Commenting as students prepare to collect their results in a
range of post-16 qualifications, Geoff Barton, General Secretary
of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:
“Our best wishes to all students who are collecting results on
Thursday. It is important to bear in mind that this cohort has
been more disrupted than any set of students since the second
world war. They have spent the past two-and-a-half years under
the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic which has had a massively
disruptive impact on their learning.
“Their teachers have worked very hard to support them during this
time, and adaptations were also made to this year’s exams to try
to mitigate the learning disruption in as much as this is
possible, including pitching grading standards at a midway point
between those of last year and those of 2019 when exams were last
taken.
“However, it remains the case that the impact on learning and
results is likely to be uneven depending on how different
schools, colleges and communities have been affected.
“This is why it is so important to focus on supporting students
to progress to the next stage of their lives, in higher education
or work-based training, rather than to fixate too heavily on
distinctions between grades both within this year’s cohort and
compared to other years, particularly as this year’s grading
standards are different from those both during and before the
pandemic.
“It is also important to bear in mind that many young people will
tomorrow collect results not only in A-levels but in excellent
vocational and technical qualifications such as BTEC Nationals
and Cambridge Technicals, as well as the first cohort of students
to graduate with T-levels.
“These are superb achievements which need to be celebrated just
as much as A-level attainment, and it is of vital importance that
the government maintains this breadth of qualification choice as
it brings more T-levels on stream rather than removing other
vocational qualifications which are immensely popular.
“Much has been written over the past few days about pressure on
university places. It is likely that there has been more
competition for the most selective universities and courses but
this is because of a rise in the number of 18-year-olds and has
nothing to do with adjustments in grading standards.
“Universities made their offers with all these factors in mind
and where students miss places on their first-choice courses
there will be many other options available. We would urge
students in this situation not to panic and to talk to their
school or college where their teachers are very experienced in
providing advice and support.
“A-level entries are up 4.2% this year – partly because of the
increase in the 18-year-old cohort – and it is great to see
subjects such as psychology and sociology doing so well with big
rises of 11.6% and 9.5% respectively.
“However, we have to express severe concern about the continuing
decline in English entries at A-level with English Literature
down 8.9% this year. It should be perfectly clear to the
government that its reforms to GCSE English Literature are
obviously putting students off the subject because of the grind
of memorising large amounts of traditional texts.
“Literature is a vital part not only of our cultural past, but of
our diverse cultural present, and it should be a living,
breathing subject which inspires and empowers young people. The
GCSE specification needs to be urgently reviewed and action taken
to stop the spiral of decline we are seeing at A-level.”
Note: Statistics on A-level entries are in Provisional entries for
GCSE. AS and A level: summer 2022 exam series, Ofqual, 26 May
2022.
