Vast majority of A-level students secure first choice university places – as it happened

1.09pm BST

We’re closing the live blog for the rest of the day.

Thanks for following, and of course congratulations to everyone who received their results today, and good luck to those entering clearing to secure a university spot.

You can catch up on the main news here:

Related: A-levels results: pupils in England achieve best results since 2010

And read education correspondent Sally Weale’s analysis of what’s driving the worrying regional disparities that have been laid bare today here:

Related: Top A-level grades are up – but worrying regional disparities remain

For those considering university next year, we will be publishing the Guardian’s University Guide 2025 in early September, with our rankings of the top universities and lots of useful advice on choosing the right course and institution for you. You can read last year’s guide here .

12.58pm BST

Watch sixth formers receiving their results today:

Updated at 12.59pm BST

12.49pm BST

New analysis by the Campaign for the Arts shows that arts subjects now account for a smaller proportion of A-level entries than at any time since 2010.

Over that period there has been a 31% drop, from 15.3% of entries in 2010 to only 10.5% this year.

Since 2023, the proportion of entries in arts subjects has fallen by 3%. Performing arts subjects suffered the biggest drop – in a single year, drama and dance entries fell by 8% and 6% respectively.

The State of the Arts report, published by the Campaign for the Arts and the University of Warwick last month, revealed a much wider crisis affecting arts education, particularly in England:

• GCSE arts entries fell by 47% between 2010 and 2023, and it’s predicted that next week’s results will reveal further decline.

• The number of arts teachers in English state-funded secondary schools fell by 27% between 2011 and 2024, from 55,000 to 40,000.

• The number of hours of arts teaching in English state-funded secondary schools fell by 23% between 2011 and 2024, from 501,000 to 387,000.

• Between 2013 and 2020 in England, school arts engagement among 11-to 15-year-olds fell by 23% for arts and crafts, 24% for drama, 26% for music and 29% for dance.

• Arts and creative courses are increasingly at risk from a structural funding crisis in Higher Education.

• Since 2021 in England, the Government has segregated arts subjects from other, ‘strategically important’ subjects in Higher Education, and imposed 50% cuts in ‘high cost subject’ funding.

• Access to quality pre-school education is unequal, disproportionately affecting the creative educational opportunities of children from lower-income families.

Jack Gamble, Director of the Campaign for the Arts, said:

The new government has made encouraging pledges on arts education, but these figures show that urgent action is necessary to halt the decline. The arts have a proven role in contributing to better outcomes for children and young people, but they have been sidelined and underfunded in recent years. It’s high time we turned this around.

12.35pm BST

A leading social mobility expert is warning that today’s A-level results reveal the “deep academic divides that scar our education system”.

Commenting on A-level results today, Lee Elliot Major, Professor of Social Mobility at the University of Exeter, said:

Today’s A-level results once again reveal the deep academic divides that scar our education system. We must do better in creating a level playing field in which all teenagers can flourish academically where-ever they happen to come from.

Equalising opportunities needn’t always cost lots to achieve. Universities could develop more transparent contextual admissions and inclusive campuses alongside innovative schemes deploying undergrads as school tutors contributing to the wider good. But big reforms will be required for Labour to fulfil its aim of dismantling barriers to opportunities - eradicating poverty in the pre-school years, creating a school curriculum fit for all children, providing maintenance grants for the poorest students, creating affordable housing, making socio-economic background a protected characteristic so the working classes are not discriminated against in the workplace.

My advice to students entering clearing is to consider carefully your degree choice - this is one of the biggest investment decisions you will make: ring universities and ask lots of questions about the details of the course to ensure it’s right for you.

12.28pm BST

Rutland in the east Midland has held on to its position as the county of England with the highest proportion of A-level entries receiving the top grades.

Some 39.7% of entries in Rutland this year were graded A or above, up from 36.8% last year and 33.7% in the pre-pandemic year of 2019.

In second place was Surrey, with 35.6% of entries getting grades A or A*, followed by East Sussex (34.4%) and Hertfordshire (33.0%).

Rutland and Surrey held the top two spots last year, while East Sussex has jumped from sixth to third place and Hertfordshire has moved from seventh to fourth place.

The figures, which have been published by Ofqual, also show the mainland county with the lowest proportion of entries awarded A or above this year was Bedfordshire, at 19.1%, though the Isle of Wight had an even lower figure of 15.8%.

Of the 47 counties – or equivalent areas – included in the data, nearly three-quarters (35) saw a year-on-year increase in the proportion of entries receiving the top grades.

Northumberland recorded the largest rise, up by 4.8 percentage points from 20.0% to 24.8%.

Herefordshire saw the biggest fall, down by 1.6 percentage points from 25.5% to 23.9%.

Most counties (39 of 47) saw a higher proportion of entries awarded A or above this year than in the pre-pandemic year of 2019.

12.27pm BST

More than a quarter of vocational T-level students in England quit their course during their studies , figures suggest.

PA reports:

Around 10,253 students began two-year T-levels in 2022 – but only 7,262 completed their course and were assessed, according to data published by the Department for Education (DfE) on Thursday.

Nearly three out of four (71%) completed the technical qualifications, which is higher than last year when 66% finished their T-level courses, the provisional Government figures show.

Pupils in England have received their T-level results in the third year that the qualification has been awarded.

Overall, 7,380 students were awarded results on Thursday for the Government’s technical qualification – which was introduced to be broadly equivalent to three A-levels.

Among the third cohort of T-level students, 88.7% achieved at least a pass.

The results cover 16 individual T-levels, six of which are being awarded for the first time.

Skills minister Baroness Jacqui Smith of Malvern suggested that T-levels may not have been “developed as effectively” as hoped.

She told PA news agency:

We’re at a relatively early stage in terms of T-levels. What we do know is that if you don’t complete a T-level, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve sort of dropped out.

It may well be, for example, that you’ve gone and done an occupational placement and you’ve been offered a job by the person that you’ve been doing it with, or you found another route into a career that is also a very good option for you.

But of course, we need to make sure that T-levels – which I think you could argue probably haven’t been developed as effectively as we would have hoped they would have been – that we are taking the time and doing the work necessary to make sure that they are the high-quality options for students that they’re designed to be and that for many they already are.

I think we do need to get to a position where we have a bit more clarity and a bit more simplicity about what the range of qualifications are.

I think T-levels are here to stay and we need to see them develop effectively, but there will also be students who will take a route that will involve another sort of vocational qualification.

Around 250,000 results were also issued to students who took level 3 vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) this year – which include BTecs.

Ucas said 1,680 18-year-olds who had taken T-levels in England had been accepted onto higher education courses.

The admissions service said 74% of all 18-year-old T-level students had gained a place at a university or college this year.

The Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said she was “really surprised” to hear that students with T-levels are not being accepted by some universities.

Updated at 12.27pm BST

12.23pm BST

During the pandemic years, there was a disproportionate bump in grades awarded to private school pupils compared with their state school counterparts in England, writes Guardian data journalist Carmen Aguilar Garcia.

In 2020 and 2021 - when exam-based grades were supplanted with teacher assessments - and 2022 (a return-to-exams but with more generous marking) there was a yawning gap between the best-performing schools (independents) and the worst-performing (further education colleges).

At its height in 2021 that gap stood at a whopping 38.7 percentage points although that shrank somewhat last year.

Independent schools - a grouping which includes a small number of city training colleges - are still the best performers. Close to half of their exam entries resulted in an A or A* this year, a 4.6 percentage point increase compared with 2019.

But the gap between them and further education centres grew year-on-year from 33.2pp to 34.6pp.

Selective secondary schools achieved the second-highest marks with 41% of grades attracting an A or A* as did more than a third of Free schools and more than a quarter of academies (26.5%).

Secondary comprehensive schools and sixth form college centres both obtained a higher proportion of top grades than in 2019. However, grades in both further education colleges and secondary modern/high schools fell compared with 2019.

12.21pm BST

Wales’ Cabinet Secretary for Education, Lynne Neagle, has said the country’s results are “what we hoped to see and are broadly similar to pre-pandemic outcomes”.

She congratulated learners across Wales who have received their A-level, AS, Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate and vocational qualification results this morning.

On a visit to Coleg Cambria in Wrexham, Neagle met students collecting their results. She 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 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.

I will continue to focus on doing everything I can to raise standards and ensure everyone is supported to reach their full potential.

Updated at 12.21pm BST

12.17pm BST

While last year’s grades in England were back to pre-pandemic levels, that wasn’t the case in Wales and Northern Ireland , writesvthe FFT Education Datalab.

As A-levels in Northern Ireland and Wales are not regulated by Ofqual, we wouldn’t necessarily expect their approach to getting back to pre-pandemic grades to be the same as England’s, so this was not entirely unexpected.

There are also some differences in how A-Levels are structed in Wales and Northern Ireland: AS-levels remain a constituent part of A-levels in Northern Ireland and Wales too, so last year’s results contained results from exams taken the previous year, when grades were generally higher.

All that noted, this year grades in Wales and Northern Ireland have returned to levels very similar to pre-pandemic. Which means that there has been quite a sharp fall in grades compared to last year.

In Wales, the proportion of entries grade a or above has fallen from 34.0% to 29.9%, and in Northern Ireland the proportion has fallen from 37.5% to 30.3%.

You can read more of their analysis here .

Updated at 12.18pm BST

11.40am BST

Here’s advice from Dr Shelley Thompson, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Student Experience at Bournemouth University for students who have missed their grades today:

Don’t feel despondent and keep your hopes high, there are a lot of exciting opportunities for you today. You’ve been through very challenging times in your education during the pandemic so you have shown how resilient you are and will have a lot to bring to your university.

Make sure you think about what you want from university life and take the time to look for the course and location that suits you. Think about why you picked your first choice university and use that as a starting point. The right opportunity for you will be out there.

11.39am BST

A rising tide has lifted all boats this year, with every region achieving a higher proportion of A* and A grades compared with 2023 and with 2019 , the last pre-pandemic year, write the Guardian’s data journalists Pamela Duncan and Carmen Aguilar Garcia.

London registered the highest rise in those top grades, jumping by 4.4 percentage points to 31.3% of all grades year-on-year.

The West Midlands, previously among the worst performing regions in terms of top grades, recorded the second biggest increase in A* and As among the regions this year: a quarter (24.8%) of all entries resulting in an A grade or above, up 2.8 percentage points.

But the gap between the best performing region (London) and the worst-performing (East Midlands) is not only stubbornly high but at 8.8 percentage points, the highest of any year since 2019.

“It’s difficult to conjecture why that is,” Myles McGinley, director of regulation at the OCR exam board told this morning’s press briefing (if anyone can tell us how to answer it in data email data.projects@theguardian.com ).

Updated at 11.40am BST

11.35am BST

The most selective Russell Group universities still have lots of course available for students in clearing.

Hollie Chandler, Director of Policy at the Russell Group said: “As expected, grades have remained consistent with pre-pandemic levels and we are pleased to see that 82% of applicants that have a decision today have been placed at their first-choice university. This is up 3% on 2023, showing the confidence that universities have had in the admissions cycle this year after several years of disruption.

“It is especially encouraging to see record numbers of the most disadvantaged students being accepted on university courses. Our universities are continuing to work hard, in partnership with schools and colleges, to make sure more people than ever, from all backgrounds, have the opportunity to access higher education.

“As in previous years, many of our universities have courses available through Clearing. We encourage anyone who has missed out on their expected grades, or has changed their mind about the course they want to pursue, to contact the universities they’re interested in. Our experienced admissions teams take into account individual circumstances and are working hard to place students and help them take the next steps into further study and a successful future career”.

11.25am BST

The gap between state and private schools has continued to widen since 2019.

A*/A grades at independent schools are up by 4.5 percentage points from 2019, to 49.4%, while at comprehensives the increase was 2.2 percentage points (up to 22.3%), and at academies only 2.5 percentage points (up to 26.5%), according to analysis from the Sutton Trust.

The share of acceptances at higher tariff universities – meaning the most selective institutions – has gone up to 42.8%, from 40.1% in of 18 year-old acceptances, the charity has found.

Its analysis also indicated that entry rates have increased for young people from areas with historically low and historically high rates of participation in higher education, but that the gap between these groups has widened slightly this year.

It is currently at 25.8pp, up from 24.5pp in 2023. This now means that other than during the pandemic (when the gap reached a high of 27.7pp), the gap is at its widest since 2013.

Updated at 11.26am BST

11.04am BST

While female students had bigger increases in the proportion achieving the top grades since 2023 in maths, further maths and physics, male students still achieved a greater proportion of A and A* grades overall, according to analysis from the Education Policy Institute.

Conversely, although more male students entered computing, female students achieved the higher grades. Overall, there are more subjects (68 per cent) where female students achieve the higher proportion of top grades, including Stem subjects such as biology and chemistry.

The subjects most commonly entered by male students are not necessarily the ones where they achieve higher grades, and vice versa.

10.58am BST

The number of students taking Religious Studies at A level has dipped in England and Wales by 1.5% to 15,201, prompting calls from subject leaders for a national plan to help the subject grow again at A-level.

A Level RS had previously been a success story, reaching a peak of 21,577 entries in 2015, an increase of 10,000 since 2003.

However, recent years have seen a steady decline in entries, with a lack of specialist teachers meaning fewer students who take the popular GCSE subject going on to study it at A level.

In Wales the number of students taking RE declined by 6.1% to 702. In England the number of students taking the subject was 14,499, a fall of 1.3%.

Most other Humanities subjects also saw a drop in A level entries, with History falling by 2.3% and Sociology by 6.5%. Religious Studies was a more popular option than Law and had one of the smallest drops of all the humanities subjects.

A recent analysis of the school workforce survey found that 3,544 teachers deliver RE at the 16-19 level in 2023/24, an 11% decline over the last decade. 51% of all those teaching RE mainly teach another subject, with these teachers far less likely to be expected to teach A level given the expertise required.

Sarah Lane Cawte, Chair of the Religious Education Council, said:

Students are losing out, with an ongoing lack of specialist recruitment leaving too many schools unable to offer it at A-level. A national plan would provide the funding, recruitment and resources to help the subject once again thrive at its most advanced level in all our schools, preparing students for further academic study, employment and active engagement in our society.

10.49am BST

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson is visiting Loreto Sixth Form College in Manchester today.

Meanwhile Northern Ireland’s Education Minister Paul Given is at Belfast High School.

Updated at 10.50am BST

10.48am BST

Here are some photos of students at Luton Sixth Form college receiving their results.

10.40am BST

The country-level results make for interesting reading this year with quite steep grade drops in Wales (where A* and A grades fell by 6.4 percentage points compared with 2023) and Northern Ireland (down 7.2 pp) , writes the Guardian’s data journalist Carmen Aguilar Garcia.

This contrasts with England where there was a 1.1 percentage point increase year-on-year.

However, there is an explanation: while England returned to pre-pandemic grading levels in 2023, Wales and Northern Ireland’s adjustment occurred this year according to Ofqual CEO Sir Ian Bauckham.

Compared to the last pre-pandemic results in 2019, top grades have risen in all the three nations: the proportion of A and A* results are up 2.4 percentage points in England, 1.1 pp in Wales and 0.9 pp in Northern Ireland.

10.25am BST

Most 18-year-olds accepted to their top choice university

Over three-quarters (76%) of English 18-year-old applicants have been accepted into their first choice of university , government figures show.

Results show more young people achieved top A level grades this year than last and thousands more students collecting their T Level results achieved a pass or above

Results show attainment gaps between regions and between state and independent schools remain as Education Secretary commits to tackle inequality

It comes as 32.1% of all English 18-year-olds have been accepted into university with 75.7% of applicants being accepted into their first choice university up from 71.6% in 2023 and 74.5% in 2019. The gap between the most and least disadvantaged 18-year-olds in England has widened as has the gap in regional entry rates.

This year results also show that 25.3% of 18-year-olds from the north east have secured a university place on results day compared to 42.5% of 18-year-olds from London. This gap is now 17.2ppts, which is worse than 15.3ppts in 2023 and 10.5ppts in 2019.

Ucas reported there were just under 30,000 courses available through clearing, as of this morning, many of which are at the most selective universities.

Updated at 10.26am BST

10.08am BST

Maths is always the most popular subject, but it’s especially popular this year, writes the Guardian’s data projects editor Pamela Duncan.

More than 100,000 pupils took maths in England alone - the first time any subject has broken the 100k barrier. What’s more, 17,000 pupils took further maths, making it the subject with the biggest year-on-year growth in student numbers, up 20% on last year.

There were also significant jumps in physics, other sciences and computing, all of which attracted between 11% and 13% more pupils than last year.

There were no new entries to the top 10 although there was some movement with history jumping to fifth place, supplanting sociology; the latter saw its numbers drop by 6.5% compared with 2023, the largest percentage fall in the year.

Meanwhile physics is now in ninth place, pushing economics into tenth. There was a reversal in the fortunes of some languages: French saw an 8.2% increase in the number of sittings this year, bucking a downward trend with German and Spanish also making modest recoveries in student numbers. “Other languages” also saw a boost with almost 10% more sittings than last year.

Subjects shedding students included sociology (down 6.3%) geography (down 4%) and performing/expressive arts (down 3%).

Updated at 11.43am BST

9.48am BST

The topline on today’s results: 2024 A-levels cohort are really very smart, writes the Guardian’s data projects editor Pamela Duncan.

One-in-every-11 grades achieved by students in England this year were of the A* variety: the best of the best. And while that percentage is lower than the heady grades of pandemic times, it is significantly higher than last year and pre-2019 results years.

There had been some expectation that we could see a continuation of the phased grade deflation of previous years, but the 2024 results bucked the 2022/2023 trend with more students achieving a C grade or above and fewer E grades.

Speaking at a press conference prior to the results being published, the CEO of Ofqual, Sir Ian Bauckham said:

There is no grade inflation this year...any change is largely due to the ability of the cohort.

So there you are Class of 2024: you are officially confirmed cleverclogs.

9.47am BST

Every region of England has seen a year-on-year increase in the proportion of A-level entries awarded A and above , the 2024 exam figures show.

All regions also saw a higher proportion of entries awarded A* or A this year than in the pre-pandemic year of 2019.

London saw the highest proportion of entries awarded A and above, at 31.3%, up 1.3 percentage points from 30.0% in 2023.

The East Midlands had the lowest, at 22.5%, up 0.2 points from 22.3% in 2023.

The gap between these two regions was 8.8 percentage points, up from 7.7 points last year.

In 2023, north-east England had the lowest proportion of entries awarded A or above, at 22.0%, while south-east England had the highest, at 30.3%: a gap of 8.3 points.

But this year the gap between these two regions narrowed to 6.9 points (north-east England 23.9%, south-east England 30.8%).

Meanwhile, the proportion of entries awarded A and above in Wales and Northern Ireland has fallen sharply year on year, as these nations complete the return to pre-pandemic levels of grading.

In Wales, the figure has dropped from 34.0% in 2023 to 29.9%, while in Northern Ireland it has decreased from 37.5% to 30.3%, though both of these are still above the 2019 pre-pandemic figures of 26.5% and 29.4% respectively.

Here are the percentages of A-level entries awarded the top grades (A*/A) by nation and region, with the equivalent figures for both 2023 and the pre-pandemic year of 2019:

• North-east England 23.9% (2023: 22.0%; 2019: 23.0%)

• North-west England 25.5% (2023: 24.1%; 2019: 23.5%)

• Yorkshire & the Humber 24.6% (2023: 23.0%; 2019: 23.2%)

• West Midlands 24.8% (2023: 22.9%; 2019: 22.0%)

• East Midlands 22.5% (2023: 22.3%; 2019: 21.0%)

• Eastern England 27.5% (2023: 26.6%; 2019: 25.6%)

• South-west England 26.9% (2023: 26.3%; 2019: 25.8%)

• South-east England 30.8% (2023: 30.3%; 2019: 28.3%)

• London 31.3% (2023: 30.0%; 2019: 26.9%)

• England 27.6% (2023: 26.5%; 2019: 25.2%)

• Wales 29.9% (2023: 34.0%; 2019: 26.5%)

• Northern Ireland 30.3% (2023: 37.5%; 2019: 29.4%)

• All 27.8% (2023: 27.2%; 2019: 25.4%)

Here is the A-level pass rate (entries awarded A*-E grades) by nation and region:

• North-east England 97.6% (2023: 97.6%; 2019: 98.3%)

• North-west England 97.6% (2023: 97.4%; 2019: 97.9%)

• Yorkshire & the Humber 97.3% (2023: 97.2%; 2019: 97.8%

• West Midlands 96.8% (2023: 96.8%; 2019: 97.1%)

• East Midlands 96.6% (2023: 96.9%; 2019: 97.4%)

• Eastern England 97.1% (2023: 97.3%; 2019: 97.6%)

• South-west England 97.4% (2023: 97.4%; 2019: 97.7%)

• South-east England 97.3% (2023: 97.5%; 2019: 97.8%)

• London 96.9% (2023: 96.9%; 2019: 96.8%)

• England 97.1% (2023: 97.2%; 2019: 97.5%)

• Wales 97.4% (2023: 97.5%; 2019: 97.6%)

• Northern Ireland 98.5% (2023: 98.8%; 2019: 98.4%)

• All 97.2% (2023: 97.3%; 2019: 97.6%)

9.44am BST

Here are the main figures in this year’s A-level results, as analysed by PA.

• The proportion of candidates receiving top grades has risen from last year and remains higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic.

• A total of 27.8% of entries were awarded either an A or A*, up from 27.2% in 2023 and above 25.4% in 2019.

• Some 9.3% of entries received an A*. This is also up on last year (8.9%) and higher than the figure for 2019 (7.7%).

• Discounting the pandemic-affected years of 2020-22 – when the figure peaked at 19.1% in 2021 – 9.3% is the highest proportion since the A* grade was first awarded in 2010.

• The overall pass rate (grades A* to E) was 97.2%. This is down from 97.3% in 2023 and also below 2019, which was 97.6%.

• It is the lowest figure since 2008, when it also stood at 97.2%.

• Some 76.4% of entries received a C or above, up from 76.0% in 2023 and above the pre-pandemic figure of 75.9% in 2019.

• The lead enjoyed by girls over boys in the top grades has narrowed.

• The proportion of girls’ entries awarded A or higher this year was 28.0%, just 0.4 percentage points higher than the equivalent figure for boys’ entries (27.6%). Last year, girls led boys by 0.6 percentage points (27.5% girls, 26.9% boys).

• By contrast, boys have extended their lead over girls in the highest grade, A*.

• The proportion of boys’ entries awarded A* this year was 9.5%, 0.4 points higher than girls (9.1%). Girls had moved in front of boys from 2020 to 2022, before boys reclaimed a 0.3-point lead last year. Boys had previously led girls at A* from 2012 through to 2019.

• The most popular subject this year was maths, for the 11th year in a row. It had 107,427 entries, up 11% from 96,853 in 2023.

• Psychology remains the second most popular subject. It had 78,556 entries, down 2% from 80,493 in 2023.

• Biology was once again the third most popular subject, with 74,367 entries, a fall of 0.4% from 74,650.

• Further maths saw the largest percentage increase in entries this year, up 20% from 15,080 in 2023 to 18,082 in 2024.

• Across the regions of England, London saw the highest proportion of entries awarded grades of A and above (31.3%, up 1.3 percentage points from 30.0% in 2023), while the East Midlands had the lowest (22.5%, up 0.2 points from 22.3% in 2023).

• A total of 886,514 A-levels were awarded this year, up 2% on last year’s 867,658.

9.42am BST

Here are more pictures of students receiving their A-level results in Solihull in the west Midlands.

9.35am BST

Sheffield University has said it has already spoken to 547 applicants since opening its call centre at 8am.

The most popular subjects for which the university is receiving calls are economics and management, although there has been interest across the board, including in the humanities and sciences.

There are over 80 people staffing the phones via a virtual and physical call centre and another 50 members of staff on hand to speak to applicants, the university says.

Dan Barcroft, director of admissions at the University of Sheffield said:

Competition for clearing places remains fierce, especially for popular courses at top universities, with many students reassessing their options post-results and using clearing to ‘shop around’ and find the best university for them.

At Sheffield, we have some places available through clearing for high-achieving students and we guarantee accommodation to everyone who accepts an offer by the end of August, to help ease the stress of results day.

Students are expected to make big decisions over the next few days, so it’s important they think carefully about where they want to study. Universities have a duty to recognise this and ensure they don’t add to the pressure. Applicants should take advantage of clearing open days, campus tours and online taster sessions, where they can speak to current students, to make sure they are making informed choices.

Updated at 9.35am BST

9.34am BST

The exam system is too “narrow” and in need of urgent reform , the National Education Union is warning.

Niamh Sweeney, Deputy General Secretary of the National Education Union , said:

Applied General Qualifications (AGQs) like BTECs and Cambridge Technicals are important qualifications which help students progress to employment and further study. The government should step in to save the future of these tried and tested courses.

We recommend that Bridget Phillipson provides clarity on her statement about AGQs and pauses the defunding for a further two years, to review the qualifications. Schools and colleges otherwise face uncertainty about the courses they can offer. Many thousands of young people – and disproportionately from low-income families – risk being prevented from accessing education.

The pressure of exam season is intense and the efforts of every young person should be commended, but the exam system is narrow, overly prescriptive, and in need of urgent reform. The negative effect of legacy policies of the previous government are now inescapable, not least in the reduced take up of humanities subjects.

The NEU welcomes the review of curriculum and assessment commissioned by government. Teachers are ready to contribute their significant expertise to the review in order that assessment methods properly capture all students’ skills, knowledge and abilities.

9.32am BST

Pupils in England achieve best A-level results since 2010

Sixth formers in England are enjoying a bumper crop of top A-level results, surpassing previous pre-pandemic highs in the proportion of A* and A grades awarded , thanks in part to strong performances in maths and sciences, writes the Guardian’s education editor Richard Adams.

In maths, which had more than 100,000 A-level candidates nationally for the first time, a record 42% of 18-year-olds in England got A* or As, while a third of entrants got the highest grades in physics and chemistry.

But there was a different picture in Wales and Northern Ireland, where the proportions of top grades awarded fell compared with last year, in a return to pre-pandemic grade boundaries, although results in Northern Ireland remained better than those in England.

Related: A-levels results: pupils in England achieve best results since 2010

Updated at 9.32am BST

9.15am BST

Here are the latest images of students receiving their A-level results.

• This post was amended because an earlier version mistitled the school as King Edward VII High School for Girls.

Updated at 1.32pm BST

8.40am BST

Raising tuition fees is "unpalatable", says education minister

Raising university tuition fees would be “unpalatable” , Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said, but she added that the government intends to reform the overall system.

Asked whether tuition fee caps would be increased in the next five years, she told Sky News:

I do recognise the challenge, and I hear that message from institutions as well, but I think that’s a really unpalatable thing to be considering.

Not least because I know that lots of students across the country are already facing big challenges around the cost of living, housing costs, lots of students I speak to who are already working lots of jobs, extra hours, in order to pay for their studies.

Phillipson also said that the government does not intend to remove visa restrictions placed on international students by the previous Tory government.

In January, restrictions were introduced to prevent most international students bringing dependents with them to the UK.

We don’t intend to change that.

But what I do say is that international students who come to our country and study do make a tremendous contribution.

8.23am BST

Private schools which could close as a result of the government’s plans to impose 20% VAT are already facing “big budget shortfalls”, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said.

She told Sky News:

Private schools are businesses that can make choices about how they manage their budgets, the level of fees that they charge, and ultimately, it’s about how attractive they are to families in terms of the numbers of students that are sent there.

We have seen private schools in recent years whack up their fees year on year, way beyond inflation, and that has priced out lots of people.

And I think what we’ve seen with some of the examples that are being discussed are schools that were already experiencing big budget shortfalls, weren’t attracting the same numbers of students that they might like to attract, and that’s what’s driving what we see here now.

Our plans to impose VAT on private school fees are about driving high standards in our state schools.

8.12am BST

Record number of poorer students heading for university

A record number of students from the lowest socio-economic backgrounds have secured a place at university and college this year , according to the University and College Admissions Service.

27,600 of UK 18-year-olds from the most disadvantaged backgrounds (POLAR4 Quintile 1) have accepted a place, up 7% on 25,800 last year and on the previous high record of 26,650 (+4%) in 2021.

In England, 22,640 18-year-old applicants from the most disadvantaged backgrounds (TUNDRA quintile 1) have gained a place – the highest on record.

In Wales 1,200 of those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds (WIMD2019 quintile 1) have been accepted, down from the peak of 1,250 in 2023.

In Northern Ireland 1,000 from the most disadvantaged backgrounds (NIMDM2017 quintile 1) have got a place compared to 1,010 in 2023.

For UK 18-year-olds overall, there are over 10,000 more applicants heading to university or college this September than last year – 243,650 compared to 230,600 (+6%) last year.

This means 31.7% of the 18-year-old population have got a place versus 30.4% in 2023.

Today’s figures also show:

• Overall, 425,680 applicants (all ages, all domiciles) have been accepted into university or college – an increase on 414,940 (+3%) in 2023.

• In total, 376,470 students (all ages, all domiciles) have been accepted at their first (UCAS ‘firm’) choice, a 4% increase on last year. This represents 82% of those holding an offer who received their decision this morning up from 79% in 2023.

• The overall number of accepted international students stands at 51,170, in line with 51,210 in 2023. However, accepted applicants from China are slightly down compared to last year – 10,950 (-6%).

• The top three subjects with the largest increase in total placed applicants are engineering and technology (+11% on last year), architecture, building and planning (+9%) and law (+9%).

• Acceptances for UK students (all ages) to nursing have risen slightly compared to 2023, with 18,450 applicants securing a place (up 1%). This still represents a decline from the peak seen during the pandemic.

Dr Jo Saxton, chief executive of Ucas, said:

I’m particularly thrilled to see free school meals students securing a place at university or college in record numbers. I know how important it is to everyone working in education that every student, no matter their background, has the opportunity to reach their full potential. Widening access and participation is not just about numbers; it’s about opening up doors and transforming the lives of students through higher education so they can pursue their passions and career aspirations.

Ucas is here to help all applicants take their next step, including students who received different results than expected, or those who are looking to change their mind.

There are just under 30,000 courses available in Ucas Clearing across a broad range of subjects and universities so there really is something for everyone.

Updated at 8.29am BST

8.01am BST

Russell Hobby, the CEO of Teach First , a social enterprise which aims to address educational disadvantage in England and Wales, has appeared on LBC News this morning, saying that inequality in education leads to “a huge waste of talent and opportunity”.

He said:

We just cannot build the sort of country we want if a third of young people who come from low income backgrounds are just disappearing from the system in terms of employment or training.

The biggest thing for us in terms of the results that we see are the big gaps between young people based on their family wealth and background, and also the part of the country that they come from,” he said, adding “in some parts of the country, large percentages will go on to good employment, university places, apprenticeships. And in others, there’s a lot fewer.

Part of the solution, he said, was “to go right back to the start and look at funding for schools.”

He told listeners:

We’ve got to make sure that those schools who do serve disadvantaged communities get the most money. I think most importantly, we’ve got to make sure they get the best teachers as well, because it’s the quality of teaching that drives almost everything that goes on in education.

I don’t think there’s many young people who sit there thinking, you know, I just want to mess around and not do very much. People want to get ahead. We find that ambitions and aspirations are the same, whatever the wealth of the family and background that people come from.

But we also know that if you come from a more privileged background, you have better connections. You may know more people who are in different jobs. Your parents may be able to get you an internship or work experience or just the connections that you need. So I think a lot of young people, they don’t have lower ambitions, but they lose sight of the path to go from where they are today to where they want to be.

He said it was important still to remember that those sitting their exams today would have had their education disrupted by the pandemic, “and their education suffered as a result of that”.

7.45am BST

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has committed to closing the “big gaps” in university access across the UK.

Speaking to Sky News, she said:

I want all young people to be able to choose the path that’s right for them. For many young people that will be university, for many young people that will be an apprenticeship, or going into the world of work.

It’s about having those range of options that are available. And I think, sadly, whatever the headline figure in terms of university applications, we do still see, sadly, very big differences between different parts of the country.

So for example, you’re far more likely to apply to university from London and the south east than you are from the north east, where I’m from. So it’s not kind of a flat figure across the country. There are big gaps, big differences, and actually that they’ve been growing in recent years.

And the same is sadly true when it comes to some of our outcomes. And I’m absolutely determined to turn that around, because I don’t believe where you’re from should determine what you can go on to achieve, and it certainly shouldn’t limit your choices and options.”

Phillipson added that there are “plenty of opportunities” for A-level students who fall short on results day.

She told Sky News:

To our young people receiving their results, there are lots of great options out there in terms of what you can go on to do next.

For those young people who get what they need and move on to their destination of choice, that’s brilliant.

For those who perhaps fall slightly short, there are lots of options out there. There are lots of people that can be there to provide advice and support, whether that’s the school or college, Ucas through clearing, or the National Career Service.

7.33am BST

Here’s an important reminder from the National Union of Students – that “your grades do not define you”.

Qasim Hussain, Vice President Further Education, said:

Congratulations on making it to results day! I know you have worked extremely hard to be here, and I am proud of you no matter what happens next.

Whether you choose to go straight into work, start an apprenticeship, or go to university, there is no one path to success. Any decision is a good decision as long as it is right for you. If you don’t know what you want to do, make sure to talk to your teachers, or guidance or careers counsellors to help identify what is the right path for you.

If you haven’t got the grades you expected, don’t panic. It may feel like the end of the world, but there are lots of ways to achieve your goals. If you didn’t get into the university you wanted, ask your teachers or guidance counsellors about clearing. If you are not interested in clearing, there is no shame in retaking an exam or taking a year out to rethink your goals.

Your grades do not define you. Whether you did better or worse than expected, you should be proud of all the hard work you put into getting yourself through such a stressful time. If you’re planning to stay in education, I hope to see you as part of the student movement in the future!

7.31am BST

For anyone receiving their results and applying to further or higher education today, or supporting someone who is, here’s some advice from the Department for Education:

• Students’ school or college – or the admissions team at the university to which they are applying - should be their first port of call.

• Students can also get advice by visiting the Get Help with Exam Results hub on the National Careers Service website. Students can also contact an expert careers adviser by webchat through the National Careers Service website or by calling 0800 100 900.

• UCAS’s Clearing hotline on 0371 468 0 468 is open to help students understand their options.

• The online Clearing Plus service will help match students to courses with entry requirements that align with the grades they achieved.

• For young people who have not yet decided on their next steps, there are a variety of high-quality options available, including apprenticeships and higher technical qualifications, that will enable them to gain the skills they need to kickstart great careers. Students can explore their options through the Skills for Careers (education.gov.uk) website.

Updated at 7.32am BST

7.25am BST

Grades 'broadly similar to last year,' says education secretary

Grades are expected to be “broadly similar to last year” , according to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson.

She is congratulating pupils and teachers for their hard work and dedication as students prepare to receive their A level, T Level and other vocational and technical qualifications today.

Students receiving their A level results are expected to receive broadly similar grades to last year, where 75.4% of students received a C or above and 26.5% received an A or above, with grading in England back to pre-pandemic levels for the second year in a row.

Over 320,000 UK 18-year-olds applied to university this year - the second highest on record. The majority of those will receive a place at their first-choice university today, while Ucas will also support thousands of students to access places using Clearing.

Alongside the celebration of students’ hard work, Phillipson is expecting results day to expose some of the inequalities across the education system, including regional disparities in attainment and access to higher education.

Labour wants to “put education back at the forefront of national life and break down those barriers to opportunity, helping improve children’s life chances regardless of their background ”.

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson said:

Students up and down the country should be incredibly proud of what they have achieved. I want congratulate them all and to send my thanks to all the fantastic teachers and staff who have shown such dedication in supporting young people to reach this stage.

Young people deserve enormous credit for what they have achieved, in the face of both the huge disruption of recent years, and in too many cases the inequality that goes hand in hand with young people’s backgrounds. I am determined to break down these barriers to opportunity so every young person can pursue their dreams and thrive.

I hope young people everywhere can celebrate their results and look forward to their next step - be that university, an apprenticeship or beginning their careers.

Updated at 7.47am BST

7.22am BST

The University and College Union has criticised the “chaotic scramble” of clearing, which takes place today and gives students an opportunity to get a fresh place at university.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said:

The chaotic scramble to hoover up students through clearing shows why universities need a new funding model. The overreliance on tuition fee income is causing huge financial instability across the sector. In response, universities have resorted to offering cash prizes or the chance to win free accommodation to students who sign up through clearing. To stop institutions from making these inappropriate inducements, the government must step in and protect the sector. It needs to agree to provide emergency funding to protect all jobs, courses and institutions at risk, and end the failed marketised higher education experiment.

This results day, the union is urging the government to close the pay gap between school and college teachers, and calling for BTECs to be protected.

Polling of 17-21 year olds, conducted by Savanta on behalf of UCU, has found the overwhelming majority of young people:

• Want to see college staff paid fairly, through the closing of the college schoolteacher pay gap (81%).

• Are concerned about the cost of higher education (81%), believe students should pay less (84%), and want employers to pay more (70%).

• Want the government to provide emergency funding to universities at financial risk (87%).

Grady said:

Today is the culmination of years of hard work by students and staff, who should be commended for their dedication. Unfortunately, those receiving their results from further education colleges have been taught by staff who earn much less than their counterparts in schools. Schoolteachers will receive a fully funded 5.5% pay award while college teachers have again been left wanting. This is in addition to a pay gap of £9k that already exists.

A two-tier pay model, where college staff earn less, overwhelmingly disadvantages the working-class students who are more likely to attend further education colleges than their middle-class peers. If the government is serious about addressing the inequalities hardwired into England’s education system, it needs to urgently listen to young people and close the college schoolteacher pay gap.

On the government’s plan to scrap BTECs next year, Grady added:

Many students will be gaining their level 3 BTEC results today. This tried and tested entry route into university or onto skilled employment is now at risk of losing its funding. At the very least, the government needs to extend its review period so BTECs aren’t scrapped next year. Anything less will be a betrayal of the hundreds of thousands of students who rely on these crucial qualifications.

7.18am BST

Pupils from poorer backgrounds aren’t getting enough advice on next steps after school, a Social Mobility Foundation poll has found.

The charity found that less than half of young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds feel they have the resources and support at school to do their best (48% compared with 56% from higher socioeconomic backgrounds).

Just one in eight school and college pupils aged over 16 received advice about going straight into work, while only one in three were given advice on apprenticeships and just one in four had done in-person work experience.

The charity is calling on the government to ensure that all young people are able to make informed choices about their futures.

When asked about the barriers they experienced during secondary school and sixth form, over 1 in 5 (22%) from lower socioeconomic backgrounds said they had inadequate access to a quiet study space at home or at school. Around 1 in 10 (9%) from lower socioeconomic backgrounds said that inadequate access to the internet at home was a barrier. This was almost double the figure for those from higher socioeconomic backgrounds (5%).

The vast majority of university students of all backgrounds say they are worried about money (71%) and the cost of living (73%) – a higher proportion than say they are worried about keeping up with their studies (67%).

Over half (52%) of prospective students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds said they were more likely to apply to a university closer to home, significantly more than from the higher socioeconomic group (43%). Less well-off students were also more likely to worry about student debt and keeping up with their studies.

Sarah Atkinson, Chief Executive, Social Mobility Foundation, said:

Clearly, the government must prioritise closing the widening attainment gap between pupils from lower-income backgrounds and their peers. But not only are poorer students being held back in education, they’re not getting the guidance they need on their next steps. Whether it’s doing an apprenticeship, going straight into work or studying for a degree, young people must be given clear information on the options available to them in every school, right across the UK.

For those who do go on to higher education, we know that students are struggling to afford the essentials, with many having to live at home or earn while they learn. Universities need to ensure that their courses are flexible so that students can study in a way that suits their needs and flourish regardless of their background.

Updated at 10.06am BST

7.06am BST

Good morning, and welcome to our blog covering A-level release day as hundreds of thousands of students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland nervously await the grades that could secure university places.

Schools received the results yesterday so will be braced to support those who may need to go through clearing if they have missed their grades.

Last year, the proportion of top A*-A grades in England shrank from 35.9% in 2022 to 26.5% in a reversal of pandemic-era grade inflation and some experts are predicting there could be a further fall this year.

Scottish students received the results of their Higher exams last week and the A-C pass rate showed a fall on last year, at 74.9% against 77.1% (it was 74.8% in 2019, before the pandemic hit).

This year, we’ll be looking to find out whether there has been a return to pre-pandemic marking after four years of instability; whether the north-south divide is growing, as well as the gap between boys and girls; and what the impact is on university admissions, with “every course under the sun” said to be available in clearing and institutions expected to accept lots of students who have missed their grades.

We’ll find out the answers at 9.30am this morning, so make sure you follow along with us today for all the developments.

Updated at 7.11am BST