A document variety of college students have been accepted onto college or school programs as 18-year-olds have fun A-level outcomes day.
Lots of of hundreds of pupils throughout England, Wales, and Northern Eire found their A-level and AS-level outcomes on Thursday morning, with many discovering out in the event that they secured a spot on a course.
New Ucas information reveals 255,130 UK 18-year-olds have been accepted into college or school, in comparison with 243,650 in 2024, marking an increase of just about 5 per cent (4.7 per cent).
Total, the figures present 82 per cent of these holding a proposal who obtained their choice on Thursday morning have been positioned on their first alternative, the identical proportion as final 12 months.
In whole, Ucas mentioned 439,180 candidates have been accepted, marking a rise of greater than 3 per cent (3.1 per cent) on 425,860 final 12 months – the best variety of positioned college students on outcomes day on document.
There has additionally been a rise within the variety of 18-year-olds from essentially the most disadvantaged areas in England, Wales and Northern Eire gaining a spot, it added. There have been 35,920 accepted college students from essentially the most disadvantaged 20 per cent of areas in England, an increase of 6.4 per cent, 1,260 from the identical areas in Wales, a rise of greater than 5 per cent (5.3 per cent), and 1,060 from these in Northern Eire, up 5.5 per cent.
The document excessive numbers come after 27.8 per cent of UK A-level entries have been awarded an A or A* grade in 2024, up from 27.2 per cent the earlier 12 months, marking the best proportion of entries scoring high grades outdoors the pandemic-affected years of 2020-22.
In 2019 – the final 12 months that summer time exams have been taken earlier than the pandemic – 25.4 per cent of entries have been awarded A or A* grades. The pandemic led to a rise in high A-level and GCSE grades in 2020 and 2021, with outcomes primarily based on trainer assessments as a substitute of exams.
Training secretary Bridget Phillipson described examination outcomes day on Thursday as “a time for celebration” for younger individuals throughout the nation.
She mentioned: “Whether or not A-Ranges, T-Ranges or technical and vocational {qualifications}, I want everybody the easiest of luck, and provide my heartfelt due to the incredible academics, workers and oldsters who’ve supported them to this milestone.
“Each younger particular person ought to have the chance to attain and thrive. This authorities received’t stand by and settle for the entrenched inequalities that proceed to blight the life possibilities of too many younger individuals, particularly these from white working class backgrounds who’ve lengthy been missed.
“We’re already taking decisive motion and making encouraging progress. With nice choices from diploma apprenticeships and high-quality technical {qualifications} to conventional college routes, we’re giving younger individuals the instruments they should get nice jobs, fill expertise gaps, and assist drive financial progress as a part of our Plan for Change.”
Ucas chief Dr Jo Saxton highlighted how this 12 months’s college students have been simply 13 when the Covid pandemic hit, turning their secondary education “the other way up”.
She mentioned: “It’s nice to see these candidates securing a college place in document numbers, looking for extra training and investing of their futures. I’m equally delighted to see how universities throughout the nation have responded to their ambition.
“For any pupil who didn’t fairly get the grades they have been hoping for, and even these nonetheless but to use, there are many choices in clearing with round 27,000 obtainable programs. UCAS consultants are additionally obtainable on the telephones, on social media and on the UCAS web site, to assist all these deciding on the subsequent step that’s proper for them.”
Extra follows on this breaking information story…
