After a turbulent year in which many students have missed significant amounts of schooling, today pupils across the country received their GCSE results.

Sir Peter Lampl, founder and chair of the Sutton Trust and chair of the Education Endowment Foundation, said:

“Teachers and students alike should be proud of their achievements today in the wake of the disruption over the last year.

GCSEs are a pivotal moment in a young person’s life: they’re passports to next steps, whether that’s further study or training. The attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has also increased due to the effects of the pandemic which have impacted disadvantaged students most keenly.

As these students have faced the most obstacles in their learning this year, it’s crucial that there is support for their learning as they enter post-16 education. Specifically, we’d like to see pupil premium funding extended to 16-19 year old learners.”