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The Department for Education has announced a major step in modernising how young people access their GCSE results, with the national roll-out of the new Education Record app from summer 2026.
For the first time, Year 11 students across England will be able to view their GCSE exam results securely on their mobile phones. The app is designed to streamline the transition into post-16 education, reduce administrative burdens on schools and colleges and provide lifelong digital record of qualifications.
The move is expected to save schools and colleges up to £30 million per year in administrative costs once fully implemented, freeing up resources to support teaching and student services.
The roll-out forms part of the government’s broader Plan for Change, to modernise public services through technology and innovation. Work is already underway to link the Education Record and the GOV.UK Wallet, paving the way for citizens to store documents such as exam results and driving licences in one secure digital space.
Jacqui Smith, Skills Minister, commented: “No student should have to rifle through drawers looking for a crumpled certificate when they’re preparing for a job interview.”
“This app will give young people instant access to their results whenever they need them while freeing up teachers and college staff from unnecessary paperwork.”
The national roll-out follows on from the app being piloted in Greater Manchester and West Midlands where thousands of pupils have already benefitted since last summer.
Elizabeth Anderson, CEO of the Digital Poverty Alliance, commented: “At a time where we know that one in five children is in digital poverty, the introduction of the Education Record app assumes that all teenagers will have access and, without proper consideration, will only heighten the digital divide. There will also be a set of young people using older devices that may not be secure, risking cyber or data breaches, simply for checking their exam results.
“For the roll-out to be successful, there will need to be additional support for teachers to use the app, as teachers currently have no digital skills training as standard. At the moment, students are able to talk to teachers about their results, but without that, they will turn to social media and may be pushed towards misleading information on services like TikTok.
“The proposed £30 million savings would be a huge positive, and any savings must be ring-fenced for investment in devices and skills. Part of that includes an alternative for those who cannot access the app due to inaccessibility or digital poverty. We cannot exclude the next generation when it comes to education by pushing yet another essential service online, without the proper support in place.”
