West Midlands teenagers will get summer GCSE results in the palm of their hands thanks to new app

More than 95,000 16-year-olds pupils in this region and in Greater Manchester will receive their exam results in the palm of their hands in a pilot project ahead of a national roll-out. 

Digital education records which will bring students’ exam results and certificates into one app will be trialled to help young people when applying to further education, apprenticeships or employment.

The Government has suggested the move will cut red tape and save schools and colleges up to £30 million a year once the full roll-out is complete.

It has estimated that this is enough money to pay the salaries of more than 600 new further education teachers in colleges.

The move comes with tens of thousands of 15- and 16-year-olds due to start their GCSE and A-level exams over the next few weeks.

The Education Record app could sit in the new gov.uk wallet being rolled out by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in the future.

Education minister Stephen Morgan said: “It is high time exam records were brought into the 21st century, and this pilot will allow schools and colleges to focus on what they do best: teaching the next generation rather than being bogged down in bureaucracy.

“This government is slashing red tape through our Plan for Change to drive growth, cut admin for teachers and give tens of thousands of young people more opportunities to get on in skilled careers.”

Hathershaw College in Oldham, Greater Manchester, has been trialling the app since last spring. Following its success the Department for Education is scaling up the roll-out.

Hathershaw's head Mark Giles said the education record was “accurate, verifiable and could be presented to providers without delay”.

He added: “We believe this will reduce administrative burdens on schools, and in the future could also be utilised by parents of younger children to support transition from primary to secondary school.”