Schools North East

As Results Day draws to a close, we’re delighted to share our final batch of positive news and student success stories from schools across the region.

Throughout today, we’ve seen so many examples of hard work, resilience and determination paying off – from outstanding individual grades and students exceeding their own expectations, to young people overcoming challenges, pursuing their passions and securing exciting next steps.

-North Gosforth Academy
-St Cuthbert's Catholic High School
-Gosforth Group Multi Academy Trust
-St Benet Biscop Catholic Academy
- Our Lady & St. Bede Catholic Academy
- The King Edward VI School
- St Thomas More Catholic School (Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust)
- The English Martyrs Catholic School and Sixth Form College (Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust)
- Carmel College
- Red House School - Teesside
- Beaumont Hill Academy
- Hetton Academy (Northern Education Trust)
- Forest Park School (National Network of Special Schools member).

Behind every result is a story, and it’s been a privilege to celebrate just some of them 🧡

A huge congratulations to every young person who received their GCSE or Level 2 results today, whatever their grades and wherever they’re heading next.

And an equally huge thank you to the teachers, leaders, support staff, families and school communities who have encouraged and supported them along the way.

Swipe through for our final round-up of GCSE Results Day stories from North East schools and catch up on all stories from today, here: www.schoolsnortheast.org/news/

We’re back with another round of GCSE Results Day celebrations – and there are plenty more fantastic stories to share from schools across our region!

Today we’ve seen young people celebrating years of hard work, overcoming challenges, achieving personal milestones and taking those all-important next steps towards sixth form, college, apprenticeships and future careers.

Right now, we're sharing the headlines from:

-Harton Academy
-Huntcliff School
-Egglescliffe School & Sixth Form
-Laurence Jackson
-Haughton Academy
-Barnard Castle School
-Conyers School
-George Stephenson High School
-Jesmond Park Academy
-St Aidan's Catholic Academy
-Bede Academy
-Callerton Academy
-Seaton Valley High School
-St Joseph’s Catholic Academy
-St Anthony's Girls Catholic Academy (Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust)
-Dame Allan's Schools
-Ponteland Community High School
-St Wilfrid's RC College
-St Bede’s Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College
-Westfield School
-Newcastle High School for Girls
-Royal Grammar School Newcastle

Every set of results tells a different story, and we’re delighted to shine a spotlight on even more of the students and schools celebrating today.

Swipe through for our latest round-up of GCSE and Level 2 Results Day stories from across the North East.

And we’re not finished yet. We’ll continue adding Results Day stories from schools across the region to the Schools North East news page throughout the day. Read them all here: https://schoolsnortheast.org/news/

A huge congratulations once again to every young person receiving their results today, and to the teachers, support staff, families and communities who have supported them along the way👏

It’s GCSE & Other Level 2 Results Day, which means another full day of amplifying achievements from the region 🎉

Last week, A Level, T Level and BTEC Results Day gave us the chance to showcase the talent and ambition of young people across the North East. Today, it’s the turn of our GCSE and Level 2 students.

Against the backdrop of the significant structural divide our region continues to face in education, these success stories matter. They challenge perceptions of the North East and shine a light on the determination and potential of our young people at every stage of their education.

As the Voice of North East schools, we’re always proud to champion the fantastic work of our students, schools and trusts.

Throughout today, we’ll be sharing your stories across our social media channels, website and a special Results Day newsletter.

To [email protected], you can send:

• A press release and photographs
• Headline results, achievements and a quote from a Senior Leader
• Short student videos (up to 30 seconds) telling us: What are you doing next? What are you most proud of today? How has your school helped you reach this point?

Whether students are progressing to sixth form, college, an apprenticeship, training or another pathway, we want to celebrate every success and every next step.

Let’s show the region (and beyond!) what North East students can achieve. 👏

🚨Today’s regional results are a map of the structural divide... not a league table of school quality.

First and foremost, today is about congratulating the thousands of young people across the North East receiving their A Level, T Level and BTEC results, as well as recognising the teachers, staff and families who have supported them along the way.

As expected, there is much to be proud of. 23.1% of A Level entries in the North East achieved an A or A* this year, up from 22.9% in 2025 👏

However, behind the headlines is a concerning picture.

While North East outcomes have improved, the gap in A/A* grades between the North East and London has widened to 9.6 percentage points, which is the largest since the pandemic and significantly above the 3.9-point gap seen in 2019.

⚠️ This is NOT a divide in talent, ambition or the quality of our schools. It IS a structural divide in the circumstances and opportunities surrounding our young people.

Schools across our region are working against entrenched disadvantage, growing SEND needs, pressures on public services and inequalities in access to opportunities, all while increasingly being expected to respond to challenges far beyond the school gates.

👉 Read the full analysis and our five calls for change: https://schoolsnortheast.org/news/a-level-t-level-and-btec-results-2026-north-east-students-succeed-as-regional-results-highlights-widening-structural-divide/

We’d also like to hear from schools and education leaders across the North East: What support beyond the school gates would make the biggest difference to young people in our region? Comment below.

One final round of celebrations for A Level, T Level & BTEC Results Day! 👏🧡

Across the North East, students have been celebrating fantastic achievements and taking their next steps into university, apprenticeships, employment and beyond.

Here’s our third and final collection of good news stories from schools across the region. Delighted to feature stories from:

-St Wilfrid’s RC College | Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust
-St Bede's Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form
-St Joseph's Catholic Academy
-Bede Academy
-St Thomas More Catholic High School
-St Mary’s Catholic School
-Sacred Heart Catholic High School
-St Cuthbert's Catholic High School
-Westfield School | Royal Grammar School Newcastle
-Newcastle High School for Girls
-Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College

🙏A huge thank you to everyone who has shared results, photos and stories with us and helped us celebrate the achievements of North East students and the staff who have supported them along the way.

And we’re not finished yet. We’ll see you next week for GCSE Results Day.

🎓 More Results Day stories are coming in from across the North East and, as we expected, there’s plenty to be proud of.

Behind today’s results are years of hard work, big ambitions and exciting plans for what comes next. We’re continuing to shine a spotlight on the students, schools and communities making Results Day 2026 one to remember 🧡

We’re featuring stories from:

-Conyers School
- Gosforth Group Multi Academy Trust
-Trinity Sixth Form T6
-Durham Sixth Form Centre
-George Stephenson High School | Peter Douthwaite
- Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust
-St Benet Biscop Catholic Academy
-Royal Grammar School Newcastle

👉 Swipe through for the headlines, then head to our news page to read the stories in full, alongside many more from schools across the region: https://schoolsnortheast.org/news/

And please keep them coming! We want to share as many North East success stories as possible. Send your Results Day news, student achievements and photos to [email protected].

A huge well done to every student receiving results today, and to the staff, families and school communities who have helped them get there.

🎓 It’s A Level, T Level & BTEC Results Day!

Today, students across the North East are receiving their results and taking their next steps – and we want to make sure their achievements are seen and shared.

Throughout the day, we’ll be championing your success stories across our social media channels, website and special Results Day newsletter.

📣 Schools and trusts – keep your stories coming!

Send us:
- Photos and press releases
- Headline results and achievements
- Quotes from senior leaders
- Short student videos sharing what’s next and what they’re most proud of

📧 Send everything to [email protected]

Let’s show the region – and beyond – what North East students can achieve!

“The answer to a confidence gap is not a lower bar; it is better scaffolding to help children clear the bar that is already there.”

Lord Tony Sewell has sparked fresh debate this week with his latest The Telegraph column on disadvantage, academic rigour and the outcomes of working-class young people.

He argues that the answer to disadvantage is not less academic rigour, but higher expectations, stronger academic confidence and better support to help young people meet those expectations 📈

It’s a debate with particular interest here in the North East, and one we’ll be continuing at the Schools North East Summit 2026, where Lord Sewell will join us as a speaker.

On 8 October, more than 500 school and trust leaders will come together at St. James’ Park to discuss the big challenges facing our region and, crucially, what we can do about them.

Whatever your perspective, this is an important conversation.

Join the conversation at Summit 2026.

🎟️ Book your place: https://schoolsnortheast.org/event-calendar/summit-2026/

A huge THANK YOU to our growing community of Schools North East Summit 2026 sponsors! 🧡

We're delighted to be working with an incredible group of organisations who have already confirmed their support for the Schools North East Summit 2026.

By sponsoring the Summit, these organisations are helping us bring together more than 500 Trust CEOs, Head Teachers and senior education leaders from across the North East to share ideas, tackle challenges and shape the future of education in our region.

Together, they're demonstrating a shared commitment to supporting schools, school leaders and children and young people across the North East.

This is just the beginning! We'll be announcing even more Summit sponsors over the coming weeks as our Schools North East Summit 2026 community continues to grow. 🎉

If your organisation would like to be part of the North East's largest gathering of education leaders, we'd love to hear from you.

Sponsorship opportunities are limited, allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, and several packages have already been secured. If you'd like to be involved, get in touch soon.

📧 Email [email protected] to request the sponsorship brochure and explore the opportunities available.

A huge thank you to:

👏 OPAL Outdoor Play and Learning
👏 Unscripted Portraits
👏 Promote Your School
👏 CER Education Recruitment
👏 for Learning & Play
👏 Jigsaw Education Group
👏 First Class Supply
👏 Renaissance Services
👏 LexiaUK
👏 YPO
👏 Phototronics
👏 Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP
👏 Clive Owen LLP
👏 MAC Construction Consultants
👏 Edwin

When the national conversation turns to academic achievement *versus* vocational pathways, we risk asking the wrong question.

This week, our Director, Chris Zarraga, joined BBC Radio 5 live to discuss the Education Secretary's comments on the future of education.

🎧 Listen from 41:18: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002zry1

Chris's message was clear: this isn't an either/or debate.

High academic standards matter, but so do high-quality, regionally relevant technical and vocational pathways that help every young person move into rewarding careers and lifelong opportunities.

The challenge isn't aspiration... it's creating an education system that reflects today's economy and the communities our schools serve.

We're proud to see Chris continuing to champion the voice of North East schools on the national stage.

Have you listened to the interview? We'd love to hear your thoughts on how we build an education system that works for every young person.