Commenting on GCSE results day on Thursday, Professor Becky Francis, CEO of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), said:

“Congratulations to all pupils and schools receiving GCSE results today! You have every reason to feel proud of what you have achieved, and in very challenging circumstances too.

“It may feel like this is the first “normal” results day for a while, but we mustn’t forget that today’s grades are likely to reflect the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on different groups of pupils.

“It’s more important than ever that any attainment gaps that open-up this year are carefully monitored, so that support can be targeted at those pupils who need it most.

“We expect that this year’s results will show that entrenched education inequality has been exacerbated by the pandemic, with pupils from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds falling further behind their classmates.

“Tackling this attainment gap – and the factors behind it – continues to be the biggest challenge our education system faces.”