TEACHERS across Hampshire are praising their students for their hard work in a new grading system.

The reformed GCSEs were launched last year for English and maths and came into force for 17 other subjects this year - meaning the old A* has been done away with for 19 subjects in total.

But children will this year get a mixture of letters and numbers on their results certificates. With the new, reformed subjects pupils will be looking for 9s, 8s, and 7s to show they've got the highest grades.

An A* would be equivalent to an 8.5 while the bench mark pass is a 4 - roughly equivalent to a C and the lower grades D, E, F, G, and U are similar to a 3, 2, 1, U respectively.

Head of city centre school St Anne's James Rouse said this year's results are "pleasing," in a year of "big national changes."

He added: "Families and future employers are going to be faced with both and trying to compare the two. The number of kids getting 9 is going to be much lower than the number who would have got an A* in the past."

But despite the changes one Southampton school is already announcing its "best ever results."

Pupils at St George's Catholic College got 78 per cent 4-9 including English and maths, with 61 per cent getting 5-9.

The results for school's first mixed year group of boys and girls means head teacher James Habberley expects the school to be in the top five per cent nationally.

Mr Habberley said: "We are absolutely thrilled with these results, which are testament to the hard work and dedication of our students and staff. It is particularly pleasing as this is the first year of the reformed GCSEs, and for us with our first year of girls as well as boys going through the college.”

Teachers at Noadswood School have congratulated pupils in their maths and science results in particular - with "strong attainment also found in BTecs in Child Development and Health and Social Care and GCSE PE."

Head teacher Colm McKavanagh from the Romsey School said their results were "superb" - with 50 per cent achieving 5+ in English and maths, an increase of 9 per cent on last year.

New system Old system

9

8 A*

A

7

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6

B

5 C

4

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3 D

2 E

F

1 G

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U U