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A-level results show another drop in A* and A grade students A-level results show another drop in A* and A grades
(about 1 hour later)
The number of A-level students across the UK receiving the highest grades has fallen for the fifth year in a row, with girls catching up with boys in attaining the most sought-after A* grade. The proportion of A-level students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland receiving the highest grades has fallen for a fifth year in a row, and girls have caught up with boys in attaining A* grades.
The overall pass rate of all students receiving grades stayed unchanged from last year, but there was a particularly big drop in those attaining A and A* grades among students in Wales, including a fall of more than a full percentage point in the proportion of boys receiving A*s. The overall pass rate was unchanged from last year. The top A* grade was awarded to 8.1% of candidates – 8.5% of boys and 7.7% of girls – down from 8.2% in 2015. The proportion of students receiving A or A* grades fell from 25.9% to 25.8%. As recently as 2011 the rate was 27%.
Across the UK, 8.1% of candidates received A*s, a drop of 0.1 compared with 2015, with a fall among boys to 8.5% and girls to 7.7%. But in Wales the performance of boys declined from 7.8% to 6.7%, alongside a fall from 7.3% to 6.6% overall, which will be viewed with alarm by Welsh education reformers. In Wales there was a particularly big drop in A* grades, from 7.3% to 6.6%, including a fall of more than a full percentage point among boys, from 7.8% to 6.7%.
Related: A-level results day 2016: UK students get their grades – liveRelated: A-level results day 2016: UK students get their grades – live
Overall, the proportion of students receiving A and A* grades dipped from 25.9% to 25.8% across the UK. In 2015 the proportion of A-level candidates gaining the highest A grades fell for the fourth year in a row, while the overall pass rate showed a slight rise. As recently as 2011 the rate was 27%. The overall proportion of A* grades was down on both 2015 and 2014 when the figure was 8.2%, the highest since the elite grade was introduced in 2010.
The drop in A* grades bucks the trend from both 2015 and 2014, when 8.2% of entries were awarded an A*, which was a sharp rise compared with 2013 and the highest rate since the elite grade was introduced in 2010. The overall pass rate this year was 98.1%, the same as last year.
The overall pass rate for all grades remained stable this year at 98.1%, the same as last year. Maths was the most popular subject for the second year in a row, ahead of English, and greater numbers took further maths. Psychology continues to grow in popularity behind biology in third place.
Maths was the most popular paper for student entries, for the second year in a row ahead of English, and there were also greater numbers taking further maths. Psychology continues to grow in popularity behind biology in third place. Entries to general studies, which a decade ago was the second most popular A-level subject, continue to plummet. The number taking the paper fell to just 18,000, continuing a trend away from less academic subjects. There were also steep falls in the number of entries for the likes of leisure and tourism.
Entries to general studies, a decade ago the second most popular A-level subject, continued to plummet. The number taking the paper fell to just 18,000, continuing a trend away from less academic subjects. There were also steep falls in the number of entries for the likes of leisure and tourism.
Entries in modern languages continued to fall, with the numbers taking French down 6%.Entries in modern languages continued to fall, with the numbers taking French down 6%.
A number of independent schools unveiled some eye-watering results. They included Brighton College, which celebrated its 200 sixth formers gaining more than 500 A* and A grades between them, including 201 A*s. A number of independent schools unveiled some impressive results. Brighton College’s 200 sixth-formers had more than 500 A* and A grades between them, including 201 A*s.
Overall the 2016 exam season holds few surprises, being the last of the current format for A-levels and GCSEs before next year, when pupils will sit the first of the changed courses and new exam content set in train by Michael Gove during his time as education secretary. Related: Find a course through Clearing – and say the right things on the phone
Andrew Hall, the chief executive of AQA exam board, said it was “a clear and stable set of results”, which showed there had been a “safe delivery of the new qualifications” despite fears of turbulence. The schools minister Nick Gibb said: “It is hugely encouraging that this year sees a record 424,000 applicants already securing a place at one of our world-class universities, with increasing numbers from disadvantaged backgrounds gaining a place as well.”
On the dip in percentage of the candidates getting the highest grades, Hall said it was a “very, very small drop” in students getting A*, which represented 836 grades out of the hundreds of thousands of entries. “It’s very, very small and not statistically significant,” he said. Overall the 2016 exam season holds few surprises, being the last of the current format for A-levels and GCSEs. Next year pupils will sit the first of the changed courses and new exam content set in train by Michael Gove during his time as education secretary.
Hall said the decline in modern languages continued, but there was some encouragement that efforts to address the low numbers of A*s via changes to the assessment process had paid off. The percentage of students getting A* in German A-level rose by 1.3 percentage points; in French it went up 0.7 percentage points and in Spanish by 0.3. Uptake of Spanish, which had been seeing an improvement in previous years, dipped 2.7% this year. Andrew Hall, chief executive of the AQA exam board, said it was “a clear and stable set of results” that showed there had been a “safe delivery of the new qualifications” despite fears of turbulence.
Malcolm Trobe, the interim general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said he feared the decline in modern languages would continue, as cash-strapped schools cut back from from four to three A-levels. The study of languages, which were perceived as harshly marked, would suffer, he said. On the dip in the percentage of candidates getting the highest grades, Hall said it was a “very, very small” drop in students getting A* – 836 grades out of the tens of thousands of entries. “It’s not statistically significant,” he said.
The small range of movement in exam results is a result of the use of a technique called comparable outcomes, adopted by exam regulator Ofqual in 2011 as a means of curbing grade inflation. It ties A-level grades to the same year group’s previous results in GCSE exams two years earlier. Hall said the decline in modern languages continued but there was some encouragement that efforts to address the low numbers of A*s via changes to the assessment process had paid off. The percentage of students getting A* in German rose by 1.3 percentage points; in French it was up by 0.7 percentage points and in Spanish by 0.3 points. Uptake of Spanish, which seen an improvement in previous years, dipped 2.7% this year.
This year does however see the first results for decoupled AS-levels, which are now stand-alone one-year courses rather than the first module of a two-year A-level, with entries down by nearly 14%. Malcolm Trobe, the interim general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said he feared the decline in modern languages would continue as cash-strapped schools cut back from from four to three A-levels. The study of languages, which were perceived as harshly marked, would suffer, he said.
Despite the fall as a result of the decoupling, the AS short courses have proved to be more popular than expected, in part because universities encouraged schools applicants to continue taking AS levels as an aid for admissions. Trobe said: “We are concerned about the continuing decline in entries to A-levels in modern foreign languages and other ‘minority’ subjects such as music and design and technology. These statistics reflect the fact that sixth-forms and colleges are finding it increasingly difficult to run courses where there are relatively small numbers of students because of severe funding pressures.
The A-level results come as a 2% dip in the number of school-leavers in the British population has meant record numbers of university places being offered through clearing, the post-A-level application process that gets under way on Thursday. “We are in danger of becoming trapped in a vicious circle where entries to these very important subjects continues to decline.”
Russell Hobby, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said creative subjects were among those that had suffered the biggest decreases in entries. “We’ve seen 8.8% fewer students taking music A-level, and a staggering 33% drop in entries to art and design subjects at AS-level,” he said.
“This is something we need to watch carefully in future years as a continuing decline may be partly due to the impact of the EBacc at GCSE, where little room for additional subject choices means students can be limited in their choices at this higher level.”
The small range of movement in exam results is a result of the use of a technique called comparable outcomes, adopted by the exam regulator Ofqual in 2011 as a means of curbing grade inflation. It ties A-level grades to the same year group’s results in GCSE exams two years earlier.
This year sees the first results for decoupled AS-levels, which are now standalone one-year courses rather than the first module of a two-year A-level. Entries were down by nearly 14%, which was better than expected, in part as a result of universities encouraging schools applicants to continue taking AS-levels as an aid for admissions.
Mark Bedlow, chief delivery officer of the OCR examination board, said Thursday’s results showed that the new qualifications were working well, despite fears about possible turbulence.Mark Bedlow, chief delivery officer of the OCR examination board, said Thursday’s results showed that the new qualifications were working well, despite fears about possible turbulence.
“There was a lot of concern about how this would go,” he said. “One of the two key messages to take away from today is that both schools and candidates have got through this first stage of reform extremely successfully.”“There was a lot of concern about how this would go,” he said. “One of the two key messages to take away from today is that both schools and candidates have got through this first stage of reform extremely successfully.”
The applications administrator Ucas said that 424,000 students had been placed in UK higher education as of midnight – up 3% on the same time last year, and the highest number recorded on A-level results day. A 2% dip in the number of school-leavers means record numbers of university places are being offered through clearing, the post-results application process.
There are 201,000 UK 18-year-old applicants placed, up 2% on 2015 despite the population falling by 2.3%. The applications administrator Ucas said 424,000 students had been placed in UK higher education as of midnight – up 3% on the same time last year, and the highest number recorded on A-level results day.
Medical schools such as St George’s in London are offering undergraduate places via clearing, as well as a record number of 5,000 places at the research-intensive Russell Group of universities, as institutions compete to attract qualified applicants. Some universities, such as Hertfordshire, resorted to opening their clearing hotlines at the stroke of midnight, the earliest possible moment. They include 201,000 British 18-year-olds, up 2% on 2015 despite the fall in the the school-leaver population.
Medical schools such as St George’s in London are offering undergraduate places via clearing, and there are a record 5,000 places at the research-intensive Russell Group of universities, as institutions compete to attract qualified applicants. Some universities, such as Hertfordshire, resorted to opening their clearing hotlines at midnight.
The availability of places is likely to be good news for students who failed to reach their predicted A-level grades: university admissions officers appear increasingly willing to maintain offers for those who fall short.The availability of places is likely to be good news for students who failed to reach their predicted A-level grades: university admissions officers appear increasingly willing to maintain offers for those who fall short.
The NSPCC said it expected calls to its Childline counselling service to peak during the exam results. The NSPCC said it expected calls to its Childline counselling service to peak during the exam results. “It’s important to remember there is life beyond exam results. Disappointing grades are not the end of the world, even if it doesn’t feel that way at the time,” said Peter Wanless, the NSPCC’s chief executive.
“It’s important to remember there is life beyond exam results. Disappointing grades are not the end of the world, even if it doesn’t feel that way at the time,” said Peter Wanless, the NSPCC’s chief executive.