“Pupils and teachers are to be congratulated on their exam success which, as always, is the culmination of an immense amount of hard work and effort.

“Comparisons between England and Wales are becoming increasingly less secure because of different entry patterns and the impact of reforms to the curriculum and qualifications system and should therefore be treated with caution, but it is clear that standards have been maintained across the board in Wales.

“Teachers and school leaders have pulled out all the stops against a backdrop of school reorganisation, job loss and the constraints on funding to ensure that pupils did not suffer any disadvantage.

“The drop in entries for non-core subjects remains a matter of some concern as this reflects the squeeze on the curriculum in Wales due to the focus on the literacy and numeracy framework.

“A balanced approach to the curriculum is necessary if pupils are not to be denied access to a broad range of GCSEs.”

Rex Philips, NASUWT National Official Wales, said:

“These results reflect the hard work of our pupils and the dedication of their teachers.

“Teachers and pupils have risen to the challenge of the introduction of the revised Welsh Baccalaureate and the changing examination landscape.

“However, such success must not be taken for granted by the Welsh Government who must take action over the continued funding gap with schools in England and the spiralling workloads of teachers and school leaders to ensure that today’s achievements can continue to be replicated in future years.”