Subject: A-level Results Special
Is
it that time of year again already? All over the country, A-level students are
finding out just how well they did as the results are finally released.
For many, this will be the biggest step so far on their path to university
and beyond, while as usual the results have inspired debate throughout the
education world and beyond.
The
overview
Here
in the North East the news is overwhelmingly good. The region has seen the
greatest improvement of any region in the percentage of young people receiving
A grades, and we are second only to London in the improvement of the overall
pass rate since 2002.
Several
Newcastle have schools reported their best ever results and record numbers of
students sitting A-level exams. The Guardian’s Motarboardblog highlighted the
success of students from Sacred Heart RC High in Fenham recorded 85% A-C
grades, a 14% increase on last year, and the Journal reported on Gosforth High,
where A-level entries have risen by almost 50% since 2004 to 762 in 2009 with
the overall pass rate up 1% to 98.7%.
In
Sunderland, the percentage of higher grade A-C passes has increased by a
whopping 11% from 52% last year to 63% this year. The percentage of
overall passes has risen from 94% to 96%. City of Sunderland College (sixth
forms - Bede, St Peter's and Usworth) is
celebrating a 99% pass rate – a six per cent improvement on 2008.
Nationally, more than one in four entries - 26.7% - were awarded A grades, up
from 25.9% last year with the overall pass rate rising to 97.5%, up 0.3
percentage points. This is the 27th consecutive year that there has
been an improvement in grades which will undoubtedly add to the pressure on
university places. There are there are 60,000 more applicants for university
places in the UK than this time last year which is a 10% rise on last year.
The A-level results have been released by the Joint Council for
Qualifications (JCQ), the body which represents the exam boards, and show that
just over three quarters of entries were awarded a C grade or better.
Traditional subjects such as English and Maths remain the most popular subjects
at A-level, with an extra 7,882 entries for maths this year, and an extra 1,382
entries for further maths. However the North still has work to do to catch the
South, Midlands and East Anglia regions in entries to several subjects
including French, German, Maths and Physics.
Statement
from SCHOOLS NorthEast Chairman David Pearmain
“Today
is a day to celebrate the achievements of our region’s young people, and there
is much to celebrate. This year shows the North East making the greatest
improvement of any region in the percentage of young people receiving the top
grade, and we are second only to London in the improvement of the overall pass
rate over the last seven years. We also have more young people than ever
staying on at school and progressing to further and higher education.
“As
A level pass rates improve again the annual chorus of ‘easier exams and dumbing
down of qualifications’ echoes round the media. The point has been made
that Usain Bolt’s smashing of the 100 metres world record this week does not
signal that the event is getting easier; rather that athletes are getting
better, sports science has improved and that
preparation, coaching and training techniques are more effective than ever
before. Today’s results deserve our warmest congratulations as they reflect the
hard work and dedication of our students and the expertise, commitment and
support of schools, teacher and parents.
“The young people opening their results
today are the future of our region. In these difficult economic times we
must make sure there are all given the encouragement, advice and opportunity to
achieve their ambitions and develop the skills that the North East needs to
compete in the new economy.”
News
round-up
A-level
results in the North East
·
Newcastle
Olympic hopeful celebrates A-level success (Journal)
·
High
A-level pass rate for Bedlingtonshire school (News
Post Leader)
·
Teesside
schools celebrate A-level results (Gazette)
·
Students'
dedication produces level best (Sunderland Echo)
·
Brilliant
A-level pupil has TEN A grades but is denied entry to Oxford (Daily Mail)
·
Northumberland's
A-level results announced (Journal)
·
Teenagers
celebrating record A-level results (Chronicle)
A-level
results national stories
·
One
in four A-levels passed at grade A (Guardian)
·
A-levels:
students celebrate record results (Telegraph)
·
A-level
results: Gap year students under pressure (Telegraph)
·
Record
scramble for university courses (Independent)
·
Record top A-level
grades awarded (BBC)
·
Teenagers
score record A-level results as pass rate rises for 27th year in a
row (Daily Mail)
·
Headmaster
says its time for new A-level gold standard (Independent)
·
50,000
A-level students to miss out on place at university (Guardian)
·
60%
have university places confirmed (Independent)
·
A-levels:
maths and science increasingly popular (Telegraph)
·
A-levels:
tougher exams could see results fall next year (Telegraph)
·
A-level
results: best qualified students in history fight for university places (Guardian)
·
‘Standards
must be cranked up’ exam board chief admits (Daily Mail)
A-level
stories over the past week
·
Scandal
of class divide at A-Level
(Independent)
·
School league tables 'a flawed beauty
parade' (Daily Telegraph)
·
Postal strike to hit A-level results (Daily Telegraph)
·
Desperately hoping for good A-level
results (Guardian)
·
Exam results 'need a health warning' (Daily Telegraph)
·
Schools struggle to: (a) weed kids out; or
(b) keep them in? (Guardian)
·
Don't trust data on school exam results, warns
academic group (Guardian)
·
A-level results: Bottom of the class (Daily Telegraph)
·
'Dumbed down' A-level under fire as pass
rates soar (Guardian)
·
Pupils with three A grades double under
Labour (Sunday Times)
·
Tories announce major overhaul of school
exam system and league tables (Sunday Telegraph)
·
Tories want to promote science in league
tables (Independent)
·
UK teachers revive easier exams debate (Financial Times)
·
Universities back part-time study (Independent)
·
A-levels: Media studies more popular than
physics (Daily Telegraph)
·
University clearing fears for A-level
students (Guardian)
·
Students face cut in university clearing (Financial Times)
·
Surge from older students means
school-leavers will miss university (Times)
·
150,000 face heartbreak in battle to get
into university (Daily Mail)
Who
said what – a selection of A-level quotes
“These are excellent results and reflect the hard work of both
students and their teachers and the support of parents. They are a direct
result of the massive improvements in teaching and leadership in schools and
colleges which Ofsted has been reporting for years. "The world economy of
the future will depend upon the application of science and mathematics. These
skills into goods and services will power globalisation in the 21st Century.
Those economies that do not develop and enhance skills in science and maths
will be left behind. That is why the significant increase in the take-up and
attainment of these vital subjects for the future of the British economy should
be a cause for celebration in our country."
Schools Minister,
Iain Wright (MP for Hartlepool) You can read Iain Wright’s comment in full by clicking here.
“Business applauds students and their teachers on their
achievements. Employers value and understand A-levels, and know they reflect
real ability and hard work. Young people need to know that certain subjects -
like maths and science - are highly prized by employers. The skills of
young people will be critical to our ability to convert the opportunities that
the Great North Revolution technologies present into commercial reality
ensuring we attract investment and jobs to the region.”
Sarah Green, Regional Director of CBI You can
read more on the CBI view of the 2009 A-level results by clicking here.
"Every year our young people demonstrate their commitment
and enthusiasm for learning, and every year despite this there is a chorus of
criticism from those who simply can't believe that it is young people's efforts
and the quality of teaching that have yielded the results. Those critics cling
tenaciously to the unsubstantiated allegation that somehow exam standards are
falling. Parents, young people and the general public should ignore those
critics and celebrate young people's success. At a time when the 'knowledge society' is ever more important,
and in the short term when there might be difficulties for young people to find
work, it is right that the government should encourage young people to stay in
education. However, this requires the Government to will the means for
sufficient places in higher education."
Christine Blower, General Secretary of the NUT
“Downplaying the achievements of young people, teachers and
schools at exam results time has become something of a national sport. We have
heard more than enough of the silly season debate, which has claimed, quite
unjustifiably, that A-levels have become easier and that exams have been dumbed
down. Substantial independent evidence proves that a-levels are as rigorous and
demanding as they have ever been.
Hopefully the critics will at least have the decency to keep
quiet for a day. If they can’t, then the young people and teachers should
simply treat such comments with the disdain and contempt they deserve and focus
on the success of their hard work.”
Chris
Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT
"These are excellent results. They are the outcome of the hard
work of students and teachers, who deserve to be congratulated. It is
particularly good to report improved uptake and outcomes for mathematics and science."
Jim Sinclair, director of the JCQ
“It does not make sense
to consider recalibrating the grading system in the short term, since major
changes are already being introduced in 2010 with the new A* grade and
new-style, harder A level papers. This is in response to the government’s
demand for more ‘stretch and challenge’.”
ASCL General Secretary Dr John Dunford You can
read John Dunford’s view in full by clicking here
“The real advantage we had was that when we
found out our results, there wasn’t a local news team hanging around to record
our whoops of joy or howls of disappointment. Nor did we have to tolerate every
nuance of our averaged results nationwide being skewed, used and abused by
politicians, columnists and cultural commentators keen to demonstrate how stupid,
shallow, undereducated and unfit for higher education we all were. How today’s
young cope with such encroachments on their dignity I cannot imagine.”
Stephen Fry
And
finally...
Keep up with all the latest developments on
the Guardian’ Mortarboard blog: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/mortarboard/2009/aug/19/a-levels-live-blog
The blog gives a running commentary of statements and comments
from the great and the good, as well as some lighter offerings from cyberspace
such as a Twitter campaign
against ‘A-level pictures featuring only
pretty girls’!
SCHOOLS NorthEast EPIC Summit 8 October 2009 www.schoolsnortheast.com/summit
In
just two days,
the exciting and
jam-packed programme for the EPIC Summit 2009 will
go live on the SCHOOLS NorthEast website! Some
of the finest speakers from the North East and beyond
have been lined up highlights include:
Sir John Hall
Prof Peter Tymms, Director of Durham University’s Centre for
Evaluation and Monitoring
Prof Sugata Mitra, Professor of Educational Technology, Newcastle
University and instigator of the ‘Hole in the Wall’ experiment, inspiration for
Slumdog Millionaire
Ken McMeikan, CEO Greggs PLC, with Sue Stirling, Child
Poverty Champion
Les Walton OBE, Chair, Young
People’s Learning Agency Committee
Paul Collard, CEO Creativity, Culture and Education, CEO
Expert
surgery sessions
will offer the opportunity to: Empower your profile, your people, your partnerships and your purse. Interactive workshops will allow you to gather
ideas, gain insights and learn from the latest research and leading
practitioners and there is even a dedicated space to create connections, make
contacts and expand your networks. With a marketplace of specially selected organizations and entertainment by our region’s talented
pupils, there’s far too much for just one school
leader!
That’s why we’re offering special
discount on a second place booking. Go to www.schoolsnortheast.com/summit to book your place(s) and take advantage of this
great offer
Anthony Morris
Communications
Officer
SCHOOLS
NorthEast
Tel: 0191
280 5037
Register
now for the SCHOOLS NorthEast EPIC Summit - 8 October, Wynyard Hall
|
|||||||
|
|
|
||||||
