The North-South divide for exam results has narrowed for the first time in a decade as the number of North East students cinching top grades in their GCSE exams has increased.

However, the gap has only fallen by 0.1 per cent and watchdogs have suggested that results show the Covid-19 pandemic and cost-of-living crisis are still having a "disproportionate impact" on North East students.

London and the North East continue to have the highest and lowest proportion of GCSE entries awarded grade 7/A or above in England, but the gap has narrowed slightly.

Nearly 18 per cent of all GCSE entries in the North East were awarded A(7) grades or above this year - 1.4 per cent higher than results seen in the region in 2019. 

Follow our live blog on results here: Darlington and Durham GCSE results LIVE: Outstanding grades for pupils

In London, 28.5 per cent of entries were awarded 7/A or higher this year, meaning that the gap between the two stands at 10.7 percentage points, down from 10.8 points in 2023.

Chris Zarraga, Director of Schools North East, said: "Congratulations to all students receiving their results today. These outstanding results have been achieved despite the enormous disruption students have faced over several academic years, especially in the North East.

"The significant increases in top grades since 2019 highlight the amazing support North East schools have given their students, in what continues to be a very challenging educational landscape.

"Despite these record GCSEs, exam results in 2024 continue to map the disproportionate impact of the pandemic and ‘cost of living’ crises, as well as the long-term perennial educational challenges that regions like the North East face.

"These results were a test of how successful the previous government’s plans were at supporting education recovery post pandemic, especially in disadvantaged areas like the North East.

"It is clear that current education policy is failing to close the disadvantage gap in attainment. The new government must officially recognise and ameliorate the impact that long term deprivation has on areas like the North East."

Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, added: "Ofqual do not make available the proportion of young people in exams reaching grade 4 or above by whether they are disadvantaged or not till the autumn, and that is disappointing as the regional differences we see every year are largely a reflection of the differences particularly in the proportions of long-term disadvantaged children by region.

"The Government is rightly focused on the challenge of reducing the disadvantage gap which grew during the pandemic.

"This should be the last year where on results day we have no data on how the nation is doing on this challenge, which is driven not just by educational factors, but by disadvantaged children’s health to their housing situations."

Some six of the nine regions of England saw a rise this year in the proportion of GCSE entries awarded grade 7/A or above, with one showing no change (North West England) and two seeing a fall: the East Midlands, down 0.2 points from 18.5 per cent to 18.3 per cent, and eastern England. down 0.5 points from 21.9 per cent to 21.4 per cent.

Nearly all regions of England saw a higher proportion of entries getting the top grades this year compared with the pre-pandemic year of 2019, with two exceptions: the East Midlands and North West England, where the figures were unchanged.

Elsewhere, Northern Ireland continues to record the best GCSE performance of any nation or region, with 31 per cent of entries this year awarded A/7 or above, down from 34.5 per cent in 2023.

In Wales, the proportion is down from 21.7 per cent in 2023 to 19.2 per cent this year.

These results come just a week after A-Level students were finally handed the envelope of a lifetime - which dictated their hope of attending university, getting degree apprentiships and more.

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The region also saw an increase in top grades at A-Level with 23.9 per cent obtaining A* and A grades compared to 22 per cent in 2023 and 23 per cent in 2019.

In 2023, the North East had the lowest proportion of entries awarded A or above (22 per cent) while the South East had the highest, at 30.3 per cent, a gap of 8.3 points.

But this year the gap between these two regions narrowed to 6.9 points (North East 23.9 per cent, South East 30.8 per cent).

On social media, Education Secretary and Houghton & Sunderland South MP Bridget Phillipson has praised students picking up their results today and applauded their hard work.

Ms Phillipson has been contacted for comment on the North South divide in exam results.