Thousands to receive GCSE results via app in pilot scheme

Independent

06-05-2025

Thousands of students will receive their GCSE exam results via an app this summer as part of a pilot scheme to bring records into the 21st century.
More than 95,000 Year 11 pupils across Greater Manchester and the West Midlands will be the first to receive their results via the app, paving the way for a nationwide rollout.
Digital education records, which will consolidate students' exam results and certificates, will be trialled to help streamline applications for further education (FE), apprenticeships or employment.
The Government projects the roll-out could save schools and colleges up to £30 million annually once fully implemented, equivalent to the salaries of more than 600 new teachers in FE.
The announcement comes as tens of thousands of pupils are due to start their GCSE and A-level exams over the next few weeks.
The Education Record app could sit in the new gov.uk wallet being rolled out by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in the future.
Education Minister Stephen Morgan said the pilot 'will allow schools and colleges to focus on what they do best: teaching the next generation rather than being bogged down in bureaucracy'.
'This government is slashing red tape through our Plan for Change to drive growth, cut admin for teachers and give tens of thousands of young people more opportunities to get on in skilled careers.'
This week, Mr Morgan visited Hathershaw College, a secondary school in Oldham, which has been trialling the app since spring 2024.
Following the success of the localised trial, the Department for Education is scaling up the roll-out.
Mark Giles, principal at Hathershaw College, said the education record was 'accurate, verifiable and could be presented to providers without delay'.
'We believe this will reduce administrative burdens on schools, and in the future could also be utilised by parents of younger children to support transition from primary to secondary school.'
James Bowen, assistant general secretary at the school leaders' union NAHT, said it makes 'a lot of sense to look into modernising how exam results are handled and any moves to cut bureaucracy and costs are welcome'.
'It is vital that any changes work for schools and colleges, as well as pupils, at what is always a busy, pressurised time for school leaders and their staff.
'We are therefore pleased that the app is being piloted, and it is important that this is done carefully, with seamless support for students and schools should any issues arise, and swift action to learn lessons from these.
'When we are dealing with something as important as exam results it is crucial that the Government gets this absolutely right.'
Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the app represents a 'positive step forward in making greater use of digital technology in education and will bring benefits to students, schools and colleges'.
'Up until now, the development of education technology has tended to take place in a frustratingly piecemeal fashion – essentially led by the market rather than via a cohesive national approach.
'We would like to see a much more strategic vision. This should extend to exams themselves which continue to be largely conducted via pen and paper, creating a massive burden in terms of secure storage and transportation of papers and scripts.
'A digital exam system would improve matters for everyone involved and we urge the Government to invest in creating the infrastructure schools and colleges need to make this a reality.'