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The variety of pupils accepted onto UK diploma programs has fallen 2.6% on the identical level final 12 months, preliminary UCAS figures present.
A whole lot of 1000’s of scholars in England, Wales and Northern Eire are receiving grades in a 12 months when ministers in England are aiming to revive them to the pre-pandemic ranges of 2019, which had been decrease than the previous few years.
With the nationwide A-level outcomes image due ON Thursday morning, the Training Secretary has insisted pupils will “nonetheless get the identical entry to college” as these in earlier years. Gillian Keegan additionally advised BBC Radio 4’s Immediately programme the most recent Ucas figures confirmed the UK Authorities was “proper to place the grading system again to regular”.
Amid exams regulator Ofqual’s warnings that this 12 months’s A-level ends in England will probably be decrease than final 12 months, it has been advised that college leavers are going through extra competitors for college locations this 12 months on account of a progress in 18-year-olds within the inhabitants and worldwide demand.
Additional fuelling the fears of disappointment is the potential for greater expectations coming from a cohort of scholars who didn’t sit GCSE exams and had been awarded teacher-assessed grades amid the pandemic, resulting in record-high GCSE ends in 2021.
Geoff Barton, common secretary of the Affiliation of College and School Leaders (ASCL), mentioned: “Their aspirations can have been raised due to the outcomes they acquired at GCSE. And but what they’re going to see [on Thursday] normally is that nevertheless their sister or brother did final 12 months getting a string of high grades that’s much less prone to occur this 12 months.”
Pupils have been receiving their A-Stage outcomes and logging on to the UCAS web site to seek out out the standing of their college functions from 8am on Thursday, because the organisation launched its preliminary figures.
There was a drop of two.6% within the variety of UK college students who’ve secured their first alternative of college or faculty when in comparison with final 12 months.
Of those that have had a choice made concerning their utility to this point, 79% have gained a spot at their first alternative, whereas 81% did so in 2022 when exams had been reintroduced. In 2019, the final time grading preparations had been the identical as this 12 months, the determine stood at 74% on outcomes day.
General, 414,940 candidates have gained a spot at college or faculty – down on 425,830 final 12 months (-2.6%) however a rise on 408,960 in 2019 (+1.5%). For UK 18-year-olds, 230,600 have been accepted, a decline from 238,090 in 2022 (-3.1%) however up on 199,370 in 2019 (+15.7%).
UCAS chief government Clare Marchant advised BBC’s Immediately programme there was a drop within the variety of college students getting a spot at their first alternative college. Nevertheless, she mentioned this “is what we anticipated as we return to the traditional grading”, including: “However once more considerably up from the 74% again in 2019 and that’s what we anticipated.”
General, she mentioned A-level outcomes have been a “very constructive image” and praised a cohort of scholars who’re sitting exterior exams for the primary time.
Final 12 months, greater than a 3rd (36.4%) of UK A-level entries had been awarded A or A* grades, in comparison with 44.8% in 2021 and 38.5% in 2020. In 2019 – the final summer time earlier than the pandemic – round one in 4 (25.4%) UK A-level entries had been awarded A or A* grades.
Faculties Minister Nick Gibb has mentioned examination ends in England have to return to pre-pandemic ranges to make sure A-levels carry “weight and credibility” with employers and universities.
However he mentioned “further safety” has been in place this 12 months the place grade boundaries have been altered if senior examiners discovered nationwide proof of a drop in requirements in contrast with 2019.
It comes after Covid-19 led to a rise in high A-level and GCSE grades in 2020 and 2021, with outcomes primarily based on instructor assessments as an alternative of exams.
This 12 months’s cohort of scholars in England have confronted some degree of disruption to their education on account of Covid-19, in addition to a sequence of instructor strikes since February this 12 months.
Clearing is on the market to college students who don’t meet the circumstances of their supply on A-level outcomes day, in addition to those that didn’t obtain any presents.
College students who’ve modified their thoughts about what or the place they want to examine, and likewise those that have utilized outdoors the traditional utility window, also can use the method.
Final week, Ucas chief government Clare Marchant urged college students to be “fast off the mark” on A-level outcomes day as mentioned she believed lots of the extremely selective programs would go rapidly in clearing.
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