HR reacts to GCSE results day

This year's GCSE results have shown a significant fall, down to the lowest level since 2008.

The proportion of entries achieving A* to C has declined from 69% to 66.9%. Top A* grades have slipped from 6.6% to 6.5% - BBC News reports.

The fall has been blamed on more students having to take required resits in English and Maths, with a policy in England encouraging more pupils to get A* to C grade GCSEs in those subjects. The numbers of older pupils resitting were up by a quarter from last year.

The gender gap has also widened, with 71.3% of entries by girls achieving a C grade or above compared with 62.4% of boys.