North again leads UK in GCSE results

SECONDARY SCHOOL students from the North again outperformed their English and Welsh peers in the GCSEs.

Overall performance in the UK’s equivalent to the Junior Certificate has again increased, continuing an upward trend.

This year the overall pass rate (A-C) improved 2.5 per cent to 65.7 per cent, the largest percentage improvement since 1991.

The number of pupils achieving A* grades also increased slightly, with an average of 6.8 per cent, compared to 6.4 per cent in 2007.

In the North, 8.9 per cent of students achieved an A*, 2.1 per cent more than the UK average, while 74.5 per cent of pupils in the North achieved a grade A-C.