Why the change?
The new grade scale makes it known to everyone that students have studied the new GCSEs. In which subject content is more demanding and newer to keep up with university and employer demands. Giving them the opportunity to better distinguish between students of different abilities

How do the old grades relate to the new ones?
Well, let us help. Here is a guide on the new and improved grading structure for GCSE’s:

New Grading System    Old Grading System
9 8 7                                        A* A
6 5 4                                        B C
3 2 1                                         D E F
U                                               U

Theses grades will be awarded fairly, and no one will be disadvantaged by the change. The developed grading system is just a more specific arrangement to determine many of the capable students and their range of skills and abilities to make future college, Uni or job processes swifter. There will still be set grade boundaries in order to allow students to fully achieve the best possible grade available.

Combined and Triple Award sciences
Combined sciences is two GCSEs rolled into one qualification. There will be slightly less content covered in comparison to the Triple Award separate sciences.
Students sitting Double Award sciences will be awarded with two grades from the 9-1 grading system. The overall average grade from Paper 1 and Paper 2 will be shown as such, for example: (9-9 all the way through to 1-1).
This will be counted as two GCSE grades or three depending on which science award you take, when applying for college or university and jobs.