Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. Back in August I had the privilege of celebrating examination results with the learners at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf for A-levels and the West Monmouth School on GCSE day. I'd like to congratulate David's niece. I predicted that as a student of STEM she would do well, and clearly she has, and I know that there are other Assembly Members in this Chamber who had a direct interest in GCSE results day, and I know that they had much to celebrate in their own families. I'm sure colleagues will want to congratulate learners across Wales on their own tremendous achievements and agree with me when I take this opportunity to praise our teachers for their hard work across all the areas of education and particularly those who have worked so tirelessly to adapt to changes in delivering the new GCSE qualifications, including the 15 that were awarded for the first time this summer.

I must admit, Deputy Presiding Officer, to being disappointed to read the Conservatives' motion, which completely ignores the positives in this summer's results. For starters, they completely skip over and ignore this year's A-level results as it doesn't fit their narrative. Hopefully they will welcome the fact that 76.3 per cent of learners in Wales gained an A* to C in their A-levels, and that is the highest since 2009. Hopefully they will also welcome the highest ever proportion of students achieving an A-level A*. In fact, when it comes to A* to A performances at A-level, it is only the region of London and the south-east that does better than Wales. 

With regard to GCSEs, it is of course correct, and I am the first to acknowledge, that there has been a dip in overall results when compared to last year. What I will not accept, and I do not accept, is that there has been a drop in standards. In fact, quite the opposite. I have been clear that this Government will support all of our learners. We must never lower our expectations for any of our young people, no matter what their background. And that is why I will make no apologies for keeping the pressure up rather than taking the easy option and coasting.