Students celebrate GCSE results

Students across Surrey have been receiving their GCSE results.

The pass rate across England, Wales and Northern Ireland has fallen for a third year running as national figures show 67.6% of all grades were at 4/C and above, down from 67.8% in 2023.

In Surrey, 78% of the county's results were passes compared to 77.8% the year before.

James Baker, principal of Howard of Effingham School, said: "I think that this cohort has had to work incredibly hard to catch up on lots of that material that they missed out on in those Covid years."

The overall pass rate across England, Wales and Northern Ireland has returned to levels last seen in 2019 - the last year exams were sat before Covid.

Of Surrey's 127,495 GCSE results in 2024, 31.6% were 7/A or above - compared to 30.7% in 2023.

Mr Baker said his school's grades had improved from 2023.

"As a school we are doing better and better, year-on-year.

"Whatever the results this morning, we are proud of every single one of our students."

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Luke, a student at Howard of Effingham School, received the results he wanted, although there were a few "disappointments".

He now plans to study maths, further maths, physics and economics at A-level.

Asked for his advice for future pupils, Luke said: "Don't think too much about it.

"It's not the end of the world if you flunk your exams."

Fellow student Florence, who is hoping to eventually get a law apprenticeship, has passed all her subjects.

She said she was happy as she found out she passed maths for the first time.

Mr Baker said for students who did not get the results they were hoping for, there was always a "plan B".

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