The percentage of students achieving the highest grades in GCSE English and maths has risen significantly compared with last year, today’s results show.

Data released today by exams regulator Ofqual shows that, in England, 3.4 per cent of students achieved grade 9 in English, compared with 2.2 per cent in 2019.

And 4.2 per cent of students achieved the top grade in maths - up from 2.9 per cent last year.

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The pass rate has also increased by nearly 10 percentage points for English and 7 percentage points for maths.

This year, 71.2 per cent of student achieved grade 4 or above in English, compared with 61.8 per cent in 2019.

And in maths, 66.6 per cent of students passed - up from 59.6 per cent last year.

Following Ofqual’s dramatic U-turn on Monday, this year’s results have been based on teacher-assessed grades alone, if they were higher than calculated grades.

It was intended that the grades would be calculated using an algorithm devised by Ofqual, which would take pupils’ prior attainment and schools’ historic data into account.

But, after last week’s A-level results day ended in chaos, it was decided that students should receive whichever was higher out of their teacher-assessed and calculated grades.