On Thursday morning a record 228,990 offer-holders woke up to the news that they had got into their first-choice university – a number that has shot up by one percent from last year. The uptick comes after top universities, grouped by officials as “high tariff”, increased the number of students they accepted from 179,360 to 188,480 this year. The results have been outstanding for England, with students achieving record levels of top grades and their best performance outside the pandemic years. Yet, while this diligent cohort of students deserves to be on a direct pipeline to promising futures, officials are sounding the alarm over the fact that the prospects ahead are not so optimistic.  

The Department for Education projected that almost 58,000 18-year-olds in England will not receive grades on Thursday having already left education and training. May’s official figures revealed that the number of 16- to 24-year-olds not in employment, education or training (NEETs) topped one million for the first time since 2013, hitting 1.01 million between January and March.  

“It is a day to think about whether A-Levels should remain so heavily reliant on end of course exams.”

Commenting on results day, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “Congratulations to all students receiving their A-Level, Vocational and Technical Qualification results today, and to all the dedicated staff who have taught them. 

“It is a day to think about whether A-Levels should remain so heavily reliant on end of course exams. This is an outdated approach which limits students’ ability to demonstrate their full range of skills. Using more varied methods of assessment would better prepare young people with what they will need for future learning, life and employment. 

“Students taking vocational and technical qualifications have also faced years of disruption and uncertainty. NEU members remain unconvinced that new V-Levels can match the proven pathways and opportunities offered by Applied General qualifications, such as BTECs and Cambridge Technicals. 

“As the new Education Secretary reviews the outcome of the Curriculum and Assessment Review, we encourage her to address these issues.”  

Furthermore, statistics show the gap between the highest and lowest performing regions in England has grown to a record level.

“Looking at results amongst groups of students today it is important to recognise the barriers to learning created by poverty, deprivation and regional inequality in our country.”

Kebede said: “Looking at results amongst groups of students today it is important to recognise the barriers to learning created by poverty, deprivation and regional inequality in our country.  Schools do everything they can to respond to poverty but the pressures and strains on schools in areas of disadvantage must be addressed by Andy Burnham’s Government, including all our schools and colleges to be properly funded.” 

Paul Whiteman, General Secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “Regional disparities in A level grades remain a concern. While it is hard to pinpoint the reasons for this, levels of poverty, varying investment into education, health, social care and other support services and infrastructure, and the lingering impact of the pandemic, may all have a part to play.

“This isn’t an issue that arises overnight when students start sixth form or college, but can be baked in from a young age. That is why it’s vital the government maintains a strong focus on, and investment in, the early years, as well as in addressing the root causes and impact of poverty.

“It will also be crucial that the government’s proposals for devolution and its role in shaping new technical education pathways, are developed closely with the profession, and serve to close rather than exacerbate attainment gaps between different parts of the country. Schools’ and colleges’ ability to offer a range of opportunities which cater for young people’s needs and interests should not be constrained by a lack of resources or where they are based.”

“It’s vital the government maintains a strong focus on, and investment in, the early years, as well as in addressing the root causes and impact of poverty.”

The Burnham government has been discussing a ‘revolution’ in the UK education system to tackle the NEETs crisis and improve prospects for young people. Ahead of A-Level results day, Education Secretary Lucy Powell said: “My priority is making sure every young person has the skills, knowledge, and confidence to thrive in the jobs of the future.  

“That’s why we’re giving technical education the respect it deserves by rolling out new V Levels to go alongside A Levels, introducing brilliant routes into the careers of the future from age 14, and fully funding apprenticeship training for under-25s.” 

Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “It is important to remember that today is not only about celebrating A-levels and that many thousands of young people take a range of equivalent qualifications in technical and vocational subjects which are vital both to their progression and to providing the skills base of the nation.  

“New Prime Minister Andy Burnham has spoken about the importance of parity of esteem between these educational pathways alongside academic routes and, if we are to achieve that ambition, we must ensure that on days like today we recognise achievement across the board. The government is embarking on a major programme of reforms to these qualifications over the next few years with the introduction of V-levels alongside the evolving landscape of T-levels, and it is of the utmost importance that this is accompanied by a campaign to raise awareness among families and employers. 

“They must be embedded in the national psyche in the same way that A-levels have long been widely understood and recognised. 

“To that end we are pleased to see that the Joint Council for Qualifications has for the first time published the results of many vocational and technical qualifications alongside A-levels. It is a step in the right direction.”  

The students getting their A-level results today were born around 2008, meaning they are children of the financial crisis and have experienced the impact of major world events such as COVID-19, which have disrupted their education. Furthermore, following the UK’s exit from the European Union, opportunities to study abroad and take part in student exchanges have become more limited than for previous generations.