Just a week after A-level students collected their results, it's now time for GCSEs.

Pupils in Medway will be heading into school this morning to find out how they did in their exams.

But it's not just GCSE results which are out today - those who chose BTEC options will also be picking up that important envelope.

These young people will then begin a new chapter of their lives, either at sixth form, college or on a work training scheme.

Numbered grading system

More GCSE subjects are being graded using the number system this year, with 9 being the top score and 1 the lowest.

This has been phased in since 2017 to replace the previous A* to G grades.

Starting with English and maths, the new number system is now being used for almost all GCSE subjects.

Students at Rainham School for Girls (RGS) were among the first to open their envelopes.

Zoya Khan is “really pleased” with her three As and three Bs.

She said: “I found it okay. It wasn’t as hard as I thought." She will be staying on at the school’s sixth form.

Sameeha Begum is moving on to Holcombe Grammar School for sixth form after grabbing seven As.

Their friend Chloe Dower described doing her exams as stress but was pleased with her results.

She’s off to Fort Pitt Grammar School next month.

Shannon MacLellan is happy after bagging an A* and four As. She said she was “a bit chilled” about taking her exams and got what she expected. The 16-year-old is pleased to be staying on at the school’s sixth form.

RGS is celebrating its best-ever set of GCSE results.

It has recorded its school’s best English, maths and science results to date, putting the school in the top 15% of the country for value added.

Executive head teacher, Dr Karen Roberts said: “There are some remarkable results with more than 50 students achieving at least one grade 8 or 9.” Students have achieved over 80% 9-4 in English with 60% 9-5 and over 70% 9-4 in Maths, plus 70 more top grades than last year.

Several subjects have excelled such as textiles, dance, business, drama and art demonstrating that RSG offers a broad and balanced curriculum allowing students to achieve highly in all areas.

There are some stunning individual results: Maddison Blundell achieved nine GCSEs at grades 7 and above with 7 at grades 8 and 9.

Emma Spearpoint achieved eight at grades 7 and above, and Sameeha Begum achieved seven at grades 7 and above.

Walderslade Girls’ School head teacher Dr Fraser Campbell said: “This is always a very nervous time for pupils and parents, but I am proud to see so many girls obtaining excellent grades.

"All the work they have done has certainly paid off and by securing the best possible grades they can look forward to studying in the sixth form or progressing onto college.

"What has been particularly pleasing has been the increase in girls obtaining the top GCSE grades of 7, 8 and 9 in a total of 12 subjects.

"Alongside this, the girls achieved distinction or better in each of the vocational subjects studied."

At King’s Rochester 26% of all grades were at 9-8 (A*) and 88% of at 9-4 (A*-C).

Some 28% of pupils outperformed their predicted grades with an average increase of 1 to 3 grades.

The top 40% of the year, achieved 54% of their grades at 9-8 (A*) with 93% at 9-6 (A*-B).

Leading grades were achieved by Pedro Moniz Gomes with nine 9-8s (A*), Adam Snelling with nine 9-7s (A*-A) and after a busy year of concerts and fixtures, music and sport scholar, Maili Cumming, achieved ten 9-7s (A*-A).

As the world’s oldest cathedral choir school, King's is delighted with the success of its former choristers, who all achieved A*/A in their music examinations.

The music department achieved 100% of all grades at A*-B.

Keen athlete Xavier Smitherman-Cairns, who celebrates all grades at 9-7s (A*-A), overcame injury this past year, to excel in both his sporting and academic commitments.

He recently joined the Saracens under-16 elite rugby player development group.

Art achieved nearly 30% of grades at 9 and core subjects English literature, English language, mathematics, chemistry, biology and physics this year achieved 25% or more of all grades at 9-8s (A*).

Principal Ben Charles said: “I am absolutely delighted for the pupils who receive their GCSE results today. Their achievements are testament to their hard work and dedication and I am enormously grateful to the staff for guiding them through these last two years of study."

Some of the top performers at Greenacre Academy, Walderslade, included William Heather, who achieved 7 grades at grade 7 and above, including a grade 9 (A**) in history.

Fellow pupil Daniel Whittingham achieved 9 grades at grade 5 and distinction* and above, including a grade 9 in English literature and Jack Prendergast achieved 8 grades at grade 5 and Distinction* and above, including a grade 9 in history.

Head teacher Shelly Bridger said: "We are justifiably proud of the achievements of all our students, they have worked extremely hard and their success is down to their grit and determination, resilience and exceptional effort.

"These results are a tribute to the excellent teaching of Greenacre Academy staff who, year after year, give huge amounts of additional time, guidance and support wherever it is needed.

"We have also had exceptional support from our parents, who I am sure, have directly input into these incredible achievements."

At Rochester Math School, in the benchmark ‘Progress 8’ measure, staff expect pupils to achieve +0.59.

This means that, on average, students have achieved more than half a grade better than expected in each of their subjects.

A total of 45% of all grades were at 7-9, up from 40% last year, while 99.7% achieved a good pass in English and mathematics and 93% gained a strong pass in both.

The average grade per GCSE course taken by the students is a 6.38, which is the same as a B+.

Some 59% of all grades in mathematics were at the top 7-9 band, and 50% of those in English.

The highest individual performances were recorded by Jonathan Saunders with 10 grade 9 and A* distinction, followed by James Alcock with eight grade 9, 1 grade 8, 1 grade 7 and an A*.

Oliver Branch achieved seven grade 9s, two grade 8s, one grade 7 and an A*.

Vinay Vijayamohan gained six grade 9s, three grade 8, one grade 7 and A* distinction, while Aadesh Gupta secured seven grade 9, one grade 8, one grade 7, one grade 6 and an A* distinction.

James Shimmins gained six grade 9s, two grade 8s and two grade 7s and an A*.

Moyosore Odesanya obtained five grade 9s, four grade 8s, one grade 7 and an A, while Michael Fankah achieved 5 grade 9s, two grade 8s, three grade 7s and an A*.

Konyin Joshua secured four grade 9s, three grade 8s, three grade 7s and an A*.

Miles Archer gained two grade 9s, six grade 8s, two grade 7s and an A*, while Akshay Krishnakumar gained five grade 9s, five grade 7s and an A* distinction.

Henry Salter obtained five grade 9s, one grade 8, three grade 7s, 1 grade 6 and an A*.

Overall, 54 students, nearly 30% of the whole year group, avoided any grade lower than a 6.

Head teacher Eliot Hodges said: "I’m proud of the successes our students have achieved.

"I’m particularly delighted so many gained the top grades because this was a target for us and places our students in a very strong position for sixth form study."

At Chatham's St John Fisher Catholic School56% of students achieved a pass or higher in English and maths

Andrianna Serepec, who achieved an A in RE and two Bs in English literature and English language, said: “I’m happy with with most of it. I’m quite surprised.”

She hasn’t decided whether she is staying on at the school’s sixth form or going to the Math School in Rochester.

Robbie Firmin was beaming after getting an A in RE. He said of his exams: “They were challenging but to the point where you could still do it.”

Ruby Trott was among five students from St John Fisher who got top results, achieving a grade 9 in media studies as well as four grade 8 and four grade 7s (all in the top tier of results).

She said: “I did better than I thought I would in maths. It was stressful but the teachers were really supportive."

Manu Sibichan also one of St John Fisher’s top-performing students. He said: “It went really well, I didn’t think I would get so high in maths, I was very scared for maths and science as well. It was pretty stressful but I was happy afterwards.”

Khateba Akhtar got a 9 and two grade 8s. She was particularly pleased with her history result, saying: “All throughout Year 11 I was getting 5s and 6s. That’s the one I was very happy about."

Marcus Hernandez was ecstatic after bagging six grade 9s (equivalent to A*) and a distinction*.

He said: “I’m really surprised with English as it wasn’t my first language and it was a completely different subject.”

And Weronika Wszola said: “I think I did alright, I’m proud of my results.” She achieved a grade 9 in GCSE Polish, and three 8s.

Waterfront UTC says there continues to be outstanding outcomes in the specialist areas of engineering, construction and technology.

This year 69% of students achieved merits and distinctions in at least one of construction and engineering.

The performance of some groups of students was particularly impressive, with them achieving above national expectations.

In addition, many female students achieved excellent results, enabling them to fulfil their own ambitions and meet the national demand for women in the STEM industries.

Principal Paul Cottam said: “We are delighted with our students and their excellent results, and congratulate them on their success.

“Students come to Waterfront UTC to follow technical /professional careers in engineering and construction and we pride ourselves on our unique links with business and commerce.

"These strong results will springboard our students to make the next steps towards their chosen careers.”

Among the star performers at Gillingham's Robert Napier was Sharmin Ahmed, who gained a grade 6, five grade 7s and a 9 in psychology.

Rahman Dhaliwal achieved four grades 6s and three grade 7s, including two in science, while Elena Fryer came away with all of her results above a grade 6, including a pair of grade 9s in English and history.

Kelly Koo impressively gained grade 7s in all of her subjects and Catalin Panduru, Kieran Maxwell, Jordan Quirk and Darius Thomas achieved a suite of grades equivalent of the new ‘good pass’ standard in addition to a number of grades 6s and 7s.

A number of other students achieved some impressive performances based on the progress they made during their five years of secondary school at Robert Napier.

Particular mention goes to Mitchell Knight who, with a collection of grades ranging from 5 -7, on average scored 2 grades above his target grades.

Headteacher Andrew Minchin said: “I am proud of the achievements of the students and look forward to welcoming many of them into our newly-revamped sixth-form centre in September."

The Hundred of Hoo Academy says the performance at the highest grades has significantly increased, representing some of the best in its history.

In English 72% of pupils achieved a Grade 4 and above, and 54% a Grade 5 and above.

In mathematics, 69% of pupils achieved Grade 4 and above, and 41% of students achieved Grade 5 and above.

Some 63% of pupils achieved Grade 4 and above in both English and mathematics.

In science, 98% of pupils achieved Grade 4 and above in biology, 87% achieving this measure in physics and 96% in chemistry. A total of 85% achieved Grade 5 and above in biology.

Some 70% of pupils secured above a Grade 4 in textiles, with 55% securing Grade 5 and above while in photography, 92% achieved Grade 4 and above and 60.42% for Grade 5 and above.

Harry Johnson, despite challenging personal circumstances throughout his time at the Academy, demonstrated fortitude and determination while achieving two Grade 8 qualifications, two Grade 7 qualifications and two Grade 6s.

Oliver Parish received two Grade 8s in science and history as well as two Grade 7 and three grade 6s.

Jed Walsh secured one Grade 9, four Grade 8s, two Grade 7s, a distinction* in sport and a Grade 4. He will be studying A-levels from September.

Leah Archer secured a Grade 9, a distinction*, two Grade 8s, three Grade 7s, a Grade 6 and a Grade 5.

Luke Clements has been successful in achieving four Grade 8s, one distinction*, a Grade 7, two 6s and a Grade 4.

Principal Emma Elwin said: "The Academy has worked hard in recent years to re-establish some of the breadth and depth in its GCSE curriculum, particularly in more creative subject choices.

"To see our pupils perform strongly in these subjects, alongside strong performances in the core subjects, is fantastic. On behalf of all academy staff, we wish our pupils the very best of luck for their future."

The Victory Academy, Chatham, saw a seven percentage point rise from last year in the proportion of students who achieved a Grade 4 or better in English and in maths and a 5% increase on 2018 in the proportion who were awarded a Grade 5 or better in both subjects.

In English alone at Grade 4 or better, there was a 13 percentage point increase and in maths there was a 2% jump.

Well over a third of students achieved a Grade 5 in each of the two main subjects.

Some 61% of students achieved a Grade 4 or better in all qualifications, with 44% of them achieving Grade 5 and above in all qualifications.

One of the star performers was Lucy Martin, who achieved fantastic results – a Grade 9 in maths, five Grade 8s and four Grade 7s.

Lucy will be staying at The Victory Academy for sixth form, studying A -evels in maths, biology, and chemistry.

Other standout performers included Harriet Clarkson, who achieved one 9, four 8s, one 7 and three 6s.

Benjamin Ray achieved an A, two 7s, four 6s and two 5s, and will now study psychology, business and biology A levels at the academy.

Andrea Zaneva achieved six Grade 6s or better, after only joining the school 18 months ago. She will also continue her studies with The Victory Academy in sixth form.

Executive principal Mandy Gage said: “We are so pleased for our students who have again this year done so well and achieved such great grades, which are significant improvement on each of the key measures. It demonstrates how The Victory Academy continues to be a school on the up. The students’ hard work has really paid off, and I would like to pay tribute to the staff and families who have been so supportive. We are all thrilled to see them take their next steps in their educational careers.”

Chatham's Holcombe Grammar School (HGS) is delighted with another successful year of GCSE results.

Provisional analysis shows higher progress scores for all students, with disadvantaged students achieving an average of half a GCSE grade better than expected when they started at the school aged 11.

Some 80% of all grades were Grade 5 or higher.

Among the star performers were: Luke Yaxley, who achieved straight Grade 9s, Mitchell Ashby-Laws, who achieved seven Grade 9s, Dominic Frost, with six Grade 9s, Samuel Gosling, with five Grade 9s, Anton Hodgetts, with five Grade 9s, Galin Dzhumakov, with four Grade 9s.

At the Rowans AP Academy in Chatham, 87.5% of pupils achieved five or more recognised and accredited qualifications.

This includes headboy, Luke, who achieved nine qualifications including a grade 7 in resistant materials, a grade 6 in art, a grade 6 in engineering and a grade 5 in business studies.

Another pupil, Matt, also achieved outstanding results despite only joining the school in Year 11.

He achieved a grade 7 in maths, a grade 5 in English, two grade 5s in combined science, a grade 6 in art, a grade 6 in DT, a grade 5 in statistics and a Level 2 Pass in BTEC Sport.

Both boys overcame huge personal difficulties and their outstanding results are testament to their hard work and a commitment to their futures.

Katie Martin, head of post 16 pathways and careers, said: “Our pupils have achieved so much during their time at The Rowans, some have been with us for less than a year and have worked hard to achieve."

The Rowans AP Academy takes pupils who have been permanently excluded or at risk of permanent exclusion from local mainstream schools.

Will Adams, Medway, for permanently excluded students had a bumper crop of GCSEs this year.

Despite the students facing challenging circumstances, they were delighted some achieved GCSE grades as high as 7; the equivalent to an old GCSE grade A.

Star student Jessica Morris, achieved a level 7 in art and a level 6 in English, these partnered with her other results has allowed her to access a level 3 course in performing arts at college.

Head teacher Karen Bennett said: "We are extremely proud of all our students who excellent in the education at the Will Adams Centre."

Bradfields Academy, Walderslade, saw 100% of pupils passing their GCSE English language and maths.

Principal Marie Sweetlove said: "We are all incredibly proud of all that the students have achieved and privileged to share in this day with them."

The Howard School, Rainham, saw 80% of students achieve at least a Grade 4 for English, and 70% at least a Grade 4 for maths.

Students gaining the prestigious Grade 9 include John Adeyemi for maths, chemistry and physics; Erden Ozkan for history, biology and physics; Oliver Dicker and James Geddes for art and Carlos Romero-Garcia for art and Spanish.

Other notable performances included teenagers who achieved a number of top grades in many subjects. These include Josh Whyte, Jack Hardy, Louis Hart, Will Phelps, Owen Livingstone, Jack Cope, Cody Goodman, Ben Fox and Jake Brown.

Thomas Aveling celebrated record breaking GCSE results.

Top performers included Emma Haggar, who gained two grade 9s and six grade 8s, Tej Naidoo who gained three grade 9s and three grade 8s, Maciek Malecki, who gained two grade 9s and five grade 8s, and Ben Bannon one grade 9 and four grade 8s.

Millie Towner, in addition to being crowned prom queen also gained one grade 8 and seven grade 7s .

In Italian, every student gained a grade 5 or higher and photography saw 100% gain at least a grade 4 and over 95% gained a grade 5 or higher.

Other excellent performances included History where over 80% of the students gained a grade 4 or higher.

Head teacher Paul Jackson said: "I am delighted for the students receiving their grades today, they have done fantastically. ”

MidKent College wants to emphasise there are plenty of technical programmes available as well as academic qualifications for those having just collected their GCSE results.

Principal Simon Cook said: "More and more young people come to us every year because they’ve realised traditional academic courses are not always the best way to prepare for their chosen career.

"A technical qualification, such as animal management or construction, could help them gain the skills they need to secure their dream job."

Last year more than 3,500 16-18-year-olds studied a technical programme at MidKent College, which has sites in both Medway and Maidstone.

The college begins enrolling from results day onwards and continue through September.

To find out more about the courses available click here.

Emma Jo will be on kmfm's The Hit List from 7pm tonight for a special GCSE Results Surgery.

Students from Canterbury College and Broadstairs College, as well as experts and careers advisers will be discussing what options are available to those picking up their results today.

To see how pupils in other parts of Kent did, head to our county-wide live blog

News from our universities, local primary and secondary schools including Ofsted inspections and league tables can be found here

Read more: All the latest news from Medway