Top A-level grades in Wales drop year-on-year but are above pre-pandemic levels
ITV Wales' Ian Lang reports.
The proportion of top A-level grades awarded to students in Wales has dropped year-on-year but is above pre-pandemic figures.
The figure of entries awarded A or A* in Wales has dropped from 34% in 2023 to 29.9%, though it is still above the 2019 pre-pandemic figure of 26.5%.
In Wales and Northern Ireland, exam regulators said they aimed to return to pre-pandemic grading this summer – a year later than in England – making it harder to compare this year's results with previous years.
It comes after the Covid-19 pandemic led to an increase in top grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams.
The cohort of students who are receiving their results were in year 9 when schools shut due to Covid-19, and they were the first year group to sit GCSE exams after they were cancelled for two years in a row.
The A-level pass rate in Wales, for entries awarded A*-E, is 97.4% this year, slightly down from 97.5% in 2023 and 97.6% in 2019.
Wales' education secretary Lynne Neagle said the results are "what we hoped to see and are broadly similar to pre-pandemic outcomes", while she will "continue to focus on doing everything I can to raise standards and ensure everyone is supported to reach their full potential".
Scotland has a different qualification system and students received their results on Tuesday last week, meaning comparing results between UK nations is problematic because of different approaches to qualifications.
Leaders in the education sector have warned that this cohort of young people has had to overcome a series of challenges – and those from disadvantaged backgrounds have been hit the worst.
Fewer disadvantaged students from Wales head to university
Fewer Welsh students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds have secured a place at university and college this year, according to new University and College Admissions Service (UCAS) data released today.
In Wales, 1,200 of those students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds have been accepted, down from the peak of 1,250 in 2023.
UK A-level picture
Hundreds of thousands of students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland received their exam results on Thursday in a year when grading was expected to be restored to 2019 levels in all three nations.
More than a quarter (27.8%) of UK entries were awarded an A or A* grade, up by 0.6 percentage points on last year when 27.2% achieved the top grades.
This was also higher than in 2019 – the last year that summer exams were taken before the pandemic – when 25.4% of entries were awarded A or A* grades.
Overall, the proportion of UK entries awarded the top A* grade this year has risen by 0.4 percentage points to 9.3%, compared with 8.9% in 2023, and it is higher than when it stood at 7.7% in 2019.
Excluding 2020-2022, the years of the pandemic, this is the highest proportion of A* grades awarded since they were first handed out in 2010.
But the overall pass rate – the proportion of entries graded A* to E – has fallen to 97.2% this year, which is lower than last year (97.3%) and the pre-pandemic year of 2019 (97.6%).
The figures, published by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), cover A-level entries from students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
UK university entries increase
The number of applicants accepted on to UK degree courses has risen this year, UCAS figures show.
Overall, 243,650 18-year-old applicants from the UK have been accepted at a university or college, compared to 230,600 last year – a rise of 6%.
Education secretary will continue to 'work to raise standards'
Welsh Government's education secretary Lynne Neagle said: "This year’s exams mark the final step to pre-pandemic arrangements. This year, for the first time since the pandemic, A-level and AS-levels exams and assessments took place with the same arrangements as pre-pandemic.
"The results are what we hoped to see and are broadly similar to pre-pandemic outcomes.
"Each and every one of you receiving results today should be tremendously proud of your achievements. Today is testament to your resilience and perseverance.
The Welsh Government's education secretary Lynne Neagle congratulated learners across Wales on their results despite "disruption".
“Whatever your plans are for the next step in your life, I wish you all ‘pob lwc’. There are many ways to continue your learning, some of you may be about to start an apprenticeship or a new job or maybe you have secured a place at your chosen university, including some of our great institutions here in Wales.
"But if you need advice on what to do next, there’s plenty of information and support available to you, through your school or college as well as the Young Person's Guarantee which offers a range of options.
"I will continue to focus on doing everything I can to raise standards and ensure everyone is supported to reach their full potential."
Welsh secretary hopes for education improvement 'in the very near future'
The UK Government's Welsh secretary Jo Stevens said she hopes to see improvement in Welsh education "in the very near future", after top grades at A-level fell in Wales.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme, Ms Stevens said: "First of all I want to say congratulations to every single student in Wales who’s getting their results today, and I hope that they will all have a positive future ahead of them.
"Now, obviously, education is devolved to the Welsh Government, and I know that the Welsh Government and the Education Minister want to see improvements, obviously.
"But there are particular things in Wales that impact on how our results have come out: we’ve got a new curriculum that is being embedded in Wales.
"And I think that the improvements or the focus on the improvements is very clear from Welsh Government, and I would anticipate, and I hope, that we will see those strides made in the very near future."
'UCAS is here to help all applicants take their next step'
Dr Jo Saxton CBE, chief executive of UCAS, said: “Today’s figures highlight the tenacity and effort from students who have aimed high and are about to embark on their exciting next steps.
"Widening access and participation is not just about numbers; it’s about opening up doors and transforming the lives of students through higher education so they can pursue their passions and career aspirations.
"UCAS is here to help all applicants take their next step, including students who received different results than expected, or those who are looking to change their mind. There are just under 30,000 courses available in UCAS Clearing across a broad range of subjects and universities so there really is something for everyone."
'This is a pivotal day for students'
Amanda Wilkinson, director of Universities Wales, said: "This is a pivotal day for students and they should be proud of their achievements, and of the hard work and dedication that has brought them to this stage. Students can now look forward to the next step of their journey, which for many will involve studying at university.
"University can be a truly transformative experience; one that opens doors, broadens horizons, and empowers individuals to reach their full potential. Students joining Welsh universities in the autumn can be assured of a high-quality experience with students at the heart, and one that supports them to achieve their ambitions.
"For those who are still undecided or maybe did not get the results they had hoped for, there are many options in Wales available through clearing. Our universities have advisors waiting to work with prospective students on the options available to them."
'Overall outcomes lower than 2023 due to pre-pandemic grading standards'
Eithne Hughes, director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru, said: "Today’s results act as a gateway to future study and employment and we would urge anyone unsure of their next steps to seek advice from their school or college.
"Overall outcomes are lower than in 2023, due to the return to pre-pandemic grading standards. We would advise against comparisons with previous years due to the different methods of assessment and grading used during the pandemic period and the gradual return to normal.
"Although this year marks the return to pre-pandemic grading standards, it’s important to remember that the students getting their results today experienced severe disruption to parts of their education.
"The legacy of the pandemic lives on, particularly its impact upon young people from disadvantaged backgrounds whose families were also adversely affected by the subsequent cost-of-living crisis. There needs to be a renewed effort to support the work of schools and colleges in Wales in tackling the huge inequalities in our society."
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