Northern Ireland

GCSE results to be published on Thursday

More than 30,000 students across Northern Ireland will receive GCSE results
More than 30,000 students across Northern Ireland will receive GCSE results More than 30,000 students across Northern Ireland will receive GCSE results
By Suzanne McGonagle Education Reporter

More than 30,000 GCSE pupils across Northern Ireland will receive their exam results on Thursday.

Pupils at more than 200 schools will find out their grades, which are expected to fall from pandemic highs, but remain above 2019 levels. 

Most pupils will visit their schools to collect their exam results, with the majority entered for GCSE qualifications set by Northern Ireland’s examinations body, the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA).

Figures covering GCSE entries from students in Northern Ireland, England and Wales will be published by the Joint Council for Qualifications.

While traditional A*-G grades are used in Northern Ireland and Wales, in England these have been replaced with a 9-1 system, where 9 is the highest. 

It is expected that top grades awarded to this year’s GCSE students will fall in line with the move back towards pre-pandemic grading.

Fewer top grades are predicted compared with last year.

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But CCEA has said it remained mindful of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and significant challenges faced by pupils with grade boundaries set to help ensure fairness for students.

A dedicated results helpline to offer advice and guidance for students receiving their results has been opened by CCEA.

The helpline - 028 9026 1260 - is open from 9am-5pm until August 30.with students also able to email helpline@ccea.org.uk.

Meanwhile, an organisation representing deaf children has said many are "struggling to reach their full potential".

Mike Hobday from the National Deaf Children's Society said: “As they pick up their GCSE results today, the reality for many deaf school students is that they’ll achieve considerably less than their hearing classmates, simply because they didn’t get the right support.

“For at least the past eight years there’s been an attainment gap between deaf and hearing students amounting to almost a whole GCSE grade on average.

"Couple this with the drastic decline in numbers of specialist Teachers of the Deaf across the UK, and it’s not surprising that many deaf school students are struggling to reach their full potential."

He said pupils with hearing difficulties need more support.

"With the right support there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be achieving the same results as their hearing classmates, and it’s a scandal that they’re not being given the chance," he said.