Education Secretary said:
“Today is a time for celebration as young people up and down the
country collect their exam results. Whether A-Levels, T-Levels or
technical and vocational qualifications, I wish everyone the
very best of luck, and offer my heartfelt thanks to the fantastic
teachers, staff and parents who've supported them to this
milestone.
“Every young person should have the opportunity to achieve and
thrive. This government won't stand by and accept the entrenched
inequalities that continue to blight the life chances of too many
young people, especially those from white working class
backgrounds who have long been overlooked.
“We're already taking decisive action and making encouraging
progress. With great options from degree apprenticeships and
high-quality technical qualifications to traditional university
routes, we are giving young people the tools they need to get
great jobs, fill talent gaps, and help drive economic growth as
part of our Plan for Change.”
Background:
- There are a wide range of high-quality options for young
people to consider.
- University continues to be a popular choice for young
people with record numbers of 18-year-olds applying this year.
Last year, nearly 76% of young people who got a decision on
results day were accepted to their first-choice university, with
more disadvantaged students accepted to higher education than
ever before.
- Degree apprenticeships are a great option and can open up
higher education to many young people who otherwise might not
have been able to obtain a degree. They offer excellent value for
money and will continue to be key to driving economic
growth.
- T Levels are also delivering fantastic results for students –
with 97% of T Level students who applied to university last year
receiving at least one offer, and around a third of T Level
students who progress into employment getting jobs and
apprenticeships with their T Level Industry Placement
employer.
- Every year results continue to expose the inequalities which
have become entrenched in our education system - gaps
between regions, between private schools and state schools,
disadvantaged children , that continue to undermine national
progress on education.
- Among these inequalities is the scandalously poor outcomes
year on year for white working-class children with just 18% of
white British working-class children achieving a strong pass in
maths and English at GCSE last year.
- To tackle the root causes that continue to hold young people
back, the government is driving high and rising standards
for every child through the independent Curriculum and Assessment
Review, new RISE teams and strengthened school
accountability measures – alongside wider work to tackle
disadvantage such as expanding free school meals, providing free
breakfast clubs across the country and revitalising family
services in every local authority.
- To build on this, a Schools and Post-16 Skills white paper
will be published in the autumn setting out reforms for an
education system where every child and young person can achieve
and thrive, regardless of their background or
circumstances.
- If students have missed out on the grades they need. There
are thousands of courses available in
Clearing and UCAS will help match students
to those courses.
- There's a huge amount of support on hand if students or
parents have questions:
- Students' school or college – or the admissions team at the
university to which they are applying - should be their first
port of call.
- Students can also get advice by visiting the Get Help with Exam Results
hub on the National Careers Service website. Students
can also contact an expert careers adviser by webchat through the
National Careers Service website or by calling 0800 100
900.
- UCAS's Clearing hotline on 0371 468 0 468 is open to help
students understand their options.
- The online ‘Clearing Plus' service will help match students
to courses with entry requirements that align with the grades
they achieved.
