Pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have overcome the obstacles placed in their way by the Covid pandemic to a striking degree. The cohort who received their GCSE results on Thursday did not take Sats at the end of primary school. Their crucial transition to secondary education was disrupted, with students missing chunks of formal learning and experiences such as school trips.

This year’s strong results should thus be celebrated as a triumph over adversity. Teachers deserve enormous credit for stewarding these pupils through what is always a demanding set of tests. Like last week’s A-levels, however, these results also give rise to concerns. Chief among these are the widening attainment gaps between richer and poorer areas, and between better-off and disadvantaged pupils.

Predictably, the poorest children have

© The Guardian