More than 800 students will collect their GCSE, IGCSE and other Level 1 and 2 qualifications from secondary schools across the island on Thursday.

It is the first time grades have been based on end-of-year exams since 2019 – after which they were cancelled and replaced with teacher assessments because of the pandemic.

Early destination data gathered by the Department of Education, Sport and Culture (DESC) shows around 85% of students who completed Year 11 are expected to move into further education in September.

This will allow them to progress into higher education, training or employment in future years.

Many students will also receive a technical or vocational qualification, which are largely assessed through practical learning and complement a more traditional IGCSE and GCSE offering across the island’s five secondary schools.

Students can study vocational courses in subjects such as agriculture, hairdressing, engineering, ICT and hospitality with a view to progressing into a career in these sectors.

Julie Edge MHK, Minister for Education, Sport and Culture, said: ‘Amongst this cohort will emerge a large part of our future workforce who will support our island life – so it is a very important day.

‘It has been a challenging time to study and I am very proud of the way our young people have adapted and continued with their learning and our excellent teachers for helping students achieve their personal aims.’

A range of additional resources are also available on the Department of Education, Sport and Culture’s Signposts website.