WALES’s Education Minister, Lynne Neagle, has congratulated learners across Wales who have received their A-level, AS, Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate and vocational qualification results this morning.
29.9% got the top A* and A grades, which, although down on last year (34%), was what the exams watchdog called part of a “glide-path back” from higher results during the pandemic.
On a visit to Coleg Cambria in Wrexham, the Cabinet Secretary met students collecting their results.
Ms Neagle said: “Today is a big day for everyone receiving their results across Wales. I want to congratulate all the students, as well as our fantastic teachers and school and college staff, for all their hard work leading up to today.
“This year’s exams mark the final step to pre-pandemic arrangements. This year, for the first time since the pandemic, A-level and AS Levels exams and assessments took place with the same arrangements as pre-pandemic.
“The results are what we hoped to see and are broadly similar to pre-pandemic outcomes.
“Each and every one of you receiving results today should be tremendously proud of your achievements. Today is a testament to your resilience and perseverance.
“Whatever your plans are for the next step in your life, I wish you all ‘pob lwc’. There are many ways to continue your learning. Some of you may be about to start an apprenticeship or a new job, or maybe you have secured a place at your chosen university, including some of our great institutions here in Wales.
“But if you need advice on what to do next, there’s plenty of information and support available to you, through your school or college as well as the Young Person’s Guarantee which offers a range of options.”
STEADY RETURN TO PRE-PANDEMIC GRADES
Over the last three years, there has been a transition back towards pre-pandemic arrangements.
In 2023, the aim was for outcomes to be broadly midway between those for summer 2022 and 2019. In 2022, the aim was for outcomes to be broadly midway between those for summer 2021 and summer 2019.
2024 is the final year of the transition back to pre-pandemic arrangements. Future grade boundaries will generally rise as the pandemic’s impact diminishes and Wales returns to established performance standards.
- There were 32,385 A-level entries for summer 2024, 2.3% fewer than summer 2023, and 42,630 AS-level entries.
- 10.1% of candidates achieved an A*w – less than last year (13.5%) – but more than before the pandemic (8.9% in 2019)
- Girls continued to outperform boys at most A-level grade points – by 0.5 percentage points at A* and A and 6.6 percentage points at A* to C.
- Mathematics, biology and psychology are still the most popular subjects
- The biggest proportional increase in entries since 2023 was for the Welsh language (up from 185 to 230) and further mathematics (540 to 605)
- The biggest decreases were in geography (1,040 from 1,285) and Spanish (125 from 150)
Margaret Farragher, chief executive of the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), said: “While the pandemic is now behind us, we must acknowledge that this group of students faced disruption during their education and pay tribute to their resilience.”
Nicola Fitzpatrick, Interim Wales Secretary for the National Education Union Cymru, said: “NEU Cymru congratulates all students who received their A-Level, AS level, and other Level 3 qualification results today. They have kept going through the pandemic and through years of austerity. Their determination and resilience, alongside the efforts of educators, parents and carers who support them, deserve great credit.
“It is really unhelpful to compare results from one year to the next. Different methods of assessment have been used, different levels of pandemic disruption have been experienced, and Qualifications Wales has implemented different approaches to grading from one year to the next.
“For young people, it is really important to know that today isn’t the rest of your life – if you don’t get the results you want, there are plenty of options and choices.
“As Wales decides to review the post-16 offer, in terms of assessment, we have the opportunity to focus in on the wellbeing of young people, and the wellbeing and workload of education professionals. We need a system which supports wellbeing but doesn’t increase workload for staff. We look forward to working with everyone in the system on making this a reality.”
CONGRATULATIONS BUT BETTER FUNDING NEEDED
Plaid Cymru called upon the Labour Welsh Government to secure a fair funding deal from the UK Labour Government in order to invest in the education sector in Wales at all levels and ensure opportunities for young people across Wales to live and work in their communities.
It was revealed this year that Welsh universities are either undertaking or considering staff redundancies due to financial constraints.
Recent data also revealed that Wales had the lowest number of University applications from sixth-form students in the UK, with just 33.8% of 18-year-olds in Wales applying to study at University compared to a UK-wide figure of 41.9%. Application rates dropped furthest in some of Wales’s most disadvantaged areas.
Headteachers in Wales have warned there is ‘nothing left to cut’ amid financial pressures on schools, stating that children’s education will suffer as a result.
Plaid Cymru spokesperson for Finance, Culture and the Welsh Language Heledd Fychan MS said: “Plaid Cymru would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to every student across Wales receiving their A Level and AS Level results today.
“Many students will now go on to further full-time education, whilst others will be looking at apprenticeships, full-time work or alternative options. It’s important that whatever path our young people set out to follow, there must be ample opportunities and jobs for them here in Wales.”
Tom Giffard MS, Shadow Education Minister, said: “Congratulations to students receiving A-Level results today and the teachers and support staff who have worked incredibly hard.
“It is a testament to the determination and achievement of both staff and pupils to accomplish all they have despite Labour’s cuts to the education budget, a change to the curriculum and a reduction in teachers.
“To all of those students, there are an abundance of options available, including university, apprenticeships and the job market. The world is your oyster.”
Tom Giffard added a cautionary note: “It is a worrying to see that students from a disadvantaged background are being left behind by Labour, with the attainment gap widening. The Welsh Government must come forward with a plan to close that gap.”
