GCSE results day: Number of top grades and passes down in England

In England, 68 percent of entries got at least a 4 or 5 - which is considered a standard pass.

That's down from 73 percent last year, but higher than 2019 - despite English authorities aiming to return to pre-pandemic grading levels, unlike Wales and Northern Ireland.

The results highlighted a stark regional divide with a ten percent difference between the number of entries awarded grade 7 or above in London and in the North East.