BRITAIN's students are finding out their eagerly awaited A-level results TODAY - in turn shaping the course of their futures for years to come.
Tens of thousands of teenagers woke up to receive the important news on "results day", which will determine their university placement.
Students have scored record A-Level results this year after the number of top grades almost doubled under teacher-assessment.
Brampton Manor Academy, in East London, achieved 55 Oxbridge offers, more than Eton College, the school Boris Johnson once attended.
Brampton Manor Academy in Newham, east London
A whopping 44% of grades were at A* and A this year, sky-rocketing from the 25% registered when exams were last held in 2019.
And to celebrate, restaurants such as Nandos, Pizza Express and Taco Bell are offering free food to A-level students.
Read our A-level results blog below for the latest news, updates and details of how to claim free food...
caroline.mortimer@thesun.co.uk 13 minutes ago
CONSIDERING AN APPRENTICESHIP?
Apprenticeships are where you spend 80 per cent of your time in a job and 20 per cent in the classroom are becoming ever more attractive options.
You can do them in all sorts of subjects, from digital marketing to law and HR. You get a qualification as well as a salary.
Research shows 79 per cent of employers do not look for a degree for their entry-level positions. They value resilience, enthusiasm and learning agility.
Check out websites gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship, NotGoingToUni.co.uk and RateMyApprenticeship.co.uk.
caroline.mortimer@thesun.co.uk 44 minutes ago
BEST GRADE PLANS
Students have scored record A-Level results this year after the number of top grades almost doubled under teacher-assessment.
A whopping 45% of grades were at A* and A this year, sky-rocketing from the 25% registered when exams were last held in 2019.
A staggering 44.3% of 18-year-olds achieved A-A* grades, whereas 44.8% of all students regardless of age got A-A*.
The number of pupils getting a B and above has also risen sharply to 70% with those at private schools and in London among the biggest winners.
But while the proportion of top grades has grown, the percentage of those at C to E has remained “relatively stable”.
louis.allwood@thesun.co.uk 59 minutes ago
JEREMY DOING WHAT JEREMY DOES BEST
If the teachers didn’t give you the A level results you were hoping for, don’t worry. I got a C and 2Us and I’ve ended up happy, with loads of friends and a Bentley.
— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) August 10, 2021
louis.allwood@thesun.co.uk Today, 23:30
A LEVEL STUDENTS SHARE HILARIOUS MEMES AS THEY CELEBRATE RECORD RESULTS
louis.allwood@thesun.co.uk Today, 23:15
HOW MANY UCAS POINTS DO YOU GET FOR EACH A-LEVEL GRADE
Some universities and courses will make offers based on the total number of points you earn.
A* – 56 A – 48 B – 40 C – 32 D – 24 E – 16
louis.allwood@thesun.co.uk Today, 23:00
ALMOST 50% OF ENGLISH A-LEVEL PUPILS SCORE A GRADES
Students have scored record A-Level results this year after the number of top grades almost doubled under teacher-assessment.
A whopping 44% of grades were at A* and A this year, sky-rocketing from the 25% registered when exams were last held in 2019.
The number of pupils getting a B and above has also risen sharply to 70% with pupils at private schools and in London the biggest winners.
But while the proportion of top grades has grown, the percentage of those at C to EU has remained “relatively stable”.
Officials admitted that the discrepancy is partly down to teachers giving their pupils “some benefit of the doubt”.
Just under one in five (19%) of all grades awarded was at the top A* level.
And a massive 12,945 students in England registered three A*s compared to 7,774 last year and just 2,664 in 2018.
louis.allwood@thesun.co.uk Today, 22:45
A LEVEL STUDENTS HIT THE TOWN TO CELEBRATE BEST GRADES IN YEARS – AND SOME REALLY LET THEIR HAIR DOWN
Students hit the town across the country, downing cocktails and letting their hair down after two years of studying during the pandemic.
Pupils in Newcastle and Leeds got dressed up to the nines and made up for lost time as they got boozy with their pals.
Groups of girls were spotted making the most of cocktail offers and jumping for joy whilst out on the town.
Jeremy Clarkson also offered his yearly sage advice to anyone who might not have done as well as they had hoped.
Many pupils also took to social media and posted their highs and lows by using memes.
A whopping 45% of grades were at A* and A this year, sky-rocketing from the 25% registered when exams were last held in 2019.
louis.allwood@thesun.co.uk Today, 22:30
MORE THAN 200,000 STUDENTS HEADING TO UNIVERSITY
More than 210,000 students have had their university places confirmed with 192,000 getting their first choice, the Department of Education has said.
Its data shows more than 695,000 A levels have been awarded along with 340,000 vocational and technical qualifications.
The Department of Education also says the number of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds going to university had increased proportionally by 11%.
It report: 19% of entries are at grade A*, with 44.3% at grade A or above – up 4.6% and 6% on 2020 respectively.
louis.allwood@thesun.co.uk Today, 22:15
LONDON STATE SCHOOL GETS MORE OXBRIDGE OFFERS THAN ETON COLLEGE
Students at Brampton Manor Academy achieved a total of 55 Oxbridge offers.
This is 7 more than Eton College, the school Prime Minister Boris Johnson attended.
Eton College achieved 48 Oxbridge offers, down from 69 the previous year.
Most pupils at the London school have free school meals and are from an ethnic background with many being the first of their family to attend university.
louis.allwood@thesun.co.uk Today, 22:00
HOW DOES CLEARING WORK THIS YEAR? (CONTINUED…)
There will be around 90,000 students aiming to join different courses, with many trying to switch after doing better than expected thanks to teacher-graded A-levels.
Applications chief Clare -Marchant reckons a record number of students will take up places through clearing, but there will be highly sought-after “hotspots”.
She warned that “for those most selective courses at the most selective institutions, it is likely to be more competitive”.
Ms Marchant urged students to make a decision about courses “in a matter of days” rather than waiting weeks as she expects the system to be “active”.
louis.allwood@thesun.co.uk Today, 21:45
HOW DOES CLEARING WORK THIS YEAR?
The official university applications body last week said competition for places is tougher than ever thanks to inflated grades and a lack of courses.
UCAS said students going through clearing – which helps people find courses with places remaining – are likely to find it harder to get onto the courses they want.
Hopefuls are able to search for a course against the subject they are interested in, or the university they would like to attend.
Clearing is a way for universities to fill any places they still have empty, while applicants who did not receive an offer have another chance at getting into higher education.
louis.allwood@thesun.co.uk Today, 21:30
BEST GRADE PLANS
Students have scored record A-Level results this year after the number of top grades almost doubled under teacher-assessment.
A whopping 45% of grades were at A* and A this year, sky-rocketing from the 25% registered when exams were last held in 2019.
A staggering 44.3% of 18-year-olds achieved A-A* grades, whereas 44.8% of all students regardless of age got A-A*.
The number of pupils getting a B and above has also risen sharply to 70% with those at private schools and in London among the biggest winners.
But while the proportion of top grades has grown, the percentage of those at C to E has remained “relatively stable”.
louis.allwood@thesun.co.uk Today, 21:15
HEIRY CLEVER: HOW DID THE ROYALS FAIR IN THEIR A-LEVELS?
louis.allwood@thesun.co.uk Today, 21:00
A-LEVEL ROUNDUP
A whopping 49 per cent of grades were at A* and A this year The number getting a B and above rose sharply to 70 per cent More than 210,000 students got accepted into university
louis.allwood@thesun.co.uk Today, 20:45
UNIVERSITIES REFUSING TO GIVE IN-PERSON LECTURES SHOULD SLASH ‘RIP-OFF’ ￡9K-A-YEAR FEES, GAVIN WILLIAMSON SAYS
Gavin Williamson warned that institutions giving lousy lectures would face action from the students watchdog.
Several top unis have vowed to continue with online lectures next term, while others plan to adopt "blended learning".
A-Level pupils getting their results this morning fear they won't get the full campus experience - but still have to pay ￡9,250 a year.
Stern Mr Williamson said: "I think if universities are not delivering, not delivering what students expect, then actually they shouldn't be charging the full fees."
louis.allwood@thesun.co.uk Today, 20:30
STUDENTS DESERVE GOLD MEDALS… NOT JUST A-GRADES AFTER COVID DISRUPTED THEIR LIVES
Sun exclusive comment by education secretary Gavin Williamson
Results week is here – and for thousands of young people and their families the wait is almost over. Getting your A-level, GCSE or vocational results is always a nerve-racking time.
But this year students overcame even greater challenges than normal. While the pandemic has caused disruption to everyone’s lives, young people have really had to dig deep.
Frankly, if there had been an Olympic medal for grit, our students would all have won gold.
We faced stark choices this year when a new variant of Covid meant schools had to close again for public safety as we locked down.
Some people argued loudly that we should put off the entire process — making students repeat the year, then take exams and receive their -qualifications later. But putting all those futures on hold was not an option.
Read more here.
louis.allwood@thesun.co.uk Today, 20:15
HOW ARE GRADES BEING AWARDED THIS YEAR?
GCSE and A-level exams have been cancelled for 2021, because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and third lockdown that saw schools closed.
The government decided to axe this summer’s testing regime with a Department for Education spokesperson saying in early January: “The Government position is that we will not be asking students to sit GCSE and A-Levels.”
On January 6, 2021, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said GCSE, AS and A-level exams in England will be replaced by school-based assessments. The Department for Education and England’s exams regulator Ofqual says teachers can draw on a range of evidence when determining grades.
This includes mock exams, coursework or other work completed as part of a pupil’s course, such as essays or in-class tests. Pupils will only be assessed on what they have been taught after months of school and college closures.
Schools and colleges will submit their grades to exam boards by June 18 to maximise teaching time.
louis.allwood@thesun.co.uk Today, 20:00
WHAT DO UNCONDITIONAL, CONDITIONAL AND WITHDRAWN UNIVERSITY OFFERS MEAN?
A conditional offer means you still need to meet certain requirements – usually specific exam results.
For example, this could be that a student needs to achieve ABB to be accepted onto a specific course at a particularly university.
Certain courses may also be required - for example, an A in chemistry and at least two other sciences or mathematics.
Conditional offers can also be made for a certain number of UCAS Tariff points, including BTECs, as well as International Baccalaureate Diploma and Scottish Higher grades.
An unconditional offer means you've already met the entry requirements so the place is yours if you want it, although there might still be a few things to arrange.
For example, to begin the course you might need to get a DBS or PVG check or meet some financial or medical requirements.
An unsuccessful application means the university has chosen not to offer you a place, while a withdrawn choice means a course has been withdrawn by either you or the university or college.
louis.allwood@thesun.co.uk Today, 19:45
A-LEVEL RESULTS DAY 2021: 45% OF ENTRIES GET A OR A* AS TOP GRADES NEARLY DOUBLE IN 2 YEARS
Nervous students open their A-level and final exam results on live TV
louis.allwood@thesun.co.uk Today, 19:30
TAKE TIME OUT WITH A GAP YEAR
A GAP year is always a good option. Employers look for life skills – and you will get plenty of those once you leave school and navigate your own path.
But have a plan, whether it is getting work experience, paid work, more studying or travelling.
If you have a university place for this year, and you want to defer, they will ask what you intend to do with the time – so have your answers ready.
If you plan to study maths and physics courses, they will want you to keep your hand in learning during your gap year.
You can keep studying with hundreds of short, free, online courses from Future Learn, futurelearn.com/courses.
louis.allwood@thesun.co.uk Today, 19:15
ALMOST 50% OF ENGLISH A-LEVEL PUPILS SCORE A GRADES
Students have scored record A-Level results this year after the number of top grades almost doubled under teacher-assessment.
A whopping 44% of grades were at A* and A this year, sky-rocketing from the 25% registered when exams were last held in 2019.
The number of pupils getting a B and above has also risen sharply to 70% with pupils at private schools and in London the biggest winners.
But while the proportion of top grades has grown, the percentage of those at C to EU has remained “relatively stable”.
Officials admitted that the discrepancy is partly down to teachers giving their pupils “some benefit of the doubt”.
Just under one in five (19%) of all grades awarded was at the top A* level.
And a massive 12,945 students in England registered three A*s compared to 7,774 last year and just 2,664 in 2018.
louis.allwood@thesun.co.uk Today, 19:00
BTEC RESULTS EXPLAINED
While tens of thousands of young people will be celebrating getting their results today not all of them will clutching a new set of A-Levels.
BTEC grades are also out today and generally vocational qualifications which are worth the same as A-Levels.
BTEC qualifications are usually graded from a pass (P) up to a distinction* (D*).
Each mark is equivalent to a letter grade at A-Level and a certain number of UCAS points.
Distinction* is the highest grade you can achieve, which indicates outstanding performance and is similar to an 8+ at GCSE level and an A* at A-Level.
Below that is a distinction (an A), merit (a C), and a pass (E).
louis.allwood@thesun.co.uk Today, 18:45
PM CONGRATULATES A-LEVEL STUDENTS – BUT TELLS THEM TO GET A JAB
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has congratulated all the pupils who got their A-level results today saying they should be “very proud” of what they had achieved in “an extremely challenging year”.
But he warned any teenager about to embark on the next phase of life to get their Covid vaccine first.
All over 18-year-olds are now able to book a vaccine appointment in England.
Congratulations to everyone receiving their A-level results today.
It’s been an extremely challenging year and you should all be very proud of what you’ve achieved.
And as you move to this exciting next stage, make sure you remember to get your jab. pic.twitter.com/ZwVsj4qJbr
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) August 10, 2021
louis.allwood@thesun.co.uk Today, 18:30
EXPLAINED: HOW TO APPEAL A GRADE
Students will be able to appeal to the exam board via their school if there has been an error made in their grade calculation.
Students who are applying to higher education who did not attain the offer they accepted as their first choice, must appeal by August 16.
louis.allwood@thesun.co.uk Today, 18:15
WHERE CAN STUDENTS GET FREE FOOD TODAY?
Students picking up A-Level results today can get their hands on free food from some of their favourite restaurants.
If you’re celebrating after opening that all-important letter, make sure you keep hold of it to show staff and cash in on the freebies.
With offers at major high street brands such as Nando’s, Pizza Express and Frankie & Benny’s make sure to nab a bargain as you celebrate (or commiserate) with friends.
Read more about where to find the best deals here
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