Improve GCSE grades from 8s to 9s?

hiya!
i would say you need to know your exam inside out - what do the examiners want you to put?
eg in an english exam, what will you put you in the top band, is it adding context or simply having a flow and connectivity in your exam question?
a good way to learn content that you absolutely need to know is specifications which you can find on the exam boards website
additionally, checking examiners reports - these are helpful after attempting a past paper as they explain common mistakes and what went well
to be honest, in my opinion getting an 8 is as good as a 9 - where i go to sixth form was pleased with anyone getting over 6s tbh (also, unis like oxbridge will look at your grades in context to the rest of your school so if you outperform a lot of people in your school thats good to hear!)
that being said, i know how satisfying it is when you get that 9!!
good luck!!

sorry i know this was a bit ago, but i am in the same boat, i go to a crappy school where 80% are failing, however i really wanted all 9s and on my mocks i just got back i got 2 9s and everything else an 8 with one 7. i know the content inside out and im good at asnwering questions but no matter what i do im stuck at an 8 bordering a 9, do you know how i can stop making minor mistakes that cost me my 9 or any other tips to try and boost me, i cant really ask my teachers either.

hiya!
just so you know - im so proud that you got those grades because they are absolutely brilliant and you should be incredibly proud of yourself!
i would say that when it is getting to the final days before exams you will be revising more than you think (ill let you in on a secret - my revision was pretty non-existent throughout y11) and grades at 7s and 8s have the potential to be 9s for your final grades.
my honest tips are:

at my results day, i felt quite bad because i got an 8 in spanish when i was sure i was going to get a 9! pretty soul-crushing as you can imagine BUT i soon got over it when my mates were moaning at me that they only got a 3 in the same subject.
trust me, 9 is the goal AND 9s you will have (say it with me, lets manifest) but please please please know that if you dont get it that does absolutely not undermine your amazing brain power and you never know, you may have the highest grade in your new colleges classes!!
if you have any more questions, feel free to ask!
best of luck!!!

thank you thats really helpful ) congrats on your 8 in Spanish it is my downfall im literally barely getting a 7 i hate it so much, do you have any tips?? and thank you for all the pointers its very useful!!

i would say for speaking, do practice and for pronunciation listen to natives and try and imitate their accent and the way they say certain words (use a tv show if your teachers are unhelpful)
for everything else, use a mixture of exam style questions and learning your grammar and vocab
trust me when you have 3-4 tenses perfected (this can be via using set phrases like me gustaria or quisiera) the examiner will love it and try not to make little mistakes like not agreeing adjectives or using the wrong connective etc
also i don't imagine you will but PLEASE DO NOT TAKE SPANISH A LEVEL!
hope this helps!