YOUNG people across Cheshire West and Chester have been celebrating after receiving their GCSE examination results.

More than 3,300 Year 11 students from across 19 secondary schools took part.

In 2017, new GCSEs in English language, English literature and mathematics were examined for the first time. These GCSE reforms have continued, with 20 subjects added in 2018 and a further 25 subjects having been examined in 2019 bringing the total to 48.

These GCSE courses are linear in that all the examinations are taken at the end of the two years of study. The A*-G GCSE grades previously awarded in these subjects have now been replaced with a GCSE grade scale of 9 (high attainment) to 1. The examinations are designed to assess a more challenging content.

Under this system, students with a grade 4 will achieve a ‘standard pass’ whilst those with a grade 5 will achieve a ‘strong pass’. A grade 4 or above is equivalent to the old grade C and above.

Provisional data shows that 77 per cent of 16-year-old students in those schools in the borough gained a GCSE in English at grade 4 or above, an increase of two per cent from last year.

In mathematics, 73 per cent of 16-year-old students in those schools in the borough gained a maths GCSE at grade 4 or above, an increase of three per cent on last year.

Cheshire West and Chester Councillor Nicole Meardon, Cabinet Member for Children and Families, said: “The anxious wait is over - I would like to say a big well done to every young person who collected their exam results today.

“Our students’ achievements are the result of a great deal of hard work and the commitment and skill of all of our fantastic teaching and schools staff.

“We are extremely proud of all that the borough’s schools have achieved.”