Caerphilly County Borough’s 2017 GCSE pass rate for grades A* to C has fallen to 59.43% – down from 61.1% the previous year.
The fall has been attributed to changes which saw more younger students sit exams. This has also led to a Welsh national decline from 66.6% last year to 62.8% in pass rates at A* to C.
Provisional WJEC examination results for Caerphilly County Borough show the GCSE pass rate at grades at A* to G was 96.33% – down slightly from 2016’s figure of 98.3%. The pass rate at grades A* to A was 14.41%.
Cllr Philippa Marsden, Cabinet Member for Education and Achievement, said: “I would like to congratulate all the pupils who have received their GCSE results and wish them well in their endeavours in the future.
“Students and teaching staff across the county borough have put in lots of hard work and dedication over the past few years to help deliver these results and I’d like to thank everyone involved.”
Caerphilly County Borough Council said it was difficult to compare results this year because of the changes.
In a statement the local authority said: “The regional trend this year has experienced increased variability in results. Communications from the examination awarding body and the regulator throughout this academic year indicated that this variability was to be expected.
“As in previous years we have been talking to post-16 providers to ensure that no learner is disadvantaged and that they are provided with appropriate pathways following results.”
Exams regulator Qualifications Wales said there had been a big increase this summer in the number of 15-year-old pupils sitting exams early at the end of Year 10. The number of qualifications awarded to students who are 15-years-old and younger was up by 57%.