A-level results day and UCAS clearing: Universities accept thousands fewer students as pass rates hit lowest level since 2010 - as it happened

Tens of thousands of teenagers received their A-level results across the country amid major changes to exams. 

The number of students who secured pass grades at A-level dropped to its lowest point in eight years - but the proportion of students who received top grades (A* or A) rose slightly.

Last year, grades were awarded in the first 13 reformed A-level subjects in England - which have moved towards final exams after two years. Students received grades in a further 11 reformed subjects on Thursday.

See below how we covered A-level results day

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16:20

The government released findings showing that less well-known qualifications - taken after A-levels - can boost your earnings 

The less well known qualifications that can increase chances of better paid job

tHaving these skills can lead to a rewarding career and fantastic opportunities'

15:55

Emma Bullimore says she is glad to see rapper Stormzy backing Oxbridge with scholarships for black people

 

'I grew up on a council estate and went to Oxbridge – and I'd like to thank Stormzy'

It’s important to privilege aspiration, rather than telling certain sections of society they should just learn code by themselves instead

15:22

 

GB kayaker squeezed in world championship training with A-levels

An 18-year-old GB kayaker achieved four A-levels while training for his sport's world marathon championships.

 

Luke Shaw sat his exams at Norwich School and gained an A* in maths, A grades in chemistry and politics and a B in further maths.

 

He has an unconditional offer to the University of Nottingham where he plans to study economics, potentially with Spanish.

 

Luke, of Bramerton, near Norwich, has just returned from a training camp in Bulgaria and will compete in the junior men's category for GB at the kayak marathon world championships in Portugal next month.

 

Standard distances for marathon kayak races are up to 30km, and he said he had to "squeeze in" training alongside his studies.

 

"I'm hoping to get top 10, but hopefully better than top 10, we'll see," he said. "It's interesting, a lot can happen in a marathon."

 

 

Luke Shaw with his A-level results at Norwich School, Norwich. Credit: Joe Giddens/PA Wire

15:00

Unconditional offers

Experts predicted that the overall A-level pass rate would drop following a surge in unconditional offers from students.

Speaking today, education secretary Damian Hinds said he was "concerned" at the "rate of growth" in unconditional offers.

He said: "That's why the Office for Students is looking carefully at this issue and they will come back with their findings, and they will make recommendations if anything further needs to be done."

The University and College Union (UCU) has renewed calls for a post-qualification admissions system.

Sally Hunt, UCU general secretary, said: "The current system of predicted grades is highly inaccurate, and encourages the use of unconditional offers which make a mockery of exams and published entry requirements.

"Instead of relying on guesswork, students should be empowered to choose the institution that’s right for them once their grades are known."

 

14:41

Nursing in 'managed decline'

Nursing has been left in a “managed decline” due to ministers’ decisions over funding, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has warned, as figures show another drop in student numbers.

The number of nursing students from England taking places at UK universities has fallen by 4 per cent from last year and 11 per cent since 2016 when bursaries were axed, Ucas data shows.

Dame Donna Kinnair, director of nursing policy and practice at the RCN, said: “Ministers’ decisions on student funding have left nursing in managed decline.

“Today’s figures should be the wake-up call the government needs to properly address the staffing crisis that’s putting safe and effective patient care at risk.”

She added:  “Though we will see additional students placed through clearing in the coming weeks, today’s figures mean fewer nurses will enter our understaffed healthcare system in three years’ time, further jeopardising patient care. This situation cannot be allowed to continue."

14:20

A number of celebrities - including Jeremy Clarkson -  told A-level students not to worry if they did not get the grades that they wanted.

 

14:00

A-level results day can be a stressful time. If you need some light relief, here are some comical posts from Twitter:

17 of the funniest tweets about A-levels for those in need of some comic relief

Students across the UK are getting their A-Level results today.  Social media is blowing up with people sharing their results and jubilations at getting into the university of their choice. To say A-Levels are probably one of the most stressful things a young person will go through (seriously, I still get nightmares of missing my exams) is an understatement. Whether you've got your uni place, you're weighing your options or if you're going straight to work after school, here are a few lighthearted tweets about this day. 

13:38

A-level geography entries hit four-year low 

A-level geography was dealt a substantial blow this year, with entries hitting the lowest level for four years.

In total, there were 33,538 entries for the subject, down 11.3 per cent on 2017, undoing the gains made over the last few years.

A Press Association analysis shows that this year's fall is the biggest year-on-year drop in entries for A-level geography for a decade.

(PA)

13:04

More students are opting to do Chinese at A-level than German - as ministers have pushed for Mandarin to be taught in schools. Read more here: 

A-levels in Chinese overtakes German for first time

'We're seeing German just moving into extinction really'

 

12:18

Research out from the Chartered Institute of Marketing reveals that nearly a third of school leavers (29 per cent) feel pessimistic about their career prospects.

 

The figures, which have been released on A-level results day, show that 17 to 19-year-olds living in London are the most pessimistic about today’s job market.

 

The research also shows a gender split - with women more pessimistic (32 per cent) about their job prospects than men (21 per cent).

11:51

Grime artist Stormzy has announced he will pay for two black British students to attend the University of Cambridge.

The rapper, whose real name is Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr, announced the plans today at his former school, the Harris City Academy in Croydon.

Stormzy has launched a Cambridge University scholarship for black students

The rapper announced his plans on A-level results day

11:22

A-level reforms impact on mental health 

On today's results, Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: "The sheer weight of these reforms has placed an intolerable additional strain on staff and students and we have no doubt that this has affected the mental health and wellbeing of a proportion of young people and teachers.

"The government must pay heed and ensure that any future reforms are introduced in a more manageable and considered manner."

10:54

Politicians have offered their congratulations to A-level students accepting results today:

10:32

Boys do better at A-level than girls 

Boys continue to outperform girls at the highest grades at A-level, the figures show.

 

Overall, 26.6 per cent of boys' entries awarded at least an A grade, compared to 26.2 per cent for entries from their female peers.

10:05

Decline in modern foreign languages

The number of students opting to study the traditional modern foreign languages of French, German and Spanish has declined by 7.9 per cent in 2018 - continuing a general trend.

But entries to other foreign languages have increased by 3.1 per cent.

Notably, entry rates for Chinese stand at 3,334 - an increase of 8.6 per cent compared with 2017 - which means Chinese is now a more popular A-level choice than German.

09:43

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects at A-level continue to grow in popularity - especially amongst females, the statistics show today. 

 

Overall, 36.2 per cent of all entries were in one of these subjects - a rise on 34.5 per cent last year.

 

Male students are more likely to study a STEM subject - but the balance is starting to shift.

Female students are closing the gap in these subjects.

09:33

Here is our story from Westminster on the headline A-level results figures from today:  

A-level pass grades fall to lowest point in eight years amid major exam reforms

The number of students securing A* grades this year has also fallen

09:31

And the national A-level results are in:

• The overall pass rate (grades A* to E) is down to its lowest rate since 2010 - to 97.6 per cent from 97.9 per cent last year
• The number of students achieving an A* - the top grade - has also fallen from 8.3 per cent last year to 8 per cent - the lowest level since 2013
• 26.4 per cent entrants scored either an A or A* - which is up slightly on 26.3 per cent last year

08:59

Sanjeev Bhaskar with some fatherly advice here:

 

08:57

At this time of the year, it’s common to point to inspirational celebrities who have gone on to achieve success despite struggling in their exams: Sir Richard Branson, Lord Sugar, Jon Snow, Simon Cowell, Benedict Cumberbatch, Sarah Millican etc.

 

Satirist David Schneider has his own spin: 

Next

For the second year running, boys outperformed girls at the top grades. Experts had predicted that the linear structure of the new qualifications – with less coursework and AS levels no longer counting towards the A-level grade - would favour boys.

Tens of thousands of courses were still available in clearing on the morning of results day  – including at the Russell Group, which are considered to be the top universities.