• The overall GCSE pass rate has risen for the 23rd year as 69.1% of entries score an A*-C. The trend of girls beating boys in exams could be reversed in a year, as boys beat girls in maths for the second year running, following the decision to drop coursework. The gap in passes between the sexes as a whole is slightly wider than last year: girls had a pass rate of 72.6% and boys 65.4%. Guardian


• Attempts to convince teenagers to study individual sciences seem to have paid off: today's GCSE results show that entries for chemistry and physics rose by 32% while those for biology grew by 28%. The decline in modern foreign languages continues: three quarters of students did not sit French GCSE, in a 6% decline, entries for German fell 4.5% and for Spanish grew by a modest 1%. Softer subjects such as PE, business and drama dropped by 9%, 7% and 6% respectively. Guardian


• GCSE results are released today to debate about whether they are failing to stretch the brightest pupils. Two thirds of papers are expected to be at grade C and above and more than one in five at grade A. Many selective independent schools are turning to the IGCSE instead, with the headmaster of Kings College Wimbledon claiming they switched after his students had found the coursework component of maths GCSE 'suicidally dull'. Times


• Charlie Taylor is head of a primary school for children with behavioural problems in North London. His approach is unconventional: daily peer massage for the children and tea and toast at 10am. He focuses on tackling gaps in their development such as treating them to welcome affection, explaining that their developmental difficulties often hail from 'multi-generation' poverty, chaotic home lives and 'entrapping' in benefits. Guardian


• Academics at the Institute of Education and Bristol University found that children whose parents studied league tables to pick a school for their child were twice as likely to achieve good exam results than those whose schools were picked at random. The findings may come as a surprise to teaching unions who have long claimed league tables are an unhelpful measure which promotes unhealthy competition between schools. Telegraph


• The students the Guardian have followed throughout their sixth form year report on how results day went for them. Guardian

• Pupils who do less well in their GCSEs today face being edged out of further education as colleges snap up high-performing A-Level students rejected by university. The domino effect comes as more than a quarter of those who applied to university have no place. Ed Balls warned that the uncertain future of Labour's 'September Guarantee' of a place in education or training for every school leaver risked creating a 'lost generation' of young people. Guardian


• Places in clearing are dwindling: Ucas reveals that 13,597 people have accepted a place through clearing - more than 10% higher than this time last year - while more are being processed; they do not release how many remain. 187,488 students remain eligible to seek a place through clearing - 46,358 more than last year. Guardian


• Last year, 15% of children in care achieved 5+ A*-Cs at GCSE compared to a national average of 70%; just 1% go to university compared to 40% of the general population. New research indicates that care leavers are eager to engage with the education system as they get older: 23% of survey respondents above 40 had a degree compared to 8% of those 40 or under. It calls for financial support for care leavers in education to stretch to beyond the current cut off point of 24. Guardian

• A row has broken out as an American woman age 30 and her husband freeze five embryos to be implanted in the future, when they are ready for parenthood. Freezing embryos is now accepted for those undergoing cancer treatment but unusual for a healthy couple with no fertility problems. The woman has been criticised for aiming to conceive early, to avoid the health risks of a pregnancy in her thirties, but postponing parenthood until she has the money for her child to want nothing. Times

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