Are they going to be as good as last year? No, probably not.

But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t celebrate the outstanding success of the students of Sussex on GCSE Results Day.

Once again, as with the A-levels last week, it looks as though the county’s youngsters will find themselves above the national average.

Maybe there won’t be the dramatic climbs we saw last year where schools recorded nearly a quarter more students achieving the top grades in just a year.

However, consistently churning out good results meaning students are better prepared for further education or work is commendable in itself.

It’s hardly surprising because there are so many good schools in the county.

Good schools produce good students thanks to good teaching – and that’s widespread in Sussex. This year’s GCSE students are the guinea pigs who will be the first to be forced by law to stay in education until the age of 18.

And they look well equipped to do so.