Congratulations to all those who, over the past weeks, have received their A Level and GCSE results. I know the amount of hard work young people put into their exams and they should all be proud of what they achieved especially those who find academic work challenging but have met their aspirations.
This year marked a return to pre-pandemic grading arrangements with protection built in to recognise the disruption that students have faced. This meant that a student this year will have been just as likely to achieve a particular grade as they would have been before the pandemic.
Both A Level and GCSE results this year were broadly similar to 2019 results. 27.2% of A Level entries were at grade A and above with 76% of entries at grade C or above, slightly higher than 2019 when these figures were 25.4% and 75.9% respectively.
22.4% of entries for GCSEs achieved a grade 7 or above and 70.3% of entries achieved a grade 4 and above. In 2019 these figures were 21.8% and 69.9% respectively.
This year was also the second year of T Level results and the first year they are based fully on formal assessments. T Levels are the new gold-standard technical qualification based on employer set content and featuring an extended industry placement. This year 90.5% of students passed which is a significant achievement for those young people.
Our local secondary schools and sixth form college have performed very well. I know all are proud of their students who have worked incredibly hard despite challenging circumstances.
These results will allow many to take their next steps; whether that be starting at college, going on to university or taking their first steps into a career. It is an exciting time but I appreciate that there will be some who did not get the results for which they were hoping.
There are many components of “education” and academic results are just one element. Regardless of the results a young person has achieved, there are lots of options available. If any young person is unsure of their next steps they can get professional careers advice for free from the National Careers Service: https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/explore-your-education-and-training-choices/exam-results/exam-results?fbclid=IwAR2BtjHYJMTCnONXeHtWH_980J94nZvdm6UvCQLUzB5IzDzFk_9PVhequ1U