• A-level results: pass rate 'declines for
first time in 32 years'
• Clearing 2014: most top universities with
spare places
• Minister: action needed to eradicate
university black holes
• Clearing and Results Day 2014: live webchat
2PM
• Results Day 2014: a step-by-step guide to
Clearing
• Get the Clearing iPhone app
• Search
for live Clearing 2014 vacancies online
• QUIZ: which celebrities have these A-levels?
• Sacré bleu! A-levels in French plummet to
record low
Share your opinion or pictures by tweeting @tele_education
Collected results today? Email your best pictures and captions to jumpingforjoy@telegraph.co.uk
or capture your parents looking their proudest and email proudparents@telegraph.co.uk.
17.00 Thanks for joining us today. That's the end of our live coverage of
A-level Results Day.
If you are still looking to apply through Clearing:
Find university Clearing places now with our live Telegraph
Clearing search and our free Clearing
2014 app for iPhone
If you have got your place:
"Congratulations"
We will end with one more picture, just to make sure you've had your fill of
sixth formers jumping:
(Left - Right) Hannah Steiner, Owen Male, Will Emery and Olivia Pike
celebrate their A-level results at Brighton College.
(Gareth Fuller/PA)
16.50 Just in case you thought you had seen it all today. Thorpe Park
today opened its gates to students from around the country, encouraging them
to come down with their A Level and AS Level results and open them live on
some of the theme park's rollercoasters.
A level students Tarun Vermani, Talha Pirzada, Ronald Crompton and Nicholas
Buckner from St James' Senior Boys School in Ashford, Surrey, where
challenged by Thorpe Park to open their results in the most thrilling way
possible. Between them, they achieved 2 A*s, 4As, 4 Bs and 1 BTEC.
16.20 Writing for the Telegraph, Richard Cairns, headmaster of Brighton
College, says "things are about to get much tougher for the
nation's sixth formers".
Michael Gove may have been Education Secretary for four years but today's
A-level results are the first to bear his hallmark.
Earlier this month, the exam watchdog Ofqual took the unprecedented step of
warning schools to expect 'volatile' results, the fallout from which will be
felt across the country. And there is much more to follow. From 2015,
A-levels will be wholly assessed through end-of-course exams taken after two
years in the sixth form.
AS-levels will be retained but only as stand-alone courses, with results no
longer counting towards the final A-level grade. Meanwhile, A-Level
syllabuses have been rewritten to make them much more rigorous, a response
in part to complaints from universities that first year undergraduates know
less than they used to.
Things are about to get much tougher for the nation's sixth formers. And,
on the whole, that is a good thing."
Richard Cairns (Paul Grover)
15.54 And one more success story:
A teenage girl who fled Iraq with her family says she wants to "give back"
to Britain, for taking in her and her family, by studying medicine.
Hana Barzinji, 18, achieved four A* A-level grades and will study medicine at
the University of Manchester to achieve her dream of becoming a doctor.
Hannah received her A-level results at Rochdale Sixth Form College.
15.40 It's not just the pupils and parents happy today:
Here is the deputy head of Latymer Upper School in London "expressing his
joy at the results".
Prompting this response:
15.30 Another fantastic success story: A former soldier who lost both
his legs in an explosion in Afghanistan will be the first in his family to
go to university after getting his A-level results.
Pa Njie, 24, was injured after he stepped on an IED while on patrol in Helmand
Province in 2010 and later underwent intensive rehabilitation at Queen
Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.
He has now gained an A* grade in his business studies A Level, as well as C
grades in accounting and economics, at Abbey College Birmingham in the
Jewellery Quarter.
15.15 Another nice graphic from Emily Chan: at the beginning of the day
these were the figures for Clearing. If you've still yet to apply, check out
our Clearing
section for advice.
Find university Clearing places now with our live Telegraph
Clearing search and our free Clearing
2014 app for iPhone
15.10 The gender gap between boys and girls is 'closing', Graeme Paton
reports.
Figures from the Joint Council for Qualifications show that boys are catching
up with girls at A-level – and even stretching ahead in terms of elite A*
grades – following changes to the exams system.
In all, some 8.5 per cent of boys’ exams were awarded the very highest
grade, compared with 7.9 per of tests sat by girls.
The overall gap between the two at the top grades is now smaller than at any
time since 1999.
14.50 Teenager achieves 11 A levels at grades A* and A despite
'bad time management'
A teenager who achieved 11 A levels, all at A* and A grades, says she was
pleased she passed as she has such bad time management.
Libera Zi-Zai Assim, 18, said she spent two or three weeks before her exams
doing not much else than studying, much like her friends.
But she insists she did not have to “lock herself away for months” to achieve
the extra A-levels and says she probably could have started revising earlier
but has bad time management.
(EAST NEWS PRESS AGENCY)
14.40 As of 2pm today, the most popular university in our Clearing
search tool was the University of Manchester, with Law being the
most popular course. Emily Chan takes a look at Results Day in numbers:
14.30 Kevin Stannard, Director of Innovation & Learning at the Girls’
Day School Trust (GDST), says that A-level Results Day is about issuing
young people with their "passports for progress to the next stage in
their education or into the world of work". He said:
Given the changes in the pipeline, it’s also an opportunity for schools to
take stock and consider which qualifications best serve the educational
needs of their pupils.
In many respects this year’s candidates are the lucky ones. For those
contemplating sixth form study a couple of years hence, the reforms and
their surrounding uncertainties presented a perilous prospect.
Lots of questions about future A-levels remain unanswered, and this is
leading to confusion among schools, students and parents. It would be
helpful if the Department for Education (DfE) could provide some clarity on
how many subjects pupils will be expected to study in Year 12 and, given the
differences in assessment procedure, whether it will be workable in practice
to co-teach the first year of A-level and AS level."
14.22 Another success story. Twins Jamie and Harry Turner from RGS
Worcester both achieved 4 A*s at A-level, having previously got 21 A*s
between them at GCSE.
(Westport Photography)
14.15 Jumping for Joy. On A-level Results Day, it's traditional, almost
compulsory, to show pictures of students jumping for joy in celebration. We
wouldn't wish to disappoint, so here is this year's crop of excited
teenagers. Think you can do better? Send your jumping pictures to jumpingforjoy@telegraph.co.uk
and we will feature the best.
GALLERY: Students jump for joy as they receive their
grades
Here we have (Left-right) Aislynn Bagnall, Eileen Muckian, Antone Bagnal,
Micheal Heary and Catherine Donnelly, who are all students at St Pauls High
School, Bessbrook.
14.10 And the webchat with Ucas and Student Finance has started. Take
part here
14.00 Young Apprentice star achieves top A-level results. The runner up
in The Young Apprentice has said appearing
on the show helped her manage stress to study for her A-levels and
achieve a clean sweep of A's
The runner up in The Young Apprentice 2012, Lucy Beauvallet, will study
accounting and finance after achieving straight As in her A Levels.
(Lucy Beauvallet)
13.50 Sacré bleu! A-levels in French plummet to record low. The
number of pupils studying a foreign language has dropped to a record
low amid fresh warnings over the dire state of French and German in state
schools.
Figures from exam boards show that the number of A-levels sat in traditionally
popular foreign languages has halved in just over a decade.
French entries alone plummeted by more than seven per cent this year and have
now declined by 43 per cent since the year 2000. Just 10,400 pupils took an
exam in the subject this summer – the lowest on record – compared with more
than 18,200 in the last 90s.
Read
Graeme's full report here
13.40 We are getting reading to start our live webchat with Claire
Samways from Ucas and Nichola Malton from the Student Loans Company. The
webchat kicks off at 2pm - but you can start asking your questions now by
typing in the box at the link here.
If you have any questions regarding Clearing, university applications or
applying for finance, join us at 2pm.
Ucas
and Student Finance live webchat:
2-3pm
Find university Clearing places now with our live Telegraph
Clearing search and our free Clearing
2014 app for iPhone
13.25 Commenting on today’s AS and A level results Kevin Courtney
deputy general secretary of the NUT said:
At a time of unprecedented change in education policy, teachers have continued
to put students first and support them to achieve their personal best. For
those who did not get the results they needed, do not despair, there will be
a range of options available to help you continue with the next stage in
your education or career.
Under the Coalition Government, A levels alongside GCSEs, have been
subjected to rushed and ill thought out reforms. The plans for ‘stand-alone’
AS levels in future and for a final 3 hour examination at the end of A level
courses, may disadvantage many students. Many will miss out on the
opportunity to get the grades they deserve and have their choices for future
courses or employment limited.
The achievements of students, and their teachers today is a real testament
to their commitment and enthusiasm but in future there remains a need for a
serious debate about a qualifications system for 14-19 year olds."
13.16 Aiming to be a management accountant, solicitor, engineer or IT
manager? Check out Telegraph
Finance's list of 10 high-paid jobs that need a degree
13.08 The University and College Union (UCU) today welcomed the news
that more students than ever have secured a place on a degree course
following the release of A-level results. UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt,
said:
Despite
the slight drop in the overall pass rate, it is great to see more and more
students going on to university. Higher education is hugely important in
creating a skilled society and the more people who can benefit from it, the
better.
Although A-levels are an important route to university, we must remember
that there are other valid pathways which are important for improving
access. Increasing numbers of students, particularly those from areas of low
higher education participation, are favouring vocational qualifications like
BTECs, but they are currently around 30 per cent less likely to be accepted
than those with A-levels.
If we want to create a level playing field and encourage people from all
walks of life to enter higher education, there is work to be done to expound
the merits of different qualifications and experience as preparation for
university.”
13.03 Jonathan Davies, founder and CEO at The Training Room, comments
on other options open to people who maybe didn’t get the results they need
to go to university, following news that overall pass rates have fallen for
the first time in over 32 years:
I want to reassure people who've got their results today that, if going to
university doesn’t feel like the right next step for you, there are loads of
options open to people who are considering their next steps into a
successful career.
Vocational training is an extremely valuable pathway into employment.
Practical skills are highly regarded across many industries as employers
really do rate real-world experience. By taking a vocational course, college
leavers can achieve just as valuable qualifications through fast-track
training programmes.
I’d advise students who have just received their results – good or bad – to
broaden their future job search and investigate training providers who can
offer a range of courses to equip young people with industry ready
qualifications with no degree necessary."
12.50 You've been sending in your pictures of 'Proud Parents' today.
Here are a couple of the best so far. Think you can improve on these? What's
your best 'proud parent' face? Send your pictures to proudparents@telegraph.co.uk.
Here we have Imogen Harper from Manchester High School for Girls
celebrating her A* in economics, and 2 As in geography and modern history.
Phoebe Carter from the Portsmouth Grammar School celebrating her A* and
three As with her parents.
and Isabelle Sims from Mayfield Grammar School in Gravesend celebrating
her A* and 2 As with her proud parents.
12.40 Ucas reportedly experienced 252 log-ins per second when Track opened
this morning. Mary Curnock Cook, chief executive of Ucas, said that
despite a fall in the number of 18-year-olds, the demand to go to university
was as high as ever.
I think it is all good news. We have got a record number placed already at the
beginning of the clearing period, which means more people have got certainty
about what's happening.
That's despite the number of 18-year-olds in the population falling and it
shows that the demand for higher education is increasing. The headwind of a
decline in population is not getting in the way of growth.
We've had a record amount of activity online, so I think we peaked at 252
log-ins per second when Track opened this morning and I am told our systems
didn't even break sweat.
We would normally expect between 20,000 and 25,000 calls during the day and
we are doing a lot more to handle inquiries over social media and we have a
very active Facebook and Twitter hub"
Find university Clearing places now with our live Telegraph
Clearing search and our free Clearing
2014 app for iPhone
12.35 It isn't only pupils who have been taking to social media
today, celebrities and politicians have also been tweeting their support
to sixth formers. A true variety...
From Sharon Davies ...
... to George Shelley of Union J
and...
12.15 Hattie Briggs, 18, managed to get into the university of her choice,
despite suffering from appendicitis a week before her first exam. She
told Emily Chan at the Telegraph: “I got an A* and 2 As in French,
Spanish and Latin. I’m absolutely over the moon about my results.
"A week before my first exam, I had appendicitis and was out for five or
six days in hospital. I literally had no idea what I got. I didn’t think
that they’d gone that well. I’m off to Nottingham next year to do Spanish,
French and Portuguese.”
Steffan Griffiths, headmaster of Norwich School, said they had been aware that
they were dealing with “unchartered territory”, as this was the first cohort
that was not able to re-sit exams in January: “The years of ever
record-breaking results have gone. I think we’ve reached a high tide.
“What we’re aspiring to is consistency. We’re thrilled that our best
candidates have gone on to get the best grades, and go off to the best
schools. We’re managing the changing assessment climate as we’re given it. I
do have concerns because there’s so much uncertainty.
“I believe there is a fundamental incompatibility between the political timetable
and the educational timetable. There needs to be greater consultation with
the experts implementing these changes – the schools and the teachers.”
12.05 Maths replaces English as most popular subject according to
figures published by exam boards, Graeme Paton reports.
The number of teenagers taking A-levels in maths has almost doubled in a
decade amid a shift towards tough subjects seen as a route into university
and the workplace.
Maths was named as the most popular subject in the sixth-form for the first
time on record – overtaking English – following a government drive to boost
entry rates.
According to figures, almost 89,000 teenagers took an A-level in the subject
this summer, an increase of one per cent in 12 months and a near doubling of
numbers since 2002.
Read Graeme's full report here
11.56 Managed to secure a place at university today? David Ellis has
written for us, giving soon-to-be undergraduates his advice about how to
make the most of your student life.
This
is the way school ends; Not with a bang but a whimper’: an unforgiveable
change, perhaps, on the original Eliot, but fitting nevertheless.
The conclusion of one’s secondary education can, in many cases, fall a
little flat - but, provided your exit is on the whole voluntary,
congratulations anyway.
Graduating university is a little different. Sometimes a noteworthy former
- or in the worst cases, current - student will stand and unleash their own
wisdom upon the assembled congregation. However, there are some things that
should be kept in mind before enrolling in university, too.
Didn't get your place? David has also written a guide focussing on how
to make the Clearing phone call.
11.40 The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, Professor
Sir David Eastwood spoke to the Telegraph this morning and said the rise in
the number of places available was "good for students".
It gives more choice to students. One of the difficulties with the old system
when there were quite rigid numbers and controls, if a university wanted to
expand, the system prevented them from doing so. Now, with the deregulation
of numbers at ABB or above, any university that wants to expand, can.
Our applications are up 20 per cent this year, so we decided we would offer
an additional 450 places this year. However, you need to keep the quality
there. If you want to expand student numbers, you have to be prepared to
invest to do that.
There will always be some Russell Group universities who don't come into
Clearing, as long as we have the current system. But many Russell Group
universities know that there are good students out there.
It's very important that there is no stigma attached to securing your
university place in August via Clearing."
Find university Clearing places now with our live Telegraph
Clearing search and our free Clearing
2014 app for iPhone
11.25 Two best friends have landed places at top universities after
achieving a clean sweep of A* grades in their A-Levels. Ollie McGrath, 18,
and Tom Whitehead both
picked up five A* grades in their A Levels.
The teenagers, who studied at Merchant Taylor's private school in Liverpool,
gained entry for their number one choices at university.
Mr Whitehead, who earned top grades in chemistry, physics, biology, maths and
art, is heading for Oxford University where he will study medicine. While Mr
McGrath will put his results in maths and further maths to good use at
Imperial College, London.
(Mercury Press)
11.15 Pupils at Redland High School are celebrating today after the
school achieved a 100 per cent pass rate in all subjects and the girls have
bucked the national trend by achieving success in the sciences.
Mrs Caroline Bateson, Headmistress of Redland High, congratulated all her
students, “I am delighted that this year has been another outstanding year
for the School. There is certainly no shortage of girls interested in STEM
subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) at Redland High
and we are proud to see our pupils excelling right across the curriculum. We
wish them well as they progress on to the next stage of their lives.”
Cue our first "jumping picture":
11.00 Let's have a few more pictures of pupils opening their results
this morning. Here is Paul Plebniak 4 A*'s and 2A's and Arjun Gill getting
their results at Wilsons Boys Grammar School:
and Edward Moody, Robin Leverton, Jack Murphy and Hayden Jones from Wilsons
Boys Grammar School:
GROVER)
10.50 The Department for Education has dismissed the overall drop in
the pass rate as "insignificant". But it hasn't addressed the
issue of why we've also seen drops in grades at A, B, C and D, says Graeme
Paton.
A DfE spokesperson said: “This is an insignificant drop of just 0.1 of a per
cent in the pass rate from A* to E. We are never going to get a pass rate of
100 per cent and we should not expect one. An exam which no one fails would
not be worth much. This figure indicates stability much more than change.”
10.45 While all our coverage has so far been about attending university,
some students instead opt for apprenticeships. This week, Nick Boles, the
new Skills Minister, said apprenticeships
are increasingly being seen as equal in value to university degrees as
it emerged that up to 100 teenagers are chasing each post this year.
Vicky Johnson, who is an apprentice in service and repair engineering, is one
of a number of young people opting for an apprenticeship as an alternative
to university. Read
her story here.
My mum and dad were a big influence, because they always wanted me to go to
university and get a degree. But when they saw I wasn’t happy doing
A-levels, they asked me what I wanted to do.
I didn’t have an exact path that I wanted to take in university, or an
exact course that I wanted to do. One of the main attractions of
apprenticeships is that you’re getting paid while you learn. And once you’ve
qualified, you’re set for life.
Read our guide here about how
to apply for an apprenticeship.
10.40 My experience of Clearing: If you don’t get the grades you need
for university, it’s not the end of the world, says Caitlin O'Mara, who
turned to Clearing to find a place on Results Day.
Read
her story here.
If you don’t get the grades you need, it’s not the end of the world. You still
have so many options available to you and even though it’s hard being
rejected from somewhere, there are still universities and courses with
places available.
I’m 110 per cent glad I did it now. I could have sat there and got upset
and said ‘I’m not going to university’. But I’m really glad that I didn’t.
Find university Clearing places now with our live Telegraph
Clearing search and our free Clearing
2014 app for iPhone
10.30 Nicky Morgan, the Education Secretary, has chosen to highlight
figures showing an increase in the number of students taking tough subjects
in the sixth-form. A-levels in maths up by 10 per cent, physics by 16 per
cent, chemistry by 23 per cent and biology by 16 per cent. She said:
If you don’t get the grades you need, it’s not the end of the world. You still
have so many options available to you and even though it’s hard being
rejected from somewhere, there are still universities and courses with
places available.
I want all young people to leave school having had the best preparation for
life in modern Britain. We are reforming exams to equip students with the
skills to succeed in a modern workplace helping them and the country compete
in a global economy.
That’s why I’m delighted to see more students, especially young women,
studying maths and sciences and teachers having more time to push pupils to
achieve the very top grades. This will help them secure the top jobs,
regardless of their background, and secure a brighter future.
Today’s results are a testament to a bright, hard-working generation of
teenagers and the dedication and commitment of teachers across the country.
I congratulate them all.”
10.20 With Ucas figures reporting a record number of students heading
to university this year, many sixth formers are celebrating their results
online.
While others have taken a stoic attitude towards results:
10.17 Sixth-form colleges use the publication of A-level results to
heap further criticism on the government’s decision to scrap AS-levels in
their present form, Graeme Paton reports. This will have a serious impact on
pupils’ life chances in the future, it is claimed.
James Kewin, deputy chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges’ Association,
said: “While today is a day of celebration for our students, Sixth Form
College leaders have grave concerns about the future impact of the
Government’s A level reform programme. There is particular concern that the
plan to de-couple AS levels from A levels will inhibit their ability to
support young people to progress to higher education or employment.
“In its current form, the AS qualification provides valuable breadth and gives
students time to refine their areas of specialisation. As a result, the risk
of drop out is greatly reduced. It also acts as an important stepping stone
for students, particularly less confident learners, and helps universities
when making decisions on admissions.
“If the Government is serious about improving the life chances of young
people, it should reverse its decision to decouple AS levels from A levels
and make a commitment not to impose a fourth funding cut in four years on
Sixth Form Colleges.”
10.05 David Goodhew, head of Latymer Upper School in London, says he is
delighted that his school has achieved a new record: 33 per cent A* grades
and 75 per cent A*/A grades. He has written for the Telegraph, arguing that: 'Results
Day isn't the time to criticise A level exams'
Given
all the emotion that is invested in A level results, it is unfortunate
(though predictable) that August is frequently the month for interested
parties to question their value. I am always perplexed by the annual
complaint from employers that A levels do not prepare students for the world
of work.
As it happens, I share the importance that the CBI’s John Cridland attaches
to employees who are ‘rounded and grounded’. However, it is the job of the
school, not the exam system, to produce such traits through its curriculum,
and especially its extra-curricular programme.
One cannot sit exams in teamwork, integrity, leadership, or initiative. A
levels are non-vocational courses and ought to prepare students for higher
education."
10.00 Language entries are down in French, Spanish and German to reach
a record low overall, Graeme Paton reports. It follows Labour’s decision to
make them optional at GCSE in 2004, which has had a ripple effect over the
last decade.
Vicky Gough, Schools Adviser at the British Council, said: "While the
percentage of foreign language A-levels is similar to last year, the fact is
we've still hit another low - with a 7.4 per cent drop in the number of
French exams.
“More than 10,000 fewer language exams were taken this year than at the end of
the 90s. With such a low base, stability sadly isn't good enough - the UK
needs far more young people to learn languages to a high standard in order
to stay competitive on the world stage, and to become the language teachers
of the future. Understanding another language is key to understanding
another culture - and that's increasingly crucial for life and work."
09.55 Greg Clarke, the Universities Minister, had said:
I’d like to congratulate the hundreds of thousands of students who have
worked so hard to get the A-levels they need to win a place at university.
Higher education is one of the most important sources of social mobility
and I welcome the growth in the number of students from disadvantaged
backgrounds. The lifelong benefits of higher education are significant.
Graduates are much more likely to be employed than non-graduates, they also
earn on average significantly more over their lifetime.
This year we increased the number of higher education places to enable more
students to access higher education and next year publicly-funded
universities can choose to recruit as many students as are capable of
benefiting from higher education. Lifting this cap on aspiration allows more
young people to fulfil their ambition and their potential.
09.50 The humble bragger, the nosy parker, the unbothered: you'll come
across ten
types of people on Results Day
- Yomi Adegoke looks at the good, the bad, and the worst of them.
The Nosy Parker. Results Day etiquette doesn’t apply to the Nosy
Parker. Usually somebody you have only spoken to once in a history lesson
after they asked to borrow a pen, they have no qualms about grilling you,
Paxman style, about what results you got.
But try not to take it personally; they do it to just about anyone within
their peripheral vision, regardless of how well they know them, if at all.
09.35 Here are the first of our pictures today, of pupils opening their
exam results:
Here are pupils at Manchester Grammar School:
(Chris Bull)
And girls from Newcastle High School in Jesmond celebrate their A-level
results:
09.30 A-level results published by exam boards show the number of A to
E grades awarded to students has declined this year, although elite A*
grades are up, reports Graeme Paton.
Figures published on Thursday show that 26 per cent of exam papers were graded
at least an A this year, down from 26.3 per cent last summer. It was the
third straight annual drop at A grade.
The overall number of A-levels with a pass grade – at least an E – declined
for the first time in 32 years following three decades of annual rises.
Fewer exams were also graded B, C and D.
Read Graeme's full report here: Pass rate 'declines
for first time in 32 years'
09.20 Oliver Beach, star of BBC3's Tough Young Teachers, has told
students "if
your predicted A turns out to be a B, it's not the end."
Writing for the Telegraph, Oliver said:
Though this may be stating the obvious, the whole process is undeniably
stressful for all those involved: parents, students and teachers - it truly
is a journey we experience together.
It will not come as a surprise to many that this is made worse by a system
which does, sadly, put too much pressure on the already stretched time of
teachers – with too much emphasis on league tables. But this is about the
students. The students who balance the most emotion-bashing time of their
lives and are expected to juggle it all.
Oliver Beach, star of BBC3's Tough Young Teachers
09.15 Have a go at our A-level
quiz: How did these celebrities, politicians and Royals do at
school? And how do you compare?
Education, education, education
Which politician got 3 Bs and a D at A level?
09.10 According to Ucas figures, record numbers of students are heading
to university this year, with almost 400,000 accepted on to degree courses
already.
As of midnight, 396,990 undergraduates had been accepted on to courses at UK
universities, up 3 per cent on last year, and 352,590 have won a place on
their first choice of course, up 2 per cent on 2013.
Ucas said that for the first time this year, the total number of people going
to university could top half a million.
Find university Clearing places now with our live Telegraph
Clearing search and our free Clearing
2014 app for iPhone
08.55 Hilary French, head of Central Newcastle High School and
President of the Girls' School Association in 2013 has written a blog for
the Telegraph in which she tells sixth formers: 'A
level grades do not define who you are'
A
level Results Day is always a day of intense emotions for the candidates
themselves, their parents and their staff.Grades do matter, but we
have to keep them in perspective. Many sixth formers will get the results
they hope for, or better, and be justifiably excited, and relieved. For
others, though, there will be disappointment, and sometimes a feeling of
failure when the results are not what was hoped for.
Pressures on young people today are high, with worrying levels of
depression and other psychological problems. The priority of schools and
parents has to be to help our children develop into happy, healthy, secure
and ‘rounded’ young adults with the necessary grit and resilience to
overcome setbacks and with the ‘soft’ skills that employers are looking for,
but find wanting in many job candidates.
08.43 It isn't only students who have been taking to Twitter. Here are
some wise words from Ben Fogle:
08.40 British students must be “savvy”
enough to resist sweeteners and choose their university based on the
job they will be able to get when they graduate, the Education Secretary has
said.
Nicky Morgan said: “I think students and their families are savvy enough to
look beyond any of those offers to what each degree is going to offer to
them in terms of the learning experience but also in terms of employment
thereafter.
“And that is the question I hear a lot of students ask on open days: where are
your students going after they finish [at this] university.”
The new Education Secretary also revealed that her own A-level Results Day had
been far from stress-free with her mother bursting into tears as she opened
her results envelope.
Confirming that her mother was crying “in a good way” she added: “I think it
was just relief that we had finally got to the end of the two years.”
08.33 The National Union of Students (NUS) is today launching a campaign
to coincide with A-level Results Day. The union is calling on the education
secretary Nicky Morgan to fully reverse the decoupling of the AS and
A-level, allowing students to take an AS-level as part of their full A-level
qualification.
The NUS believes that changing the AS-level to a standalone qualification will
be detrimental to many students wanting to progress through their
qualification. They also say it forces students to specialise at the age of
sixteen, as you can no longer try a subject for a year and drop it if you
decide it isn’t the right fit.
Joe Vinson, NUS vice president said: "Today should be a day to celebrate
the achievements of students and teachers up and down the country.
However, it’s absolutely unacceptable to expect students to learn for two
years solid and then be assessed solely at the end with no testing on a
modular or even yearly basis."
08.25 While the hashtag #resultsdayquotes
was trending yesterday, teenagers have been taking to social media
again this morning to make their predictions about today.
To wish people luck:
And to share how they are feeling on the big day:
08.17 This week we reported figures published by Leeds Metropolitan
University which reveal that some sixth formers are being offered large
cash incentives and cars for success in their exams - with some
being offered up to £2,000 for an A* and £1,500 for an A grade.
But what do you think? Should teenagers be offered incentives? Vote in our
poll below:
07.51 Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of Universities UK, has said
there has been an increase in university applications this year, with more
than 650,000 people applying:
As
always, for the majority of applicants this year, if they get the grades
required in their offer, they will secure their place at university this
autumn. For qualified applicants without a university place there will still
be a good chance to look for another suitable course from a wide range of
universities via Clearing.
We must get away from the idea that Clearing is a 'second best option'.
Last year, a record 57,000 students found a place via the Clearing route.
With a good amount of research, speaking to advisors and staying calm,
students can find the right place for them this September. It is important
to remember that they need to pick a course that motivates them as they will
be studying it for several years."
07.50 Will you be able to count the 12
things that happen on A-level results day? From jumping for joy
Oxbridge kids, to chats about Richard Branson, Mehreen Khan highlights a few
of the things that you're likely to encounter today.
07.40 Jo Heywood, head of Heathfield School, has said that if students
fail to get their grades they shouldn't panic but remember "the early
bird catches the worm".
Those looking for a degree place should be "tenacious and persistent",
Ms Heywood suggested, adding that one of her previous students who had
slightly missed her grades travelled to the university she wanted to attend
and waited there until they agreed to give her a place on her chosen course.
"It may be difficult for some to do that," Ms Heywood said, "but
if there's any way you can, show you're really keen and what it means to you."
07.30 In her column today Allison Pearson asks 'is the crippling
anxiety over exams what we want for our children?'
Since
my A-levels in the late-Seventies, the exam system has changed beyond all
recognition. Then, you entered sixth form and spent a wonderful first year
reading around your subject or dossing about in the common room, researching
what it meant to be a young adult. Happy daze.
The system that my daughter and her friends have gone through allows for no
let-up. Since she was 13, there has hardly been a holiday without a dark
exam cloud overhead. (Her secondary school actually scheduled its internal
exams in the week after half-term to ensure that the kids spent that
precious time off revising.)
For my generation, exams were what happened occasionally at the end of the
summer term... Contrast with today, where I have seen really able
middle-class kids in despair because they failed to get enough A*s in their
GCSEs.
07.20 In an interview with the Telegraph, Greg Clark, the new Universities
Minister, has said extra effort should be made to get more teenagers
into higher education in some towns and cities where entry rates are just a
quarter of those in other areas.
He quoted figures showing how only a minority of school leavers in parts of
cities such as Nottingham, Bristol, Leeds, Portsmouth, Southampton and Hull
went on to university.
Speaking for the first time since his appointment as Universities Minister in
the recent reshuffle, Mr Clark said efforts had made to create more
opportunities, with the government giving universities more powers to
expand, creating an additional 30,000 places this year alone.
But he said universities themselves must act as “talent scouts” in areas with
low participation rates, finding “young people who can achieve great things,
wherever they are”
07.10 As we have heard, the number of universities in Clearing
will be up a fifth this year. Clearing vacancies went live at midnight,
but we have put together a graphic to show which ones are in the process and
how many places they have available.
Students will be able to find out if they are in Clearing by logging on to
Ucas Track at 8am. If you are in Clearing:
Find university Clearing places now with our live Telegraph
Clearing search and our free Clearing
2014 app for iPhone
07.00 Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of today's A-level
Results Day. Three-quarters of top universities will make places
available through clearing today as the publication of A-level results
triggers a “football transfer window”-style scramble to recruit Britain’s
brightest teenagers.
At least 18 out of 24 members of the elite Russell Group confirmed they would
be recruiting students on results day this year – more than at the same
point 12 months ago.
Overall, the number of courses advertised by all universities in Clearing will
be up by a fifth on last year.