Joy as GCSE grades above pre-Covid ranges however extra help name over Raac disaster

Hundreds of thousands of teenagers are celebrating as GCSE grades remained above pre-Covid levels.

An impressive 21.8% of entries were awarded grade 7/A or above – well above the 20.8% in 2019 but slightly below last year’s figure of 22%. More than two thirds (67.6%) received a grade 4/C or above.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson praised youngsters, who endured huge disruption during the pandemic. She told them: “You’ve shown amazing resilience, overcoming challenges, and you should be proud of all you’ve achieved.”

But ministers face calls to create a special appeals process for children whose GCSE grades were affected by the crumbling concrete scandal. The Lib Dems called for a special scheme to help nearly 20,000 youngsters they fear were impacted by the reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) crisis.

More than 100 primary and secondary schools need one or more buildings rebuilt or refurbished to remove Raac – a ‘bubbly’ concrete used in the 1950s and 1960s – amid fears buildings could collapse. The party’s education spokeswoman Munira Wilson stating: “The estimated 19,700 children taking GCSEs who have been affected by Raac should be able to access a special appeals process which would allow schools to appeal for higher grades.”

The Department for Education said support had been put in place, with extended deadlines and new guidance on how special considerations can be made for pupils affected by Raac. Experts have voiced their alarm over stark differences between grades across the country.

In London, 28.5% of entries were awarded 7/A or higher this year, but in north-east England the figure was 17.8%. Chris Zarraga, director of Schools North East, which represents 1,150 schools, said: “Despite these record GCSEs, exam results in 2024 continue to map the disproportionate impact of the pandemic and ‘cost of living’ crises, as well as the long-term perennial educational challenges that regions like the North East face.

“These results were a test of how successful the previous government’s plans were at supporting education recovery post pandemic, especially in disadvantaged areas like the North East. It is clear that current education policy is failing to close the disadvantage gap in attainment.”

Sir Peter Lampl, founder of the Sutton Trust charity, said: “To close these gaps and enable pupils to reach their potential, we need sustained investment in teaching, particularly in areas with lower attainment.”

And Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said inequalities “have been exacerbated over the last decade by funding cuts to schools and community services, the pandemic, and the cost-of-living crisis”. He added: “Unfortunately, the previous government failed to provide anything like the resources needed to address these inequalities.” Mr Whiteman said he welcomed Ms Phillipson’s pledge to address disparioties between England.