Tens of thousands of students prepare to open their GCSE results this morning - as fears are raised that nearly a third of pupils could fail English and maths

Tens of thousands of pupils across the UK will find out their GCSE results today. A disheartened student looks at his GCSE results on August 21, 2019 in Ashtead Students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are bracing for outcomes which could determine whether they go on to study A-levels, BTEC's or apprenticeships The Office for National Statistics estimates the population of 16-year-olds in England has risen by 34,595 – or 5.2 per cent – from 663,078 in 2023 to 697,673 this year. A student speaks on the phone after opening his GCSE results in 2021 Annabel Bolton is shocked while opening her GCSE results with her mother in 2023 From left to right: James Smith, Elias Stisted, Katherine Edwards and Emily Farrar look at their GCSE results at Portsmouth Grammar School in 2023 Nada Tazouti celebrates her exam results at the City of London Academy in 2023 Carolina Quintino cries as she opens her GCSE results in August 2023 Professor Alan Smithers predicted UK-wide top grades at 7-9 could fall by up to 71,000 if all three countries return to 2019 grading levels. Meanwhile, one former ministerial special adviser said one in three GCSE maths and English results this year will be a 'fail' – and not all pupils should have been put through the exams, Pupils at Ark Greenwich Free School look contemplative as they open their GCSE results in 2023 Shane Servini hugs his mum upon receiving much-anticipated GCSE results in 2019 Amina Bana gets ready to open the letter containing her grades in 2022 A student covers her face upon seeing her GCSE marks in 2021 Students Harry and Adil receive their grades on GCSE results day in 2022 Iain Mansfield, who advised three Conservative education secretaries, believes less able youngsters should instead have the option of a 'core skills' qualification at 16. Milan and Sasha open results in disbelief at Notting Hill and Ealing School in 2022 Students celebrate receiving their GCSE results at Roedean School in 2022 Pupils react on GCSE results day at a school in London in 2021 A student looks hesitant as she reads how she has done in her GCSEs in 2021 Mr Goldsmith said: 'GCSEs as they are run now are unnecessary and I think there are lots of ways we could serve young people better by avoiding this bottleneck and this standardised testing point which creates an enormous rigidity.