Year 11 Teacher Opens His GCSE Results On Live TV And Only Gets A 'C'

GCSE results day is pretty stressful - and not just for the kids.

If you're a teacher, it's the day when you find out if the hours of time stood up at the front of the classroom were worth it, if any of the nuggets of information that you imparted onto the young minds in front of you actually made their way in.

You don't need to make it any more nerve-wracking than it needs to be, right? Well, if you're Mr Riley from Furness Academy in Cumbria, of course you do.

See, the GCSE results this year are a little different to previous years, as a new grading system has been brought in - rating kids from 1-9 rather than from A - F.

In solidarity with his kids, Mr Riley - the Head of Year 11, no less - decided to sit a few exams as well, and to read his exam results live out on Good Morning Britain in front of the entire nation.

ITV/GMB

With the country watching on, Mr Riley opened the envelope, saying: "Drumroll, yeah? No pressure".

A smile and a sense of relief came across him as he proudly declared "I got a grade 5," the equivalent of a C grade under the old system.

Not the best, of course, but creditable - he'd likely get into the sixth form college of his choice, which is really all that matters as far as GCSEs are concerned.

Across the country, the results and the new grading system have been closely scrutinized. Only 732 kids managed to get all 9s, but the general proportion of kids getting a passing grade rose by half a percent to 66.9 percent.

90 percent of English kids undertook the new exams as well, which were purportedly harder and included more final exams rather than coursework, making the increase in pass marks even better in the eyes of teachers.

ITV/GMB

"Congratulations to all the pupils getting their results today," said Schools Standards Minister Nick Gibb. "All of their hard work - and that of their teachers - has paid off and I hope that this is the first step to a bright and successful future.

"Whatever they choose to do next - whether it is staying at school, going to college, or starting an apprenticeship - these qualifications will give them a solid base of knowledge and skills that they can build on.

"Thanks to our reforms and the hard work of teachers, education standards are rising in our schools and pupils have shown their abilities by achieving excellent results today, with so many pupils meeting and exceeding the standards we expect."

Topics: UK News, News, schools

Mike Wood

Mike Meehall Wood is a freelance journalist and translator. He writes for LADbible, VICE and countless sports publications, focusing on rugby league, football and boxing. He is a graduate of Leeds University and maintains a fizzy pop obsession. Contact Mike at [email protected]