More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
A week after A-level students collected their results, it's now time for GCSEs.
Pupils from across Kent will headed into school this morning to find out how they did in their exams.
But it's not just GCSE results which are out today - those who chose BTEC options were also picking up that important envelope.
These young people will soon begin a new chapter of their lives, either at sixth form, college or on a work training scheme.
We ran a live blog throughout the morning, which can be seen below.
You can find coverage of GCSE results across the county here:
2.35pm
That's it from us - a massive well done to everyone who picked up their GCSE results today and good luck in whatever you decide to do next.
You can tune in to kmfm tonight from 7pm for Emma Jo's special GCSE surgery.
Students, experts and careers advisers will be discussing what options are available to those who have picked up their results today.
And remember, if you didn't get the grades you were hoping for, it's not the end of the world!
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A teenager who was put into a coma in February after being knocked down in a hit-and-run has battled back to pick up top GCSE results.
Calder Grant, 16, from Swanley Village, was hit by a car during a scout night hike and had to spend a month in hospital.
But despite having missed crucial school time - not to mention having to cope with ongoing memory loss and the physical trauma of multiple injuries - Calder fought back to complete his GCSEs and picked up his results today at Wilmington Grammar School for Boys.
Calder got four 9s, two 8s, three 7s and a 5 - the 5 was for German and I walked out of that exam saying I was going to fail.
He said: "I missed subjects and I had to work a lot harder to revise.
"I still get some bad short term memory loss so I really had to get the stuff into my head."
1.09pm
Head teacher at Maidstone's Maplesden Noakes School Richard Owen is very pleased with this year's results.
He said: "We have some fantastic results with some achieving 8s and 9s. In a grammar school-based system, this is an amazing achievement for a high school.
"Everything we do at Maplesden is about not having a pre-conceived idea about ability."
Maplesden Noakes School head teacher Richard Owen
1.05pm
12.37pm
Tia Butcher speaking about her GCSE results at Sheppey's Oasis Academy
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Students at St John Fisher Catholic School in Chatham collecting their results
12.26pm
Sami Choudbury from Maplesden Noakes School in Maidstone is in a state of shock this morning
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There were plenty of smiles at Sandwich Technology School as pupils celebrated obtaining the required results to take them onto the next step in their education.
Emily Manning thought she wasn't going to pass but was over the moon with her 5 in science.
Aspiring beautician Amy Gibb was delighted with her 4 in English literature meaning she can study beauty at Canterbury College from September.
She was off to celebrate her grades with mum Amy Gibb at Nandos.
12pm
With almost a quarter of girls achieving a grade 8 or above across all subjects, Kent College Pembury is celebrating its best ever set of results.
More than 60% of grades awarded were 9-7 with 21% at the highest grade available.
Furthermore, nearly 70% of girls were awarded grades 9 or 8 in English literature and more than half of grades in history, geography and languages were in the top two brackets.
Headmistress Julie Lodrick said: “I am delighted that the girls have secured such an excellent set of results across the board, which reflects their hard work and determination.
“There are some inspiring individual stories behind the grades, and their teachers and I are extremely proud of all they have achieved.”
11.55am
The start of the school term is nearly here so we have put together a useful guide for parents.
It includes everything from lunch tips to travel costs, to make sure things run as smoothly as possible when that first manic morning comes around.
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Wye Free School in Ashford welcomed another very strong year of results, despite it only being their second year of having GCSE-takers.
Almost three quarters of students achieved five or more grade 4s and above, signalling an increase from their first set of results.
The school's highest achievers were Sophie Wildman, who achieved two 9s, three 8s, three 7s and two 6s, and India Niles, whose results included two 9s in Maths and Chemistry, three 8s, one 7 and one 6.
Head teacher Luke Magee said: "Everyone in the school is to be congratulated on these results which show an improvement on our first year’s strong performance.
"These results build on a very successful year at the school and we look forward to the academic year ahead, our first in our stunning new buildings."
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Top performers at Fulston Manor School in Sittingbourne include Kirsty Genfi (two 9s, five 8s, one 6, one 5); James Harvey (one 9, six 8s, two 7s); and Hannah Davies (one 9, two 8s, four 7s, two 6s, one 5). two 4s).
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This year 98.5% of Year 11 students achieved the benchmark of five grades 4 to 9 including England and maths.
Across the board, 94 achieved eight of more 9-7 grades, 138 got five or more in that bracket, 17 got 10 grades of 8, 9 or A*, 28 got nine grades of 8, 9 or A* and 42 got eight such grades.
Among the high achievers were Maria Bragin, Emily Dent, Diana Harding, Amber Mclean and Lili Morson.
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Maya Alhowesh came into the country as a refugee without a word of English less than a year ago.
She has just got a 9 in Arabic, 2 4’s in science and a 3 in English at The John Wallis Church of England Academy.
She will come back next year to get the grades she needs to become a doctor.
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11.04am
Northfleet School for Girls in Dartford is celebrating its best ever results.
A particular mention goes to Zlata Kezika with one grade 9, two grade 8’s, one grade 7 and three grade 6 qualifications.
Cara England got five grade 7’s, one grade 6, one grade 5 and two Distinctions.
Beth Prangell with three grade 7’s, 4 grade 6’s, one grade 5 and a Distinction*.
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10.59am
Everyone wanted to be in the picture with star pupil Abbas Ahmed at Wilmington Academy in Dartford.
Abbas is now off to sixth form in Westminster to study science and maths with results that put him in the top two percent of the country.
He said: “I’ve been nervous for the past week but it started to hit me last night. It’s a big relief.”
“I’m hoping to go to university and I’m hoping to be a doctor or an engineer. Maybe a pilot if I can afford it.
“I’ll probably have a party now - I’m going out with my mates later.”
10.55am
More pupils at Saint George's in Gravesend attained Grade 8 and 9s than ever before and more pupils have gained a 5 in both English and maths.
Head teacher Steve Carey said: "Well done to all our Year 11 pupils at Saint George’s. There is lots to celebrate.
10.51am
Among the top performers this year is Nick Brown, from Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys in Canterbury, who managed to score straight 9s across all of his nine subjects.
10.46am
A-level students were the one's getting free chicken last week - now it's the Year 11s turn.
Nando's is offering a free quarter chicken or starter to all students picking up their results today.
You just need to show the waiter your results slips and valid ID, and spend at least £7 to get the deal.
You can eat-in, or if you'd rather head home to relax, there is also the option to take-away.
The offer is valid in all Nando's restaurants across the county.
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Apprenticeships are another option besides sixth form and college after you've got your GCSEs.
If full-time studying isn't for you, earning while you learn on an apprenticeship scheme could be an appealing option.
To find out more and browse the schemes which are on offer in Kent click here.
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Connor Little is absolutely with his grades and plans to do an engineering course at Canterbury College in September.
The 16-year-old said: “Since the beginning of this year I thought I’d fail, but I’ve done really well.”
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Some 149 pupils sat exams this year at Tunbridge Wells Girls Grammar School, with 44.4% achieving grades 9 and 8, and 99.2% between 9 and 4.
There were three pupils who gained 11 grade 9s, and 19 pupils who had all their grades between 9 and 7.
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Towers School Ashford pupil Rachel Pickard, has picked up two 8 grades and three 9’s this morning, as well as a BTEC distinction.
10.05am
The staff and students at New Line Learning Academy in Maidstone are today celebrating their examination results.
This morning, 64% of pupils achieved a grade 4-9 in English with 44% of pupils achieving a grade 4 in maths.
Students highlighted for their outstanding performance include Weronika Szpak, Max Emberley and Owen Hayward.
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Medway councillor Clive Johnson wants to congratulate all the young people picking up their results this morning.
He said: "Congratulations to the hardworking students and teachers that have made results day a success.
"Every year schools and their pupils are expected to do more with less.
"I pay tribute to the staff and pupils who have accomplished so much in the midst of a funding crisis.
"Since 2010, overall school funding has decreased by 8%, on top of which schools must find money for additional costs such as the apprenticeship levy.
"Our schools require support and our children deserve to be invested in."
9.56am
Maths results at Archbishop's School in Canterbury were up 15% from last year. A result hailed as "excellent" by head teacher David Elliot.
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9.50am
A third of all results at Benenden School in Cranbrook have been awarded level 9 – the new top grade introduced as part of government reforms aimed at making GCSEs more challenging. This is a 30% rise on last year.
Headmistress Samantha Price said: “What a wonderful set of results. The girls should be immensely proud that all their enormous hard work and dedication has paid off so incredibly."
One girl achieved a clean sweep of 11 grades at Level 9.
9.47am
David Anderson, head teacher of Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Faversham said: "Our congratulations to our hardworking students who have worked with drive and determination to achieve these impressive GCSE results."
9.36am
Students and staff at the Duke of York’s Royal Military School, near Dover, are celebrating this morning, with 89% of students in English, 80% in mathematics, and 84% in science gaining grade 4 (C) or above.
Outstanding individual success includes Seb Brown, who secured five Grade 9, three Grade 8 and two Grade 7; Ruth Adewole with four Grade 9 and six Grade 8; and Guido Rowe gained three Grade 9, four Grade 8 and two Grade 6.
Seventeen students have been offered academic scholarships to study A Levels at the school.
Head teacher Alex Foreman said: “I would like to congratulate our remarkable students on a commendable set of results.
"We believe our academic focus twinned with a wide variety of extra-curricular activities allow our students to excel and achieve their personal goals while fostering good values and life skills.”
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How many people got the top grades?
The proportion of GCSE students awarded top grades has risen for the second year in a row.
Across the UK, 20.8% of results were either a 7 (C) or above this year and 67.3% of entries received a 4 (C) grade or above.
The gap between girls and boys getting grade 7 is unchanged from last year - 24.1% of entries by girls got a 7 or higher, and 17.6% for boys.
The overall pass rate was 98.3%.
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At Wilmington Academy in Dartford, Alex Hung, Rachel Davidson and Chloe Cotton are relieved to get their GCSE results, pictured below with head teacher Michael Gore.
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Reporter Katie Nelson has arrived at Rainham School for Girls where lots of pupils are already queuing up to collect their results.
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You can find the grade boundaries for all the main GCSE boards here:
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Numbered grading system
More GCSE subjects are being graded using the number system this year, with 9 being the top score and 1 the lowest.
This has been phased in since 2017 to replace the previous A* to G grades.
Starting with English and maths, the new number system is now being used for almost all GCSE subjects.
Grade 9 is the equivalent of above an A*
Grade 8 is in between grades A* and A
Grade 7 is an grade A
Grade 6 is the equivalent of just above a grade B
Grade 5 is in between grades B and C
Grade 4 is the equivalent of a grade C
Grade 3 is in between grades D and E
Grade 2 is in between grades E and F
Grade 1 is in between grades F and G
8am
MidKent College wants to emphasise there are plenty of technical programmes available as well as academic qualifications for those having just collected their GCSE results.
Principle Simon Cook said: "More and more young people come to us every year because they’ve realised traditional academic courses are not always the best way to prepare for their chosen career.
"A technical qualification, such as animal management or construction, could help them gain the skills they need to secure their dream job."
Last year over 3,500 16-18-year-olds studied a technical programme at MidKent College, which has sites in both Medway and Maidstone.
The college begins enrolling from results day onwards and continue through September.
To find out more about the courses available click here.
Emma Jo will be on kmfm's The Hit List from 7pm tonight for a special GCSE Results Surgery.
Students from Canterbury College and Broadstairs College, as well as experts and careers advisers will be discussing what options are available to those picking up their results today.
