Record places available at UK universities following A-Level results day
Many nails were bitten this week by both teachers and students in anticipation of the A-Level results day. Depending on the results, thousands of teenagers’ university plans can be made or broken, putting immense pressure on everyone involved.
The day appeared to have good news for the majority, with record numbers of students being accepted for a university place. This comes following the removal of a cap which had previously limited the number of places universities in England could offer, giving more students the opportunity to study their desired course at their chosen university.
UCAS have claimed that 424,000 places were accepted following the results, with more places on offer through the clearing process at various universities across the country. Compared to 2015, the number of initial university offers has increased by a massive 3%!
Schools minister Nick Gibb said: “It is hugely encouraging that this year sees a record 424,000 applicants already securing a place at one of our world-class universities, with increasing numbers from disadvantaged backgrounds gaining a place as well.”
The A-Level low down
Like previous years, girls out-performed boys by a considerable margin, with 79.7% of girls achieving grades A*-C compared to 75% of boys.
Computing saw the biggest gender gap in attendance, with girls making up only 9.8% of the total entries. How can this be addressed going forward?
Further Maths, Irish and Maths were the top 3 subjects with the best A*-A pass rates, whilst ICT and Media/Film/TV Studies performed worst out of the subjects.
Maths topped the subjects as the most popular with 92,200 students taking Maths in 2016 (making up 11% of all entries!). Other popular subjects were English, Biology, Psychology and History. These has remained the most popular five subjects for the last few years.
Arts-based subjects have suffered in 2016, with a 15.3% drop in the number of students taking performing arts or expressive arts since last year. Music and Drama also saw a similar decline. What could be the cause of the shift?
Students in the South East performed the best in England, closely followed by those studying A-Levels in London.
Congratulations to all teachers and lecturers who have worked hard to get their students the best grades possible. Did your students get the grades they were looking for?