remained broadly similar.
Chart 1: Overall number of boys and girls achieving top gradesChart 2: Gap between boys and girls across English, Maths and other subjects
Pamela Duncan is data projects editor at the Guardian
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Updated at 05.54 EDT
Richard Adams
The latest GCSE results suggest that the government’s policy of forcing struggling students to resit maths and English GCSEs is turning into a crisis, with increasingly poor performances by students retaking the exams for the second or third times.
For those aged 17 or older in England, the bulk of whom are retaking the subjects having failed to get a grade 4 or better the first time around, just 17% got a grade 4 or above in maths, meaning that many will be condemned to retry the following year. Only one in 100 of the older age group got a grade 7 or above, compared with 21.5% of 16 year olds taking the exam for the first time.
Jill Duffy, chief executive of OCR exam board, said:
Nearly a quarter of GCSE maths and English entries are resits. This is an all-time high. Less than a fifth of resitting students achieved the grade 4 they need to break out of the resit cycle. This is a resit crisis. Tinkering at the edges of policy won’t fix this. We need fundamental reform to maths and English secondary education – especially at Key Stage 3 – to support those who fall behind in these crucial subjects.”
Paul Whiteman, the NAHT general secretary branded the resit policy “not fit for purpose”.
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…Gaining the numeracy and literacy skills they need is what’s important, not what the qualification is called.”
Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders urged the ongoing the curriculum and assessment review to “grasp the nettle” around finding better ways to support literacy and numeracy.
Richard Adams is the Guardian’s education editor
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Updated at 05.08 EDT
Overall rise in grades; gap between boys and girls narrows in GCSE results
There has been an overall rise in grades among 16-year-olds taking GCSEs and the gap between boys and girls has narrowed.
The percentage of pupils who achieved a grade 7 and above was 23%, up from 22.6% in 2024.
While those who achieved a grade 4 and above (pass) was 70.4%, a slight increase from 70.4% last year.
The continued gap between boys and girls persists but has narrowed slightly with the percentage of boys at grade 7 and above rising to 20.5% compared with 19.8% last year, while girls with those grades stayed the same at 25.5%
For 16-year-olds in Northern Ireland, the proportion getting grades 7 and above rose by a full percentage point to 31.4%, while the percentage getting grades 4 or above went up to 63.8%.
In Wales, 16-year-olds getting the top three grades rose to 20.1%, up from 19.8% in 2024, and those getting a 4 or better edged up by 0.3 percentage points to 63.8% this year.
The cabinet secretary for education in Wales, Lynne Neagle, has paid tribute to students and teachers across the country.
I hope you got the grades you wanted and whether you decide to carry on with education, choose vocational training or employment there are many options available. For those seeking guidance on their next steps, support remains available through your school or college and the Young Person’s Guarantee, which provides a range of options.
I wish you Pob lwc, and best wishes for the future.
We have seen some strong results at our top grades and across a range of subjects including Maths and English.
I also want to pay tribute to our teachers and education workforce whose support and hard work has helped our learners thrive.”
Share
Updated at 05.10 EDT
Pamela Duncan
The class of 2025 had a lot to prove. The Covid pandemic disrupted their transition from primary to secondary; lockdowns meant they spent a chunk of second level learning online or in stop/start in-person schooling; and they missed the usual key stage 2 benchmark. All this combined meant no one knew quite what to expect today.
Well, we need not have doubted them. Not only did this year’s cohort do better than last year’s but they outperformed their 2019 peers (we don’t make comparisons with the 2020 and 2021 results because they were either teacher-assessed or 2022 which was exam-based but with mitigations in marking).
And this isn’t because they were marked softly: “results are a true reflection of the students’ ability, and there is no mitigation in place” due to the pandemic disruption,” Sir Ian Bauckham, Ofqual chief regulator said at this morning’s press briefing. “This year’s grade shows “a stable performance and the results look similar to those achieved in 2024”.
But dig deeper and you’ll see that Covid times do appear to have affected girls’ performance. The gender gap is the smallest it’s ever been. We’ll dig into that more deeply a bit later.
Pamela Duncan is data projects editor at the Guardian
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Updated at 04.37 EDT
Here are some photos of students celebrating their GCSE results:
Students at Putney High School in London receiving their GCSE results. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PAStudent at Solihull School in Solihull receiving his GCSE results. Photograph: Jacob King/PAStudent at Solihull School in Solihull receiving her GCSE results. Photograph: Jacob King/PAShare
