GCSE results 2013

Tougher marking is being blamed for a drop in the number of top GCSE grades.

More than 600,000 teenagers across the country picked up their results on Thursday. The proportion of students getting A* to C grades fell. It was down to 68.1%, a drop of 1.3 percentage points. That's the biggest fall in the 25-year history of the GCSE qualification.

The overall pass rate also fell slightly to 98.8%

Part of the drop's being blamed on stricter marking by exam boards but despite those claims there was still plenty of cause to celebrate in the Anglia region.

Click below to watch a report by ITV News Anglia's Russell Hookey

Students at the Malcolm Arnold Academy in Northampton have been celebrating getting their GCSE results.

Nearly half the pupils got 5 or more A* to C grades including English and maths which is up from 29% in 2010.

Executive Principal Toby Mullins said: "We're very pleased and happy that we've maintained the improvement that we showed last year. We're not quite where we wanted to be but this is a year of flux but we're just pleased that we've maintained that improvement and shown that we can do it."

Ipswich Academy is reporting a big jump in its GCSE results. The proportion getting five or more of the top A* to C grades rose from 41% to 64%.

The school, in Lindburgh Road, is also seeing greater numbers wanting to stay on for A-levels.

The OCR examination board says students taking GCSEs this year had the same chance of getting the same grade as last year.

OCR's Chief Executive Mark Dawe says the results for 16-year-olds are relatively stable but the overall picture is being affected by younger pupils taking exams early.

The proportion of pupils getting the top grades in GCSEs at a school in Norwich has risen to 75% this year compared to 38% just three years ago.

The Executive Principal of Ormiston Victory Academy in Costessey, Rachel De Souza, said: "I cannot tell you how proud and delighted I am. It's all come from hard work and commitment."

The overall GCSE A*-G pass rate also fell slightly this year to 98.8% compared to 99% last year.

A school is Norwich is celebrating its best-ever GCSE results and has bucked the national trend. The Ormiston Victory Academy in Costessey was a struggling school three years ago.

The school says 75% of pupils achieved five or more A* to C grades including maths and English which is up from 38% three years ago.

The Executive Principal Rachel De Souza said: "I cannot tell you how proud and delighted I am. It's all come from hard work and commitment. We think our students and teachers have done a fabulous job."

Four brave pupils from from Trinity High School in Redditch opened their GCSE results live on Daybreak.