Havering pupils arrived at their schools this morning to pick up their GCSE results (20 August 2026).
More than 3.000 Havering pupils sat their exams this summer.
At Emerson Park Academy pupils queued outside the school as they awaited the results of their years of learning.
Councillor Kevin Gill, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, visited the school where he spoke to some of the students about their achievements and their plans for the future.
He said: “Once again there have been some remarkable achievements by students, who should be very proud of their efforts.
“This is a pivotal time in many of their lives as they decide which road to take and they have so many options from sixth form to college to apprenticeships.
"Whatever path they choose I wish them success on this next step of their journey.”
Councillor Gill spoke to Ethan who said he was very happy with achieving two 9s, five 8s and two 7s and is hoping to attend The Coopers Company and Coborn School, Upminster, next term to study for A-levels in Maths, Economics and possibly Business.
Bonnie is planning to attend Coopers too to study Maths, Biology and Chemistry, after receiving 11 GCSEs, which included two grade 9s.
Meanwhile pupil TJ has started an apprenticeship at a London jewellers and plans to combine his apprenticeship with his love of boxing which he has been doing since the age of 11.
More than 200 pupils sat their GCSEs at Emerson Park, which has recently received a positive Ofsted visit.
Headteacher Stuart McGuinness said:
“Every set of results represents an individual story, and there have been many achievements this year of which our whole school community can be proud.
“For some of our pupils, the past five years have brought considerable challenges, making their success particularly significant.
"Their resilience, perseverance and willingness to keep moving forward have been truly commendable.”
He added: “Success such as this is never achieved in isolation.
"Our pupils have been supported by dedicated staff, parents, carers, families and friends, all of whom have played an important part in helping them reach this point.
"It is this shared commitment and sense of community that makes these achievements so rewarding.
“Congratulations to all our pupils on their achievements.
"We wish them every success as they take their next steps, and look forward to hearing about the many successes still to come.”
Councillor Gill added: “While we recognise that many pupils will have had great success there are some students who may not have done as well as they’d hope.
"However, it’s important that they know help and support is available to help them decide what to do next.”