00:00 GCSE grades this year show a slight decline compared to last year, moving closer to pre-pandemic
00:08 levels. Notably, a significant portion of grades, nearly two-thirds, fall within the
00:13 range of A* to C. This academic year has witnessed a return to pre-pandemic teaching methods,
00:21 incorporating measures to acknowledge the learning disruptions faced by students. The
00:26 overall GCSE results align closely with those of 2009. In grades 7 and above, they stand
00:32 at 21.6%. That's an improvement from 20.6% in 2009. In Wales, an impressive 21.7% of
00:41 students secured the highest grades. Earlier, I spoke to Asaf, a 13-year-old from Pembrokeshire,
00:48 who has successfully completed his GCSEs. Asaf, thank you so much for joining us. First
00:54 of all, how did you do in your GCSEs? Oh, excellent. So I've got four 8s and a 9. So
01:00 in terms of the old system, that's basically equivalent to five A*s. So I couldn't be more
01:05 happy, honestly. Now, there have been some uncertainties this year regarding grades.
01:10 Has that added any pressure for you? Yes, slightly. I was told by some of my teachers
01:14 that the grade boundaries are going to be raised compared to last year, so it would
01:17 be a little bit more difficult. So, you know, in like one subject, I think I got like one
01:22 mark off a 9. So that's the only thing I can really care about that. Now, you studied for
01:27 your GCSEs online. How was that experience for you? Well, it's been a great help because
01:34 I have a lot more flexibility now. So I work at my family bakery, actually, that I started
01:40 only five months ago. So I can pitch in and help them. I have lots of lesson PowerPoints
01:44 as well that I can look back at. And all the teachers there are super helpful with all
01:49 sorts of revision resources. So honestly, I might say it's even better than a physical
01:54 school. The story was that my parents, they saw what was happening to my older sister
01:58 in comprehensive school, trying to fit in, getting bullied. So they thought, we don't
02:03 want this for our other kids. So they found in Chai, it was recommended by a friend. So
02:07 they enrolled us. And then I actually jumped three years ahead of my curriculum. So I'm
02:13 only 13 now, actually. And then so did my other siblings as well. So it was basically
02:20 a no-brainer, actually. But yeah, it's been an amazing experience. I've been there from
02:24 year six all the way up until year 11 now. Well, you're quite unique. And you got your
02:28 GCSEs at 13. What are your plans for the future? So just because my age, it's a little bit
02:36 more difficult. It's an anomaly compared to other normal students with university and
02:41 all sorts. So I'll probably stick helping at the family bakery and get some work experience
02:47 in something like carpentry, engineering. And then my big dream is architecture, because
02:53 that's what I enjoy. Well, Asaf, thank you so much for joining us. Congratulations again.
02:59 And I wish you all the best for the future. Thank you.
03:03 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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