One in ten A-level students achieved at least three grade As this summer,
increasing pressure for reform of the examination.
The record haul of almost 200,000 A grades prompted complaints from leading
universities that they were increasingly unable to distinguish the brightest
candidates.
The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats both called for an overhaul of A
levels and there were growing demands for the introduction of an A* grade
similar to that at GCSE. Nearly a quarter of the 800,000 A-level grades
awarded yesterday were grade As, with the proportion of top grades rising by
1.3 percentage points to 24.1 per cent, one of the largest increases in 40
years.
The bunching effect among top grades was most pronounced for girls, who inched
further head of boys. One in four girls (25.3 per cent) achieved at least
one grade A, compared with 22.7 per cent of boys. Girls now outperform boys
at grade A in every main A-level subject, apart from modern languages.
In subjects such as modern languages and further maths, between a third and
half of all candidates got an A grade. Politicians and teachers’ unions
praised the pupils’ results and hard work. But, with so many students
gaining three or more A grades, Professor Malcolm Grant, Provost of
University College London and chairman of the Russell Group of 19 leading
universities, said that the most popular universities were increasingly
relying on interviews and tests to find the most promising students.
“It means that we can now regard A levels only as a starting point in
measuring aptitude and achievement. We are then relying on other measures,
such as interviews and aptitude tests for law and medicine,” he said.
Andrew Halls, headmaster of Magdalen College School in Oxford, where one
pupil, Julian Lopez-Portillo, achieved eight grade As, said: “It is
statistically easy to get an A. You can’t deny that and universities find it
hard to discriminate between top pupils. It probably should not be possible
to get eight As.”
The Department for Education has ruled out any big changes to A levels until
2008, but said it was exploring the possibility of introducing an A* grade,
together with more difficult exam questions, for pupils starting A levels
that year.
Jim Knight, the Schools Minister, has set himself against a return to grade
quotas or norm referencing, in which a fixed proportion are awarded each
grade. “We need an education system that is about merit, not quotas,” he
said.
The University of Cambridge backed the introduction of an A* grade that would
be reserved for a fixed proportion. Geoff Parks, Cambridge’s admissions
tutor, said that he would welcome any steps that would help to differentiate
between students with three grade As.
“If the A* grade was norm-referenced for the top 7 per cent or a higher
overall performance, that would also potentially help,” he said.
David Willetts, the Shadow Education Secretary, agreed that grade quotas would
be helpful. “You could give A* grades to the top 10 per cent of students and
you could allow universities to know the numerical grade that each student
got. That would allow differentiation to occur using existing information,”
he said.
Sarah Teather, the Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman, called for reform
and said that A levels did not stretch the brightest pupils.
The National Union of Students called for an open debate. Ellie Russell, its
vice-president, said: “Times have changed and the A-level system is in need
of review.”
However, John Dunford, the general secretary of the Association of School and
College Leaders, urged the Government not to devalue A grades with an A*.
“[This will] increase stress and anorexia among bright 17 and 18-year-olds,”
he said.
Ellie Johnson Searle, the chief executive of the Joint Council for
Qualifications (JCQ), the body representing all examination boards, said
that some reform was already under way.
From next year universities will have access to individual grade passes for
all six of the modules that go towards a full A level. This would allow them
to set specific requirements, such as demanding that a pupil achieve an
A-grade pass in the maths statistics module for an oversubscribed maths
course.
Overall the A-level pass rate increased by 0.4 of a percentage point to 96.6
per cent, in the 24th successive year of improvement. The proportion of
students gaining at least three grade As rose 0.5 of a percentage point to
9.5 per cent.
Some 286,260 students were expected to have places confirmed on their chosen
courses after achieving required grades, according to the Universities and
Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas).
The results also sparked debate on whether A levels should be replaced a more
challenging and broader-based qualification, such as the International
Baccalaureate (IB), which is increasingly popular with independent schools.
The baccalaureate’s appeal has been enhanced by a new points system which
favours the IB over A levels.
PASS NOTES
24.1 per cent achieved an A grade, up 1.3 per cent from 2005
8.5 per cent of A-level passes were at A grade in 1965. By
2006, A grades accounted for 22.8 per cent of passes
805,698 the number of entries for A level this year, up 2.8
per cent from 2005
25.3 per cent of girls and 22.7 per cent of boys achieved at
least one grade A
57 per cent of pupils sitting further mathematics achieved an
A grade, the highest percentage for any subject
THE TOP MARKS
Nicole Atack, 18, from Langley Upper Green, near Saffron Walden, in Essex, was
awarded 10 A grades at A level. Nicole, a pupil of Newport Free Grammar, a
comprehensive school, will read natural sciences at King’s College,
Cambridge
THE MODEL STUDENT
Lily Cole, 18, a model, achieved straight As in philosophy and ethics,
English, and politics. She took the exams at Latymer Upper School in West
London, and secured a place to read social and political science at King’s
College, Cambridge
THE YOUNGEST
Terence Linnell, 12, of Scunthorpe, is believed to be the youngest pupil to be
awarded an AS level. He achieved an A grade in maths
THE OLDEST
Betty Allen, 78, of Sprotbrough, Doncaster, whose education was cut short by
the Second World War, celebrates an A level in English
