TODAY'S GCSE results should place North Yorkshire in the top quarter of local authorities nationally again.

Early indications from schools show that this year students have continued to perform well, with a higher than average proportion of students attaining top grades. 

Schools across the county have responded very effectively to the new examinations and grading systems which have been introduced for some subjects this year. Starting this year with English and maths, GCSEs in England have been graded from 9 to 1, with 9 being the top grade.

Students taking GCSEs in England this summer have received a mixture of number and letter grades. English language, English literature and maths are the first subjects to use the new system, with most other subjects adopting numbers by 2019. Eventually all GCSEs taken in England will receive numerical grades.

North Yorkshire county councillor Patrick Mulligan, North Yorkshire’s Executive Member for Schools, said: “GCSE results so far this year indicate a large proportion of students achieving passes at higher grades, including English and mathematics.

“I am delighted to congratulate students on their success. These excellent results are a tribute to their hard work and the dedication and the high quality of teaching across the county. They will really stand the students in good stead for the future.”