:00:00. > :00:09.in a moment, but now on BBC1, it's time for the news where you are.
:00:10. > :00:14.There has been a big increase in GCSE pass rates
:00:15. > :00:18.In Guernsey, the number of students gaining five
:00:19. > :00:21.A* to C passes including English and Maths rose from 60% to 67%.
:00:22. > :00:28.The education department says they are the best ever set of results.
:00:29. > :00:31.In Jersey, the pass rate in this key measure also rose, from
:00:32. > :00:37.In a moment, we'll hear from some Jersey
:00:38. > :00:40.students, but first Penny Elderfield was at La Mare De Carteret High
:00:41. > :00:45.School in Guernsey where pass rates in the past had caused concern.
:00:46. > :00:50.A particularly nervous start to the day.
:00:51. > :00:53.But the end of two years of hard work.
:00:54. > :00:57.Well, lots of excitement here this morning, and so far it seems lots
:00:58. > :01:02.of happy students with the results they wanted.
:01:03. > :01:13.With me are three. How did you get on? It was ready good. Everything
:01:14. > :01:17.was expected. And I am pretty happy. And I saw lots of smiles from you,
:01:18. > :01:23.and a few tears. Did you get what you wanted? Yes, I'm really pleased
:01:24. > :01:28.with what I got. Another big smile on your face, with the next place
:01:29. > :01:31.for you? Grammar. So I'm joining that, hopefully.
:01:32. > :01:34.And a success story for education with bad GCSE results
:01:35. > :01:37.triggering major changes in the schools a few years back.
:01:38. > :01:41.The figures now are on the up at nearly every school.
:01:42. > :01:45.Looking at the numbers that got 5 A* to Cs, including English and maths,
:01:46. > :01:49.more than 90% achieved it at the Grammar School, Elizabeth College,
:01:50. > :01:56.At Sampsons High, Les Beaucamps, and St.
:01:57. > :02:03.And for a school that last year saw a big drop,
:02:04. > :02:19.Different cohorts are of different abilities so that is when results go
:02:20. > :02:23.down. With small cohorts, it makes a big impact on results. Whilst
:02:24. > :02:26.education will be pleased with the results, it will take a few more
:02:27. > :02:28.years to see whether the changes they've made to improve the schools
:02:29. > :02:30.are paying off. Guernsey's Education Minister
:02:31. > :02:32.welcomed the results, but said the headline figures didn't tell the
:02:33. > :02:36.full story of a school's success. Earlier,
:02:37. > :02:38.I asked Deputy Robert Sillars if the 40% 5 A* to C pass rate at La
:02:39. > :02:53.Mare de Carteret was good enough. If you look at the figures, I am
:02:54. > :03:00.pleased with them at 40%, but they are the top grammar School,
:03:01. > :03:05.pleased with them at 40%, but they are the top grammar School getting
:03:06. > :03:08.the good results. So, actually, they've done really well, and I am
:03:09. > :03:13.pleased with all the schools in different areas that have done very
:03:14. > :03:17.well. It is difficult to compare on that one benchmark. For those
:03:18. > :03:22.schools that have 90% pass rates, should parents be looking at that,
:03:23. > :03:28.if they are looking at where to send children? Exams are an important
:03:29. > :03:33.part, but it's actually how far your child progresses so it is about
:03:34. > :03:38.ability. Exams are an important part but it is about fitting into
:03:39. > :03:42.society, going on for a job, if you want, or higher education. Sport,
:03:43. > :03:44.music, all of those things must be considered.
:03:45. > :03:47.There was also good news for Jersey students, GCSE grades were up again,
:03:48. > :03:52.including a significant increase in English and Maths.
:03:53. > :03:55.Chris Harrison met with students at Grainville School
:03:56. > :04:09.Years of hard work and it all came down to this piece of paper. And for
:04:10. > :04:16.most that hard work had paid off and they'd made their grades. Jersey
:04:17. > :04:22.I actually got better than my expected grades. It gives me options
:04:23. > :04:29.in the future. I'm pretty happy. Jersey hasn't released a school by
:04:30. > :04:32.school breakdown of results but the selective nature of the education
:04:33. > :04:34.system means direct comparisons are unfair. In the past, Grainville had
:04:35. > :04:37.faced criticism for low pass rates, today it was breaking records. And
:04:38. > :04:48.the island as a whole has performed I am really pleased the students and
:04:49. > :04:51.staff. It is testament of five years of work and commitment. Our students
:04:52. > :04:57.have outperformed previous year groups. Records are there to be
:04:58. > :05:01.broken and the class of 2014 have smashed the record stubbing our
:05:02. > :05:04.performance in English and maths. And that is a fantastic testament to
:05:05. > :05:08.those students and staff. And the island as a whole has performed well
:05:09. > :05:16.giving more young people opportunities. The results from
:05:17. > :05:21.GCSEs governed the access to a levels for many students that want
:05:22. > :05:27.to go on to a more academic A`level course. And, then, in turn, that
:05:28. > :05:31.means the possible access through to universities and higher education,
:05:32. > :05:36.which I'm particularly keen we develop as far as we can. You'll
:05:37. > :05:41.find many young people in the island celebrating tonight. But a thought
:05:42. > :05:42.for the island's teachers, too, quietly reflecting on a job well
:05:43. > :05:44.done. A couple
:05:45. > :05:46.in Guernsey have been sent to prison 35`year`old Wesley Guilbert was
:05:47. > :05:51.sentenced to nine years for offences His wife Jennifer, who's 33,
:05:52. > :05:56.was sentenced to four years for three further drugs charges,
:05:57. > :05:59.including the possession of cannabis It's the first time there's been
:06:00. > :06:14.a conviction in the island for There will be much more on that
:06:15. > :06:20.story on BBC Radio Guernsey tomorrow morning from 7am. From me, that is
:06:21. > :06:24.it. I'm back at 6:30am, I leave you with the weather.
:06:25. > :06:31.Some pretty bright skies today but the cloud is thickening leading to
:06:32. > :06:36.hefty showers through the early hours. It is likely to be a showery
:06:37. > :06:40.start tomorrow morning but an improving day with some sunshine and
:06:41. > :06:45.those showers tend to die away. For the time being, we have clear skies,
:06:46. > :06:51.but a fair but of cloud and wind, spilling its way across us, hence
:06:52. > :06:56.those showers in nearly hours. These showers could be lively but it
:06:57. > :07:00.should be fairly mild with the lows of 14. That wind is rather blustery
:07:01. > :07:06.so it is a showery start as we push into tomorrow morning but those
:07:07. > :07:09.showers should give way to sunshine as the afternoon wears on.
:07:10. > :07:13.Temperatures are still struggling with 18 the high with a cool breeze
:07:14. > :07:20.lowing. Saturday looks like a decent day with some decent spells. If you
:07:21. > :07:27.isolated showers, a little bit on the cold side. The rain pushers and
:07:28. > :07:32.on Sunday night and bank holiday Monday. `` the rain pushes in on
:07:33. > :07:37.Sunday. into a nice, fine day on Sunday with
:07:38. > :07:39.lots of sunshine. Then more rain pushes in from the west for the Bank
:07:40. > :07:47.Holiday Monday. Good evening. There's a feel of
:07:48. > :07:51.autumn about the weather at the moment. It's thanks to the fact we
:07:52. > :07:57.are pulling our off off the British Isles from the north making for a
:07:58. > :08:01.cold feel by day and chilly nights. Still some showers to contend with
:08:02. > :08:05.across England and Wales. Some heavy through the small hours of Friday,
:08:06. > :08:08.particularly around the Bristol channel and into the south-east
:08:09. > :08:13.towards the end of the night. Further north, the breeze eases. The
:08:14. > :08:17.showers fade away and with clear skies, temperatures will fall down
:08:18. > :08:20.into single figures in northern England, Northern Ireland and
:08:21. > :08:24.southern and central Scotland. For Friday, he wassier showers hanging
:08:25. > :08:25.back across the far south-east of