The big day has arrived for thousands of students across Chester and Ellesmere Port, who have been waiting weeks to receive their GCSE results.
We'll be bringing you live updates from our schools, success stories and the latest tips and advice for pupils whether they got the grades they wanted or not.
It's the first results day where students will receive some grades under the 'new GCSE' system, marked 9 to 1 rather than A* to E.
Best of luck to everyone and don't forget to share your results and photos with us on Twitter @ChesterChron.
Key Events
Signing off
That’s it for today, folks! Congratulations to everyone who received their GCSE results today, and thanks for following our live blog.
Don’t forget you can find individual stories with photos from each school on our website.
We’ll leave you with this video...
Don't forget to check out how our schools got on...
GCSE Results 2017
'Groundbreaking results'
Following the outstanding success of A Levels last week, staff and students at Queen’s Park High School are celebrating some groundbreaking GCSE results.
This was the first year of the new GCSEs in English and maths, and despite anxieties at national level, there were some outstanding results for students at the school.
Most notably, 15% of students achieved the new Grade 9 in English, in what is likely to be performance that competes with the very best nationally.
Read how Queen’s Park High School performed here...
That's one proud mum!
Students at The Bishops’ Blue Coat CE High School in Chester are celebrating fantastic results in their GCSEs this year.
Months of hard work have enabled a record number to join sixth form and realise their plans for the future.
A quarter of all grades awarded were A* to A / 9 to 7.
Read the full story on how Bishops’ Blue Coat got on here...
Head says students have done Upton High School proud
Upton High’s headteacher Paula Dixon said: “I am extremely pleased with our results. Once again, our students have done us proud!
“In addition to the impressive headline figures, we expect our students to have made significant progress compared to the national picture.
“This is a reflection of all their hard work, the dedication and commitment of our staff and the support from their families.”
Read our full story here...
Inspirational
A teenager who was badly injured in the Manchester Arena attack has passed her GCSE English a year early – after taking the exam lying on her sofa.
Millie Robson was taken to hospital with shrapnel injuries following the blast, but was determined to go ahead with her exam.
The 15-year-old went in to Woodham Academy, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham to collect her result on Thursday, finding out she had scored a six in English Language.
Proud headteacher
Whitby High School celebrate 'excellent' results
Quiet anticipation was rewarded with tears of joy as envelopes were opened and students realised what they had achieved and headteacher Bryn Heeley said he was ‘very proud indeed’ of all the students.
Read our full story here...
Breakdown of how Cheshire West schools performed
Almost 3,300 Year 11 students from across 19 academies and secondary schools took part.
Provisional data shows that 76% of 16 year old students in those schools in the borough gained a GCSE in English at grade 4 or above, 6 percentage points ahead of the national figure.
In mathematics, 70% of 16 year old students in those schools in the borough gained a maths GCSE at grade 4 or above, in line with the national figure of just under 71%.
Cheshire West and Chester Cllr Nicole Meardon, cabinet member for children and families, said: “These results are a testament to the hard work and commitment shown by students and the dedication, support and encouragement of teachers and parents.
“I would like to send my best wishes to the young people as they choose their next step of further education, apprenticeship or employment.”
No-one will lose out from INCORRECT Shakespeare exam question
No-one will lose out over an ‘unacceptable’ error about Shakespeare’s Romeo And Juliet on a GCSE paper, a leading exam body has assured students.
The OCR apologised for the blunder and said it had done “all we can to deliver fair results for all our GCSE English literature students”.
An exam paper confused the two warring families - the Capulets and the Montagues - in the famous tragedy about two star-crossed lovers.
Candidates were asked: “How does Shakespeare present the ways in which Tybalt’s hatred of the Capulets influences the outcome of the play?”
But Tybalt is Juliet’s cousin and a Capulet, so the question should have referred to his hatred of the Montagues.
The OCR sent individual letters to affected pupils explaining the steps taken to ensure they got deserved grades despite the error on paper 2 of the test.
It explained a mark was calculated for both Romeo And Juliet questions based on the student’s performance in the rest of the exam.
The Grange School in Hartford 'bucks the trend'
GCSE pupils at The Grange School in Hartford ‘bucked national trends’ to maintain their record of consistent and excellent results.
The stunning results follow hot on the heels of last week’s fantastic A Level performance.
More than three-quarters (77%) of all GCSEs taken in this summer’s exams were awarded A or A* grades, with 47% of entries at grade A*.
Seven students achieved the perfect record, with a full sweep of A*s in all of their subjects. Impressively, 93% of students gained A*-B grades.
Read our full story here...
A very decent haul indeed
Bishop Heber students have lots to smile about
Delighted headteacher David Curry said: “It is another year of great results and shows that Bishop Heber High School continues to prepare its students for the challenges of A-level and beyond.”
Read the full story here...
Targets exceeded at Blacon High
Headteacher Sue Yates has expressed her utter pride and joy at the results. She said: “The words that drive this school are ‘Success through partnership’ and I am thrilled by this superb set of results which rests on the hard work of our magnificent Year 11 pupils, the support from parents and carers, the excellent work from our partner primary schools, the hard work and determination from all of the teachers and other professionals who work in the school and excellent leadership and governance. With our new school, a fantastic Ofsted report and these results the future is very bright for our pupils.”
Read the full story here...
Some great photos here - Well done guys!
Read the full story on how Christleton High performed here...
Sporting AND academic prowess
Joy at The Queen's School!
Abbey Gate College pupils shine again
An impressive 92% of all results were grades A* to C.
Read the full story here...
Queen's hints at 'amazing' results
A special year made even made for The Hammond
It’s the centenary year for The Hammond School and today’s batch of results have given them even more reason to celebrate.
Read the full story here...
The top performers at Chester Catholic High
Some very impressive results here...
Amber White 7A*, 1A, and 7, 8, 9
Elizabeth Guinan 1A*, 5A, and 8, 8, 8
Will Anderson 1A*, 4A, 3B, and 6, 6, 9
Jenson Booth 1A*, 3A, 2B, and 5, 6, 7
Maja Borciuch 1A*, 2A, 3B, and 5, 7, 8
Ruben Bos 1A*, 5A, 2B, and 6, 7, 9
Isabelle Campbell 5A*, 1A, 2B, and 5, 6, 7
Eve Chaddock 4A*, 3A, 1B, and 6, 7, 8
Tia Chamberlain 3A, 4B, and 5, 5, 7
Elliott Charlton 4A*,2A, 2B, and 5, 7
Katie Edwards 1A*, 3A, 1B, and 4, 5, 6
Ciara Farrell 5A*, 2A, 1B, and 6, 6, 7
Emma Gribbin 7A*, 1B, and 6, 8, 8
Maya Leaning 2A*, 1A, 4B, and 5, 6, 9
Ella Lloyd 1A*, 5A, 1B, and 6, 6, 8
Giulio Noro 7A*, 1A, 1B, and 5, 6, 8
Lauren Postles 4A, 3B, and 6, 6, 8
Rebecca Russell 4A*, 3A, and 6, 6, 7
Anita Safina 2A*, 4A, 1B, and 6, 6, 7
Madeleine Tierney 5A*, 3A, and 5, 8, 8
Ella Tyson 4A, 4B, and 4, 5, 6
Enya Whale 1A*, 4A, 2B, and 5, 6, 8
Read the full story here...
Photos from Queen's Park High
Take a look at our Proms coverage
School proms 2017
'Another great day'
A reminder about those new grades and what they mean
If you’re still scratching your head over what the new grades mean, this should help...
Here are the results we've had in so far...
GCSE Results 2017
'Outstanding' results at Helsby High
Headteacher John Dowler commended students for their commitment and determination, and thanked staff and parents for their unstinting support and encouragement
He said: “This year’s results include many outstanding performances where students have made excellent progress since joining Helsby High School.
“An impressive number of students have secured the top grades and achieved beyond expectation.
“But the students’ hard work is only part of the picture and these excellent results would be difficult to achieve without the dedication of staff and support of the parents.”
Read the full story here:
Our first jumping for joy picture - must be good news!
High spirits at Tarporley High School
Congrats from the education secretary
It's a happy day for these Upton High students
Overview of results from The Grange School
Clever clogs
A record-breaking year for this school
Staff at The King’s School are reporting some of their best ever results.
Read the full story here:
They look pleased!
If you didn't do very well today, you're in good company...
Our first set of results are in!
Read how St David’s High School in Saltney performed here...
'Another stunning year'
Happy faces at Queen's
'Results have been achieved against backdrop of uncertainty'
Commenting on the GCSE results, Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union, said: “The fact that there has been a small overall fall in outcomes is to be expected and is the consequence of the changes to both the grading system in English and maths and changes to the accountability system.
“The fact that such relatively stable results have been achieved against a backdrop of uncertainty and anxiety caused by the rushed reforms to the grading system and the ongoing resource pressures within schools is a great tribute to the hard work and dedication of the young people and their teachers.
“This year’s enforced changes to the grading of maths and English created great uncertainty for pupils, teachers, parents and employers. Schools have been forced largely to navigate the way for themselves largely due to the rushed and poorly planned reform timescale imposed by the Government.
“Fortunately they were able to come through for the young people involved, driven by the recognition of the importance of these examinations to the life chances of pupils. The expectation that schools will continually plug the gap for Government failures simply cannot continue.
“Before rolling out the new grades to further subjects, the Government must learn from the mistakes of the last twelve months and provide clear and timely guidance to schools to prevent a repeat of the unnecessary anxiety, confusion and additional workload which has added to the pressures teachers are already facing.”
#youareamazing
Plenty of smiles at Whitby High
Could you pass a GCSE science test?
It's a hat-trick!
Ellesmere Port Catholic High students Max, Ben and Alex Pooler have reason to celebrate this morning
Send us your photos and success stories!
Don’t forget to let us know how you got on today, we want to hear from you!
Send us photos of you celebrating your GCSE results by tweeting us @ChesterChron or on our Facebook.
You can't argue with this
If things haven’t gone exactly according to plan, here are some words of wisdom from Lord Alan Sugar...
Survival guide
Results day is often full of emotions, from elation to disappointment, for parents, teachers and students who can also face huge pressure if their next step is heavily reliant on results – and then there are family expectations to live up to.
So follow our guide to make sure that whatever grades you get, you’re prepared for the impact they will have:
Success for West Cheshire College students
West Cheshire College and South Cheshire College is celebrating another year of excellent results for Level 3 Vocational subjects. The overall pass rate for students across its Ellesmere Port, Chester and Crewe campuses was 99.6%, with 57.4% achieving a distinction or distinction star grade and 47.2% of students achieving D*D*D* to DDD.
Possible career option
Good luck messages