By Gavin Mackintosh-
The proportion of pupils scoring the top grades at A-level in England has fallen to the lowest level in 12 years. The proportion of pupils getting the highest attainable grade of an A* fell this year to 7.7 per cent – the lowest since 2013 .
Last year, 8 % of students achieved the top grade- a .3% fall from the previous year in 2017. Although some experts have attributed the fall in top grades to the changed variety of subject choices, the higher standard of exam questions really accounts more for the fall in A* results.
Students who achieve A or A * grades in rigorous A level exams for demanding subjects are usually consistently hardworking pupils with very high Iq. In many cases, such bright students receive assistance from highly qualified tutors or even from very committed parents.
MOTIVATED
Highly academic schools with very motivated headteachers and teachers also contribute to stirring up the level of student passion and attention throughout the two year course. The best private schools also produce a number of top grade A level students.
In England this year, 25.2 per cent of pupils received wither an A or A* grade, a 1% drop from 26.2 per cent achieved the grades in both 2018 and 2017. It is the biggest drop in top grades since 2007, when 25 per cent of pupils achieved an A. The A* grade was introduced in 2010.
The proportion of pupils getting an A*, the highest possible grade, also fell again this year to 7.7 per cent – the lowest since 2013 (which also saw 7.7 per cent of pupils get an A*).
This year, female students outnumbered males in science entries for the first time, the proportion of girls on science courses rising to just over 5o%. The number of entries in Stem subjects increased by 1.7% in England this year, while participation in selected humanities subjects fell by 3.1%, prompting concerns from science and arts organisations alike.
The number of students taking A-level Spanish overtook French for the first time ever, and students taking A-levels in Northern Ireland obtained higher grades than their English and Welsh counterparts.
RISE IN FEMALE ENTRIES
There was a notable rise in the proportion of female A-level students in England taking computing rose to 13% this year
While the number of students taking German has fallen by 41%, Spanish, on the other hand, has risen in popularity, with 15% more students taking it at A-level than in 2011. French is down 36%.
A-level results 2019: Top grades in England slump to lowest level in 12 years
The proportion of pupils scoring the top grades at A-level in England has fallen to the lowest level in 12 years.
In England this year, 25.2 per cent of pupils received an A or A* grade. This is a full percentage point drop from the last two years, when 26.2 per cent achieved the grades in both 2018 and 2017.
Ofqual said this year’s drop in top grades is likely to reflect “changes in the A-level cohort and and students’ subject choices”. (Education Datalab also has dug a little deeper into the subject choice changes here).
Overall pass rates remained stable in England this year, with 97.5 per cent achieving a grade E or above, down only slightly from 97.6 per cent last year.The number of entries overall in the UK fell by 1.3 per cent this year, but still represented an increase as a proportion of 18-year-olds, as the 18-year-old population declined 2.9 per cent.
Dr Philip Wright, director general of JCQ, said: “All students across the UK receiving their A-level results today should be proud of their achievements. They have worked hard over the last two years and it is a moment for them, together with their teachers, families and friends to celebrate.”
Image: news.sky.com