Newly appointed Education Secretary has wished good luck
to the thousands of young people who are set to receive
their A level results this morning (15 August).
Many students up and down the country will also have their
university offers confirmed, in a year where a record rate
of 18-year-olds in England have applied to go onto higher
education.
Provisional data published in May showed a total of 745,585
A level entries in England this academic year. That
included rises in the number of entries to science courses,
as well as rises in computing and history.
As well as wishing students good luck, the Education
Secretary thanked teachers and schools for their hard work
and highlighted the better quality choices available for
further study.
Education Secretary said:
Everyone receiving results today should feel proud of
their achievements – as should the thousands of teachers
that supported them in our brilliant schools and
colleges. Today marks the culmination of years of hard
work which it’s right to recognise at this time of year.
Of course, the minds of thousands of young people getting
their results will soon turn to the next chapter in their
lives, whether that’s a place at one of our world class
universities, earning on an apprenticeship or entering
the world of work – and I hope every one of them is
excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for them
and I wish them the very best of luck for their results
today.
This year also sees the continuation of the Government’s
reforms to A levels in England, with almost all A level
exams sat this summer being reformed qualifications. The
new A levels have been updated to provide the best possible
preparation for further study and the world of work, with
all exams sat at the end of the course. This removes
continual testing and enables students to gain a deeper
understanding of the subject before they are assessed. The
new A levels are designed to have the same level of
challenge as the previous qualifications.
Thousands of the pupils getting their results today will go
on to do an apprenticeship, offering students high-quality
training and a wide range of career options.
Apprenticeships now offer more off-the-job training than in
previous years and are supported by some of the country’s
leading employers, including Lloyds Banking Group, Royal
Mail and Berkeley Group.
Many students will also go on to one of the UK’s world
leading universities, and the latest cycle of applications
show a record rate of disadvantaged 18-year-olds applying
to go into higher education. This group were 52% more
likely to go to university in 2018 than they were in 2009.
This follows the Government’s efforts to improve access and
successful participation for those from disadvantaged
backgrounds and underrepresented groups, ensuring higher
education is open to everyone with the talent and potential
to benefit from it.
