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Results Day Looms
Thousands of students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are set to receive A-level, T-level and BTec results on Thursday morning, with another record number expected to learn whether they have secured a place at their first-choice university.
“Thousands of students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will receive A-level, T-level and BTec results on Thursday morning”
The BBC said around 250,000 grades for vocational and technical qualifications are expected to be released to students in England, including BTec National, Cambridge Technical, Cambridge Advanced National and T-level results.
In England, the Department for Education projections cited by The Independent suggest almost 58,000 18-year-olds will receive no grades on Thursday after leaving education and training early, while May’s official figures showed 1.01 million 16 to 24-year-olds outside both work and study between January and March.
The Independent also reported that Lucy Powell said: “My priority is making sure every young person has the skills, knowledge, and confidence to thrive in the jobs of the future.”
Ahead of results day, the BBC noted Universities UK chief executive Vivienne Stern urged students to not “let politicians make your decision for you.”
Technical Routes and Pressure
The Independent said the Education Secretary is focused on a “revolution” in technical and vocational pathways to answer the “clarion call” of the Neets crisis, and it quoted Powell saying: “That’s why we’re giving technical education the respect it deserves by rolling out new V Levels to go alongside A Levels.”
The BBC reported that Jo Saxton, chief executive of Ucas, said she found “kicking higher education incredibly frustrating,” adding that while parity between academic and technical education is right, she still thinks there are “lots and lots and lots of young people the best place for whom would be in a university.”
The Independent tied the Neets figures to the scale of the challenge, stating that May’s official figures showed 1.01 million 16 to 24-year-olds outside both work and study for the first time since 2013.
It also said a PA sample of 131 of the UK’s largest higher education providers showed there were 22,698 courses with vacancies for undergraduate students living in England on the Ucas clearing site.
In Scotland, the BBC said the pass rate for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher rose across the board, while The Independent reported National 5 passes reached record levels and gave pass rates of 79.2%, 76.7% and 77.6%.
Clearing, Appeals, and Options
With results day on Thursday, Manchester Evening News said grades will be released at 8am BST, and it noted that UCAS will refresh on results day so applicants can see whether their offer status has updated from 8am.
“Grades will be released at 8am BST”
My London said results day falls on Thursday, August 13 across England, Northern Ireland and Wales, and it described how students can challenge outcomes by approaching their school or college first and then having a request submitted for a reassessment of the examination’s marking.
The Independent said leaders in the sector warned that a “growing pressure” on student finances and cost-of-living concerns will influence choices through clearing, amid a rise in students considering living at home and working alongside their studies.
In Wales, The Tab said Cardiff University’s dedicated Clearing lines are open from 8am on Thursday, August 13th, and it quoted a Cardiff Met spokesperson saying: “There is high demand for Cardiff Met’s sports-related courses, and applicants interested in these programmes are encouraged to call as early as possible to discuss their options and secure a place for September entry.”
The BBC added that last year the proportion of students getting top A-level results reached a record high, with 28.3% of all grades across England, Wales and Northern Ireland marked at A* or A, as students weigh what comes next.
