convenient sometimes just to look at those headline figures. the pandemic has led to more disruption, more lost learning in the north, on top of a gap that already existed. to understand the difference in results, you ve really i did not expect to get what i did get, considering the year we ve all had. ..or in wales, most 16 year olds were firmly focused on their next steps. what we ve got to do is, fill out the application form, just answer a few really easy questions. at newcastle college, grace was using her gcses to sign up for a btec, with others getting advice on their options. it s such a big step into theirfuture, with hopes they can leave the shadow of covid behind. this is outside source live from the bbc newsroom. our lead story: warnings over the potential for a nuclear accident as ukraine s occupied power plant is temporarily disconnected from the grid.
an interview. 0k, mark, thank you. mark easton an interview. 0k, mark, thank you. mark easton there. it s been an anxious day for hundreds of thousands of teenagers in many parts of the country, with gcse results for the first exams sat in person since the pandemic. as with a level results last week, they reveal major regional differences. overall, the pass rate in england, wales and northern ireland has fallen since last year, where grades were determined by teachers. but the results remain higher than before the pandemic. just over 73% of gcses this year were the equivalent of a pass or higher that is measured differently across the nations and so equates to grades four or c and above. more than 26% of gcses were awarded the highest marks that is grades seven or a and above. but london saw 10% more of the highest results compared to yorkshire, the humber and the north east from where our education editor branwenjeffreys now reports. i m more excited than i am nervous. like,
indicate that those attainment gaps between those from less well off backgrounds and better off backgrounds are opening up. gcse, btec first, technical and tech award students will all receive their results. after a number of years filled with disruption, these students say they re looking forward to moving on to their next challenge. vanessa clarke, bbc news, salford. many #250e6r7s are saying this is an extremely resilient generation because they had their education disrupted since they were in year eight, three years ago, they haven t known what normal education really looks like. let us talk more about the effect of that disruption. let us talk more about the effect of that disruption. i m joined by carl cullinane, director of research and policy at the sutton trust. carl, thank you forjoining us on the bbc news channel. talk to us, if you would about how you re seeing that educational disruption reflected in these results today.