Pupils across the Caerphilly County Borough have received their GCSE results, as the overall A* to C pass rates have fallen.
The pass rates for A*-C grades is 55.99 per cent in the Caerphilly County Borough, down 3.44 per cent on last year’s results.
The overall pass rate for grades A* to C in Wales is 61.6 per cent, meaning Caerphilly’s pass rate remains lower than the Welsh average.
The pass rate for grades A* to A is up on last year in both Caerphilly and Wales, at 13.10 per cent and 18.5 per cent respectively.
Cllr Philippa Marsden, Cabinet Member for Education and Achievement said: “It’s important that we now take time to fully consider this year’s results and analyse all the data from our secondary schools before agreeing the way forward.
“We will also need to have detailed discussions with our colleagues in the Education Achievement Service about the support and intervention measures that are in place to ensure our Head Teachers receive the help and guidance they need to make improvements and raise standards.
“It was encouraging to see so many individual success stories again this year, but we also recognise that the broader set of results tell us that further improvements are needed and we will make this a priority going forward.”
Careers Wales has called for young people in Caerphilly to engage with their results campaign in order to understand their options following their results.
The ‘Where Now?’ campaign is in collaboration with the Welsh Government, and it encourages young people to understand their options as they take their next steps.
Nikki Lawrence, chief executive at Careers Wales, said: “It’s a tense time of year for many young people across the country, but our message is not to panic.
“There are more options than ever for young people and our advisers are on hand to offer bespoke advice to anyone needing support.
“Whether you’re considering going straight into work, are confused about whether to stay on at sixth-form or go to college, or simply wondering how best to spend a year out, we should be the first port of call.
“As always, we are constantly seeking new ways to communicate with young people, including live web chat and through our social media platforms. We hope to reach more people than ever this year.”