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

Teenagers opened their A-level results across the country

Top ten universities in the UK for student satisfaction, according to Times Higher Education

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

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.

Key Points

• Tens of thousands of students opened their A-level results 
• A-level pass grades (A* to E) hit an eight-year low amid major exam reforms
• More students took Chinese at A-level than German as uptake of languages continued to decline
• Fewer students have been accepted on to UK degree courses this year, figures showed
• Thousands of university courses were still available through clearing

[16 August 2018 14:41 · Eleanor Busby]

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."

[16 August 2018 15:00 · Eleanor Busby]

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."

[16 August 2018 15:22 · Eleanor Busby]

 

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

[16 August 2018 15:55 · Eleanor Busby]

[16 August 2018 16:20 · Eleanor Busby]

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