Thousands of youngsters across Kent are discovering their GCSE results this morning.
Schools and colleges are welcoming Year 11 pupils back today to open their envelopes and reveal those all-important grades.
Teenagers begun collecting their results from 8am to help guide their future destinations into the workplace or higher education.
And pupils at Newstead Wood School, in Orpington, are already celebrating after 89% achieved a grade 7 or above in both English and maths, while 100% achieved a grade 5 or above in the two subjects.
The Year 11 cohort also performed well in the sciences with more than 50% scooping grade 9s across biology, chemistry and physics.
Principal Alan Blount said: “I am always thoroughly impressed by the dedication and commitment our students show to their studies and this cohort has been no different.
“The results they have achieved today are absolutely superb and we look forward to welcoming many of them back to our Sixth Form in September where I have no doubt that they will continue to excel.”
While some pupils will hope to move on to sixth form to study A-levels, or college, others will be awaiting results which could lead to apprenticeships or employment.
Scores are given in a numerical scale, as first introduced in 2017.
The grades are ranked from 1, which is the lowest to 9 as the highest. A standard pass – equivalent to the old C grade – is considered a 4 and a strong pass, a 5.
The new grading system was introduced to better differentiate between students’ abilities, particularly at higher grades such as the old A*-C grades.
Notably, there used to be four grades between A* and C, compared to the numerical grading scale giving six individual grades.
The bottom of grade 7 is aligned with the bottom of the former grade A, while the bottom of grade 4 is aligned to the bottom of grade C.
Meanwhile, the bottom of grade 1 is aligned to the bottom of grade G.
Pupils receiving their results this year are the first group whose entire secondary education has been impacted by the pandemic.
They are also the first of two cohorts who are missing Key Stage 2 data from primary school, with traditional exams taken at the end of primary education cancelled due to Covid disruptions.
Last week, several Kent schools reported their best-ever set of A-level grades, with many achieving their university offers despite a national picture of fluctuating grade boundaries.
KentOnline will be bringing live coverage throughout the day, with updates and reaction from schools across the county.
