GCSE

Teenagers across the country are waking up to their GCSE results in a year when the proportion of top grades awarded is expected to fall. Issue date: Thursday August 24, 2023. PA Photo. Hundreds of thousands of pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are receiving grades to help them progress to sixth form, college or training. Photo David Davies/PA Wire

GCSE top grades fall in NI but remain above pre-pandemic levels

NHS nurse Kelly Foster, who failed her GCSEs

Woman becomes high ranking senior NHS nurse despite failing GCSEs

The popularity of learning languages at Northern Ireland's schools is "slowly recovering from the pandemic", a report by the British Council has found. The Language Trends Northern Ireland report found that the decline in language learning at post-primary schools is plateauing, with Spanish emerging as the most popular, overtaking French

Language learning ‘slowly recovering from the pandemic’ – report

An early copy of the novel Of Mice And Men, and John Steinbeck in 1939

Violent threat made against Belfast teen who called removal of GCSE book

John Steinbeck in Ireland, 1952

Steinbeck race row: We must resist drift towards 'thought police' says historian

Students are gearing up for GCSE exams

Quiz: Can you answer these GCSE maths questions

Seven NI grammar schools have been included in the Sunday Times national list of top 50 secondary schools.

Seven NI grammars make Sunday Times top 50 list of secondary schools

Students from Banbridge Academy receive their GCSE results

Northern Ireland students are top of the class for GCSE results

Young Belfast barber’s advice to GCSE students – aim to be a cut above

Results day

When are GCSE and A level results out?

Nando’s NI is giving away free Peri-Peri to students on results day

Exams

Warning that exam grades will fall back

Nandos is giving out free food to students

Nando’s is giving away free food to students on results day this month

These are the areas with the smartest students in England

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Principals sound the alarm as bus drivers prepare to strike

Unite members staged a picket outside Glenveagh Special School in Belfast last month.
Picture: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press.

Council worker strikes could resume if talks break down: Unite
As public transport users in Northern Ireland prepare for seven-day strike from next Tuesday, the threat of further industrial action by council employees appears to have ended for the time being.

First News: A beary good idea!

Sitting exams

Exam students ‘will not be disadvantaged’ by Covid disruption

The infernal mathematics grids

Jonny McCambridge: Making hard work of the P5 homework

Education Minister Peter Weir last year with the Expert Panel which was established to examine the links between educational underachievement and social disadvantage.
When considering education deprivation in East Belfast, it is important to reflect on the findings of the panel, says Robin Newton

Robin Newton: Underachievement in education in N. Ireland must be addressed

GCSE results being opened

Colossal fall in Northern Irish A-level / GCSE appeals – from 1,687 to 41

MPs say terms like “white privilege” may have contributed towards neglect of poorer white pupils (Photo: Shutterstock)

Poorer white pupils suffer years of neglect due to terms like ‘white privilege’,...

Teachers across Northern Ireland are engaged in a process of moderation, designed to generate GCSE and A-Level grades

Exams expert: Combining grades from different subjects poses quality risk

Economy Minister Diane Dodds with Will Bradley and Colleen O’Boyle, joint winners of the Higher Level Apprentice of the Year 2020

Apprenticeships offer opportunities and can be key to economic recovery

While classrooms sit empty, life chances are being destroyed, mental health is in ruins and children are shut away in their bedrooms. Why are healthy young people not allowed to play sport, running about outside? They have a 99.9% recovery if they catch Covid, taught by teachers who are at no more risk than anyone else

Ex Principal: Children will ask why they lost a once in lifetime opportunity

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 24th February 2021

Health Minister, Robin Swann, Patricia Donnelly, Head of the Covid-19 Vaccine Programme and Chief Medical Officer, Dr Michael McBride pictured at a press conference in Parliament Buildings.

Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

Health Minister stands firm on schools: Phased retrun was 'correct' decision

Sammy Wilson

Sammy Wilson: Health advisors 'playing God with society' over school closures
The phased return of pupils to school, likened to the “hokey cokey” by one politician, has been driven by “medical people” who think they can “almost play God with society”, according to DUP MP Sammy Wilson.

School exams

GCSE and A Level students to find out how exams will be awarded this morning

There was anger over a 'standardisation' process used in the awarding of A-level grades last year

A-level fiasco: Report says CCEA and minister adopted ‘least worst’ approach

Retail shops closed at Victoria Square shopping centre in Belfast.

NI high street voucher scheme will not go ahead this year because of Covid

Health Minister, Robin Swann.

Robin Swann warns of extending lockown restrictions - 19 more deaths - NI to ent...

Peter Weir

Peter Weir: It’s up to health chiefs to call for scrapping of transfer tests

Letter to the editor

This is not a vendetta against grammar schools, it is concern for young pupils

Education Minister Peter Weir appeared before MLAs in the Assembly on January 6

Education Minister Peter Weir faces down MLAs' calls for his resignation

Education Minister Peter Weir

Teaching Union gives qualified welcome for Minister Peter Weir’s exam plans

Might Northern Ireland follow Wales and cancel GCSE, AS and A Levels in 2021?

NI 2021 school exams should be CANCELLED says children’s commissioner Koulla Yia...

Pupils at Bloomfield Collegiate school in east Belfast after the reopening of schools on Monday

Education minister: Pupils will not face a repeat of the exams fiasco

Exam students.

Call for exam students to be given priority for coronavirus testing

Crowds enjoyed the hot weather at Bournemouth beach at the end of May, as lockdown restrictions began to be eased after two months. There were growing reports of teenage parties after this time, because there is only so long that people will accept massive restrictions

Ben Lowry: A return to general lockdown is not even remotely feasible

Bloomfield Collegiate pupils pictured at the school after receiving their GCSE results.

Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Dr Hugh Morrison: Grades cannot be meaningfully ascribed in the absence of a tes...

The exam board is regrading all of the results (Photo: Shutterstock)

Here’s why BTec results have been delayed - and how grades will be calculated

News Letter editorial

Fiasco over A-levels must not be repeated as schools prepare to return

Ofqual is reviewing its process for appeals (Photo: Shutterstock)

Ofqual has suspended its criteria for pupils wanting to appeal their A levels an...

GCSE results will be based solely on school predictions

Exams row: NI GCSE students to be awarded grades predicted by teachers

It is hard to see teacher assessment as a long-term replacement to exams as a way of grading pupil knowledge and achievement

Ben Lowry: Allowing huge grade inflation at GCSE and A-Level will create its own...

Prime Minister Boris Johnson (right) and Taoiseach Micheal Martin walking in the gardens of Hillsborough Castle during the Prime Minister's visit to Belfast on Thursday. Mr Johnson talked about the government's intention to mark Northern Ireland's centenary. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Ben Lowry: The centenary celebrations for Northern Ireland should be inclusive —...

Education minister Peter Weir

NI pupils will have broader remit to appeal GCSE / A-level results this year

Civil rights march on its way across the Craigavon Bridge, Londonderry, in November 1968, a month after the banned march of October 5 which ended in violence. Dr Kingsley writes: "This is not just a case of introducing more teaching about the civil rights movement in controlled schools. Given the unreliability in the historical treatment of this subject, I would be concerned about the material being taught"

The distortion of history has at its worst fomented sectarian hatred of Protesta...

Diane Dodds

Diane Dodds: Students should not face pressure to accept university offers due t...

Equality Commission Chief Commissioner Geraldine McGahey

Equality Commission warns that Protestant boys more likely to be unfairly disadv...

Justin Edwards, chief executive of Council for the Curriculum, Examinations & Assessment (CCEA)

CCE chief executive: We want to reassure students that we are making sure that t...

Education Minister, Peter Weir.

Reopening of schools ‘likely to be staged and difficult’, warns teaching union

An empty classroom

NI Education Minister Peter Weir expected to today announce phased return to sch...

AFBI Hillsborough welcomes 170 GCSE and A Level students to its annual Schools Open Day

Open day highlights importance of science

The tool features three to five minute revision videos presented in a Netflix-style layout (Photo: Shutterstock)

GCSE students can access a free learning resource while schools are closed - her...