EDUCATION bosses have praised students and teachers for their resilience after months of examination turmoil was brought to an end yesterday.

Essex County Council said teenagers had faced a period of exceptionally unusual circumstances due to coronavirus and it was proud of their work during these difficult times.

The pass rate for GCSEs in England rose from around 70 per cent to 78.8 per cent this year after the move to use teacher assessments to calculate students grades.

The proportion of GCSE entries awarded top grades also surged to a record high with more than one in four GCSE entries in England scoring one of the three top grades, up from just over a fifth last summer.

Ray Gooding, Essex County Council’s education and skills boss, said: “The past few months and particularly the past few weeks, have been a stressful time for lots of young people who should have been preparing for their GCSE exams this year.

“I hope that following the latest announcement on grading, young people feel reassured by the results they receive this week and I would like to congratulate everyone collecting results today on their achievements.

“Young people and everyone working within a school or other educational setting have shown an incredible amount of resilience over the past few months and I wish those receiving their results the best of luck as they decide on their next steps.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson Tweeted a message of thanks to students across the UK, saying their efforts had saved lives.

He said: “I know the last few months have been tough and this isn’t how you imagined you would be finishing Year 11, but you can be proud of how you helped to keep the virus under control.

“You have literally saved lives through staying at home and keeping distance from others. Thank you for protecting yourselves, your families and your communities this year.”

Schools and colleges will reopen for all pupils in September with Essex County Council working to minimise the risk of the transmission of Covid-19.

More information about the safety measures and reopening plans can be found at essex.gov.uk/changes-services/schools-learning.