Students at New College Durham (NCD) are celebrating their GCSE results today, with staff praising their determination, resilience and hard work and reminding anyone disappointed by their grades that there is still a route forward.
Today marks an important milestone for thousands of young people across the region as GCSE results are released. At NCD, students are being congratulated on their achievements following their hard work. For many, GCSE results represent an important next step, whether that means progressing to A-Levels, T-Levels, vocational study, an apprenticeship, employment or another education or training route.
More than 1,162 students at NCD received results in English and maths, with 46% achieving a grade 4 or above in GCSE English and 21% achieving a grade 4 or above in GCSE maths.
The college is also celebrating several particularly strong individual performances, including one student achieving a Grade 9 in GCSE Maths, three students achieving a Grade 8 in maths and English and four students achieving grade 7s in these subjects.
“Today is one of those days when you really see the emotion behind the results. You see the smiles, the relief, the excitement and sometimes some disappointment too. Whatever the result on that piece of paper, there is a young person behind it who has worked incredibly hard to get here, and we are incredibly proud of them. We are also incredibly proud of our academic and support staff too. Without their dedication and professionalism, today's fantastic results wouldn't have been possible.
“For those celebrating today, enjoy it, you’ve worked hard and you deserve to feel proud of your achievements. If your results haven’t gone quite as you hoped, please remember that today is not the end of the road. It’s simply the next step. Come and talk to us. There are many different routes to achieving your goals, and your GCSE results do not define who you are or what you can go on to achieve.”
The college is particularly celebrating the work of its English and maths teams, who support learners across a wide range of ages and abilities, including young people continuing their studies after school and adults returning to education.
New College Durham offers a wide range of routes for students progressing after GCSEs, including A-Levels, T-Levels, vocational qualifications and apprenticeships. Its Sixth Form Centre provides a broad choice of A-Level subjects alongside individual support and progression advice, while the college's vocational and technical programmes offer practical routes into further study and employment.
For those who have not achieved the grades they were hoping for, NCD is encouraging them not to make any rash decisions about their future.
Alison Maynard added:
“Results day can feel like everything, but it really isn’t. If you're disappointed today, please talk to someone about your plans. We have already helped thousands of students find a different route to where they want to be, and we’ll do exactly the same for anyone who comes through our doors. Sometimes the route changes, but that doesn’t mean the destination has to.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
New College Durham currently only offer maths and English as GCSE's
In 2025/26 the college's published GCSE results demonstrated strong performance of its English and maths provision. 573 students took GCSE English and 727 took GCSE maths at NCD. A total of 1,266 of the 1,300 entries achieved a pass, giving an overall pass rate of 97.4%, while 418 students achieved high grades. GCSE maths recorded a 97% pass rate, with 21% achieving high grades, while GCSE English achieved a 98% pass rate, with 46% achieving high grades.
Ofqual's latest published figures show that, in 2025, 67.1% of GCSE results in England were at grade 4 or above, while 21.8% were at grade 7 or above. * The North East recorded a grade 4+ rate of 64.9%, with 17.8% achieving grades of 7 or above** highlighting the importance of accessible, high-quality education and support across the region.
*The Ofqual blog, GCSE and level 1 and 2 results 2025 at a glance ** Table 18a. GCSE: Percentage of results awarded at grade 7 and above and grade 4 and above by region, all subjects combined