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Teenagers' futures are being decided today... as they open the crucial envelope that reveals their GCSE results.
Thousands of students across the county are nervously heading for schools after the long break, to find out if their grades are better or worse than expected.
Follow our coverage as it updates, and tweet us your joy (or pain) as you or your loved one gets their results at #kentgcses.
Congratulations to everyone who's had their GCSE results in Kent and Medway today!
It seems Kent's GCSE results are the best ever!
Figures from Kent County Council show students here have significantly outperformed the national average.
Around two-thirds have achieved the benchmark of five A* to C graders, including maths, and A* an A grades have been maintained, despite a national decline.
Balloons and bunting greeted students at The Malling School in Beech Road, East Malling earlier as they poured through the school gates to pick up their GCSEs results.
There was much cause for celebration, too, as students and staff recorded yet another year-on-year increase in success rates.
Meanwhile, at Sutton Valence School welcomed its best ever results with 44.1% of Year 11 achieving A* and As. Almost a third celebrated with seven or more of the top two grades.
A new record was set at Maidstone Grammar School for Girls with a 62% rate of A* to A grades. Forty pupils achieved 10 or more A* to As. Overall, every student scored at least five A* to C marks.
It's been a great year for St John’s Catholic School in Gravesend.
Sean Maher, head of school, said: “We have achieved extraordinary results at St John’s which have exceeded all of our targets and are the best results the school has ever achieved.
“I am I no doubt that this is due to the hard work and effort of our Year 11 pupils, as well as the dedication of their teachers.
The 16-year-old managed five A*s AND seven As at GCSE and a distinction star in BTEC.
She said: "I feel really good I guess. I did so much work so it's paid off.
"I was really scared because I was looking at the grade boundaries yesterday and they were going up.
"But it's done now and it's A levels next."
For students at Highworth Grammar School in Ashford it was worth some turning up for 8.30am!
Headteacher Paul Danielsen said: “Our results this year have been phenomenal; our best yet. We had two students who both achieved 13 A*s .
"57% of our GSCE grades were either A*s or As- which is just amazing."
St Simon Stock Catholic School in Maidstone is celebrating its best ever GCSE results with 70% of students achieving five or more grades at A*- C including English Language and Mathematics.
Also, 90% of students achieving 5 or more A*-C grades in any combination of subject.
Congrats to bright spark Aden Moss - who's got an A* in maths at just 11 years old!
The Chartham Hatch youngster - who should just be starting secondary school - took the exam alongside 16-year-old pupils at Canterbury College and found out his result by email this morning.
The Chilham School pupil worked extra classes with his teacher Chris Johnson, also of Chartham Hatch.
He will now go to Simon Langton Grammar School in Canterbury after getting 100% in the Kent Test.
He said: "I'm really proud. I want to carry on doing challenging maths.
"I will miss Mr Johnson. he has been a great teacher. I wouldn't have done it without him.
Over on Sheppey, The Isle of Sheppey Academy has seen 37% of students achieving five or more A*-C GCSE grades including English and maths.
In total 88% achieved 5 or more A*-C GCSEs in any subject and overall 94% secured five GCSE grades including Mathematics and English.
Meanwhile, students at Longfield Academy celebrated the best GCSE results in the school’s history, beating the high watermark of last year by a long way.
A total of 68% of students achieved five or more A*-C grades with English and maths – 17% up on last year – while all students achieve five or more A*-C grades.
There'll be celebrating in the Mustafa household tonight, after 16-year-old Hidayah, of Wilmington Academy got 3 A* and 7 As.
He's going to Dartford Grammar School for Boys to study the English baccalaureate.
Nationally, there's been a drop in the grades achieved this year. Pupils' achievements fell by 1.3% for A* to C across the board.
It's cheers all round at Dover Grammar School for Girls (DGSG). Pupils are celebrating half of all GCSE results being awarded the top A* or A grades.
"We are absolutely delighted by these examination results" DGGS headteacher Matthew Bartlett
Headteacher Matthew Bartlett said: "We are uncompromising in offering demanding academic
subjects and our students respond with real commitment and enthusiasm.
"The outcomes are a testament to the students’ efforts and the support they receive from parents and teachers as they strive to achieve the highest standards possible.’
First results are in... and pupils at Hartsdown Academy in Margate are celebrating.
The college has seen a record-breaking 50% pass rate in five or more GCSE exams at A*-C grades, making it the best ever summer exam performance.
For the eighth consecutive year the college has blown away its targets.
Who said spelling doesn't count?
For the first time this year, pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be getting extra marks for good grammar and spelling in some subjects.
In English literature, geography, religious education and history, a total of 5% of the mark will be allocated for this.
We're starting to receive good luck messages on Twitter from people using the #kentgcses hashtag.
Is there anyone you want to say good luck to - or results you want to share?
Our reporters are on their way to schools around the county to cover the big day.
They've got their brollies at the ready!
However, it's thought fewer GCSE pupils will receive the highest grades.
It's likely to be caused by stricter marking in a number of core subjects.
Jill Stokoe, from the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said the tougher standards will be most noticeable in science.
Kent education experts are predicting a slight increase in the results this year - for a 13th year in a row.
How do you think these girls at Dartford Grammar School for Girls did last year?
Why Kent businessmen think changes to GCSEs should help equip students for the workplace.
Don't forget to tell us your results and following our Twitter coverage at #kentgcses
All the best to everyone who's getting their results today. It could be the start of a great future... but it's never the end of the world if the results aren't as great as expected.
Fingers crossed you'll be celebrating like these pupils at Wilmington Academy last year.
