Displaying items by tag: A Level results

The Department for Education confirmed that the drop of top A-level grades by nearly 10% from last year is the biggest ever, causing chaos for those hoping to secure a university place. 19,000 students who were not accepted scrambled for clearing places, causing the UCAS website to crash. Welsh and Northern Ireland A-level students were given advance information about topics to expect in their exam papers. English students were not given the same support. Ofqual said it built protection into the English grading process because of the disruption that students had faced. This should have enabled students to get the grades they would have received before the pandemic even if the quality of their work was a bit weaker due to disruption. The Association of School and College Leaders said the ‘sharp fall’ in high A-level results was because the grading system was adjusted. Pray for the fearful and disappointed students who have not secured their first choice of university or college.

Hundreds of thousands of students received their A Level results on 18 August. This was the first time students had actually sat their exams since 2019: during the coronavirus outbreak, they were assessed by teachers. Getting the grades needed for university or college can be really tough, and for some it impacts their mental health. Amid rising levels of anxiety in the run up to results day, Childline said it had seen large numbers of students receiving counselling for concerns about their grades. Pray that those teenagers who may not have achieved the results they wanted will be able to talk to a teacher or an adult they trust to discuss how they are feeling. Remember those who are now desperately hoping to find a university place, somewhere, through the clearing system.