A-level results

The A-level pass rate has risen for the 24th year in a row.

The pass rate increased by 0.4 per cent, while the number of exam entries awarded an A grade rose more sharply - from 22.8 per cent to 24.1 per cent.

The continued rise in the A-level pass rate has led business leaders to call for reform of the system.


Stakeholder Response: NASUWT

Chris Keates, general secretary of NASUWT, said: "NASUWT predicted that standards of attainment would increase this year building on the significant year-on-year improvements in A-level results.

"Once again pupils and teachers have come up trumps and should be congratulated for their hard work in securing these excellent achievements.

"Today it is only right to celebrate and challenge those who might seek to undermine this success."


Stakeholder Response: ATL

ATL general secretary Dr Mary Bousted said: "The yearly battle over A-levels is futile, irrelevant and boring.

"Young people are to be congratulated on achieving these excellent results, gained through their hard work, and supported by the skills of their teachers.  

"Those who hark back to the past, who see A-level failures as a mark of rigour, should recognise that things change. Just as driving a Ford Cortina is no longer an aspiration, we should not expect students in the 21st century to follow a 1950s curriculum and exam system."

"We believe there should be changes to the A-level system. At present,