STUDENTS across Sussex congratulated each other and celebrated as they collected their GCSE results from schools and colleges across the county.

Pupils braved the morning downpour to find out their results, but the wet weather didn't dampen spirits, with young people seen jumping for joy as they found out what grades they achieved in the first exams since the start of the pandemic.

Parents and children alike were left emotional as they collected their grades, with pupils making time to take selfies with friends and congratulate one another.

Some schools bucked the national trend and reported their best results to date, with many students securing grades of 7 and above, equivalent to an A or A*.

Regional differences in the proportion of top GCSE grades have become more prominent in England since Covid.

Just under a third of GCSE grades were 7 and above in London, compared to just over a fifth in the North East and in Yorkshire and the Humber.

The gap between the regions with the highest and lowest proportions of top grades is 0.9 percentage points wider than it was in 2019.

Some Level 2 BTec pupils who were due to get results are facing delays.

Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, students have been getting results for GCSE, BTec and other vocational and technical awards.

Overall, 73.2 per cent of GCSEs were marked at grades 4 and above this year, down from 77.1 per cent in 2021, when grades were based on teachers' assessments.

It is still significantly higher than in 2019, the last year exams were sat before Covid, when it was 67.3 per cent.

The proportion of top grades - 7/A and above - is 26.3 per cent. Again, that is higher than 2019 (20.8 per cent) and lower than 2021 (28.9 per cent).