Cllr Neghat Khan, Portfolio Holder for Education and Skills at Nottingham City Council, has congratulated Nottingham pupils on their GCSE results today:

“Congratulations to everyone getting their GCSE results! This is such a huge day for thousands of pupils in Nottingham and I’d like to say how proud I am of their achievement. This is a real milestone in their educational journey – and I never underestimate how much hard work it takes to get here, not just from the pupils, but also from teachers, support staff and parents – from foundation and primary right through to secondary school. It’s a huge collective effort and I’m really proud of everyone today.

“We’ve seen a change in the way that many subjects are graded this year, so comparisons are difficult but, from the schools we’ve spoken to so far, early indications seem to show an improvement in the number of pupils in Nottingham achieving Grade 4 in English and Maths and also in Attainment 8. While these results are provisional at this stage, they indicate Nottingham’s schools are continuing their journey of improvement.

“Whatever the results, I want young people to know that they are supported in the steps they want to take next: either by continuing education or exploring vocational training and apprenticeships. Please speak to your school or visit www.futuresadvice.co.uk.

“Remember, today’s results are only one part of how we measure school success. We have a bright picture for education in Nottingham: 87% of our children now go to a school that is rated as ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted – that’s the highest in the East Midlands and above the national average too.

“We’re continuing to prioritise 100% school attendance and expect high standards of behaviour.

“We know there is good progress happening and we now need everybody to continue to work together to see more improvement. In particular, the work of our Education Improvement Board and Nottingham Schools Trust are helping to connect schools and academies with a shared vision for how we can work together to make sure our pupils succeed in school.”