Latest news with #BTec
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Students across the south look to future after opening results
Students across the south are figuring out their next steps after opening their exam been a big day for college and sixth form students across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Dorset, Oxfordshire and 18-year-olds have received their A-level, T-level and BTec National results and are now looking to the comes after the head of Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) predicted a record number of students would get their first choice of university. Those attending Bournemouth School for Girls were allowed into their classroom at 08:00 BST, after queuing patiently outside the 10% of this year's cohort are taking a different route to university, instead choosing to do an apprenticeship or take a gap Cornish has decided to get a job as a primary school teaching assistant, before looking at higher education options."I'm going to a different classroom," she said, explaining it had been "a rough two years"."I've really struggled at school. I want to be able to help children who are a bit different."Meanwhile her friend Orelia Baker is off to Queens University Belfast to study medicine and wants to specialise in sexual and womens' health, she said: "It's a field I've always been interested in and so important." In Hampshire, students at Arnewood Sixth Form, New Milton were celebrating. A school spokesperson said 84% of students secured places at their first-choice university, or higher education of sixth form, Mark Colman, said: "These results reflect more than just academic success. Our students leave Arnewood as confident, compassionate young people ready to make their mark."The impact our Year 12 and 13s have across the wider school is something we're hugely proud of." Reading College said 28% of its students gained an A* or A grade in their A levels, but a lot of students were pursuing different director, Dan Neil, said: "We are seeing a higher proportion of learners going onto apprenticeships."Our own apprenticeship faculty is really valuable, sometimes students needs a bit of a break. I have some students today who are deferring their university places to go travelling for a year."Tawana Mandebvu, 19, said she is heading to Oxford Brookes University to study midwifery."It feels like all the hard work paid off. I'm happy I studied as much as I did and put in all my efforts. Hard efforts pay off," she explained. Ofqual stats for grades A and A* revealed Data from Ofqual revealed the percentage of A level entries graded A or A* across each county in comparison to with grades awarded to more than 2,500 students were the only ones to be included in the Hampshire, 29.4% of grades awarded were an A or A*, compared to 28.8% last Isle of Wight had a slightly bigger increase, with 2025 figures showing 17.6% compared to last year's 15.9%. However, it still has the lowest figure in Dorset, the number dropped to 24.8% after reaching 27.1% in Oxfordshire figures remained steady at 33.5%, compared to 33.4% last figures showed a slight increase of 32.7% in 2025, compared to 31.3% the previous year. The Isle of Wight may have the lowest percentage of A* and A grades for A levels, but students at Cowes Sixth Form College achieved high Glover secured a place studying engineering at the University of Cambridge, after achieving three A*s and one A. Meanwhile Blake Poerscout-Edgerton achieved three A*s, one A and gained an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), securing himself a scholarship at Emory University in Atlanta, Rachel Kitley said: "We are incredibly proud of the achievements of our sixth form students, they have worked hard and today celebrate their much-deserved success." There were lots of happy faces at Bartholomew School in Witney, Oxfordshire, after students gained top of sixth form, Helen von der Osten said: "We are delighted these results have enabled so many to secure their university places, apprenticeships, and other exciting next steps."Twins Florence and Alice Bolton were home schooled until they joined Headington Rye Oxford for sixth form. They are both now headed to the University of Cambridge, Florence to study Anglo Saxon, Norse and Celtic at St John's College and Alice to study music at Emmanuel College. Florence said: "I have really enjoyed my time here – I loved home education too so I feel like I have had the best of both worlds."Alice added: "We would have never been able to come to the school if we didn't have the generous bursaries that we got. It's meant we have had a very happy time the last two years." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Yorkshire students receive A-level results
Thousands of students across Yorkshire have received their A-level, T-level, BTec National and other Level 3 results - with more receiving the top A* grade than last were released across the UK at 08:00 BST, as the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) said a record number of students had been accepted into their first choice Yorkshire and the Humber 25.3% of A-level entries were awarded A* - up from 24.6% in 2024. Among the schools and colleges to report strong results was Thirsk School and Sixth-Form College in North Yorkshire, where 83% of results were the equivalent of an A or A*. In South Yorkshire, Barnsley Sixth Form College said it had a 97% overall pass rate and a 100% pass rate in 22 Merry, Principal at York College, said: "For A-levels, our A*s, As and Bs have gone up by 6%, for vocational subjects our distinction grades have gone up by 11.5% so we have done really well. "Really hard work by students, really hard work by staff, but it has paid off."Victoria Lindberg, also from York College, said for those who were disappointed with their results, help was at hand. She said: "It can feel as though you are the first person it has ever happened to or you are the only person. "Reach out to your local college, reach out to your school, get support from your teachers and the support team as they have lots of experience of supporting people through the clearing process, which is so easy to use now." Among students celebrating at Barnsley College were Lola Ellis and Mitchell who studied Spanish, History and English Language and Literature, said: "I got an A in English, an A in History and a B in Spanish, I've got into the University of Manchester to do History and so that's my next step."She said she felt "absolutely horrific" before she opened her results, but was now looking forward to pursuing a career as a diplomat. Mitchell said: "I was quite confident that I had achieved what I needed to get into university, I needed BBC and I got ABB, so I'm really happy with that."He said he wanted to work in human rights, alongside refugees and fighting for women's rights. "I am going to do Spanish and International Relations at the University of Leeds," he said. At Leeds City College, Lita Leikarte studied a BTec Level 3 Extended Diploma in Animation. She was hoping for a triple distinction star (DDD*), which she achieved. It is the highest possible grade, equivalent to achieving three A* grades at A-Level. Lita said: "I have been studying animation. It is quite a big industry, there is so much you can learn. We have 2D, 3D, concept art, which I enjoy, backgrounds, the list just goes on and on."I've made so many great friends that I don't think I could have made if it wasn't at this college, the teachers are really supportive and the courses are fun." Parsa Nourouzzangani studied A-level Chemistry, Biology and Maths, and received three A grades. "I am quite happy with it," he said."These letters do not fully represent me, but they are a start. "These grades do not mean I am better than anybody, it just shows people that it is possible to get these grades. "I would like to get into dentistry - hopefully in Leeds - and pursue from there." Prof Shirley Congdon, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bradford, was among 85 people manning the phones at the university's clearing call centre in the Richmond said: "It's been really busy this morning, we weren't expecting it to be so busy."We've had a 20% increase in calls this year compared to last year during the 8am until 11am period."She said the increase might be down to a "a number of reasons" including the university offering professionally-accredited health courses such as nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and may have got better grades than they expected or changed their minds about which subject they want to study, she said. Raizana Razeen, President of Education for the University of Bradford's Students' Union, was also among those on the 25-year-old from Bolton recently graduated with a first class degree in nursing and spent part of her studies living at home, a trend which is becoming increasingly said: "I stayed back home for my first year because studying for a degree can be very stressful."Having that support network from your family members or close friends can be great for your mental well-being."The cost of living has increased over recent years which means students are more likely to stay back home to cut down the cost but also have that university experience as well." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Student 'burst out crying' at exam results in south west
Students across Devon and Cornwall have received their A-level, T-level, BTec National and other Level 3 said a record number of students were accepted into their first-choice university across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with 28.3% of all grades being marked at A* or A - up from 27.8% last College student Ben was among those who opened results on Thursday. He said his A in Biology, A* in Law and A in Psychology were "very good for my standards and for what I was expecting to get". Megan from Launceston College in Cornwall also received an A* and two As, and said she "burst out crying" when she opened her results. She said her chosen university had accepted her, but that she had now "applied for a different course": "I have to reapply through clearing now with these grades to get into biomedical science."Her mother said she was "so pleased for her, she's just done amazing", however her brother said "unfortunately she beat me". Charlotte Lancaster from Launceston College achieved four A*s, which she sad was "not necessarily what I was expecting".She said: "You do the exams and you've got that massive wait until results day, and then in your mind you go, 'oh, I've got an A or B', which are still great grades don't get me wrong."It's been a really long journey over two years, a lot of work - basically no free time." Natalia said her results were "definitely what I thought I would get" with a B and a C in product design and photography, and Phoebe got two A*s and an A: "I got the email from Ucas to say I got my place". 'A bit emotional' Billie Stokes, assistant principle at Exeter College, said seeing the students' "smiley faces" when they opened their results made it "all worthwhile".He said: "You've been with them for two years, you've seen their journey, how they've developed, you know how important it feels to them and to go to their next steps."It'll be a really, really happy and a bit emotional day as we also say goodbye to them."The University of Plymouth said its clearing admissions phone lines were open and students should take a moment to be proud about how far they had Chancellor Richard Davies said: "Students who've changed their minds or got better results or worse results than they expected, please give us a ring, see if we can change what your offer is. "We will give you an answer and we'll guarantee your accommodation, so please get in touch... there's lots of opportunity out there."
BBC News
5 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Results day 2025: Students wait for A-level, T-level and BTec grades
Students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will receive A-level, T-level and BTec National results on Thursday amount of students getting top A-level results is expected to be broadly similar to 2024, after years of flux as a result of the Covid pandemic.A record number of 18-year-olds will get into their first choice of university, the head of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) has Jo Saxton stressed that this year's Year 13s had received lower GCSE grades than previous cohorts as part of a plan to push down grade inflation that happened during Covid, and they would need universities to take that into account. The pass rate for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exams in Scotland rose across the board last National and Cambridge Technical results are also due to be released on Thursday along with AS-levels - which, in Wales and Northern Ireland, will count towards students' final A-level results next is also the fourth year of results for vocational T-level qualifications in achieve the technical qualification, time is split between classroom learning and industry placements - with students awarded a pass, merit, distinction or distinction* after two years of work and teens to get their choice of uni even if they miss their grades, says UcasYour full guide to A-level results dayWhat are T-levels and what are the grades worth?What are BTecs and how are they graded? Freya, a student at Middlesbrough College, will be getting her grade for a T-level in health."It gives you a hands-on experience in what sort of things you're going to do in a real-world scenario, rather than just learning from a book," she is about to start a full-time job in an NHS maternity department, and hopes to ultimately become a midwife."I thought coming here [and] doing this course would give me the theoretical and physical knowledge to be able to achieve what I want to do," she added. Dr Jo Saxton, the chief executive of Ucas, said last week that it was a "really, really good year" for UK students applying to said universities were keen to enroll UK undergraduates because there was more "uncertainty" around international student numbers and domestic students offered universities "stability" for "financial planning".They could "quite possibly" accept students who did not meet the conditions of their offer, she much does university cost, and is it worth it?How do student loans work and when are they written off?What is an apprenticeship and how much are apprentices paid?'I didn't go to uni - now I work as a celebrity photographer' Dr Saxton also said Year 13 students would need universities to "respect and understand" the specific circumstances they have gone were in Year 8 and Year 9 during national lockdowns in 2020 and years saw spikes in pass rates at GCSE and top grades at A-level, after exams were cancelled and results were based on teachers' followed was a phased effort to bring grades back in line with pre-pandemic year that these students sat their GCSEs, 2023, was the final stage of that process in England. Grading returned to pre-pandemic standards in Wales and Northern Ireland last meant GCSE passes fell, with the steepest drop in England. Dr Saxton said the "significant national programme to deflate their grades" at GCSE represented an "important backdrop" for those getting the grades for their Level 3 qualifications this also pointed out that, with GCSE grades down in 2023, fewer achieved the results they needed to start A-levels.A-level entries fell from 825,355 last summer to 821,875 this summer, according to provisional data for England. Dr Saxton said that students' previous grades would therefore "probably" be "fractionally higher" across the year, with grading back to pre-pandemic standards across all three nations, 27.8% of all A-level grades were marked at A* or A - up from 27.2% in 2023 and 25.4% in is likely to be less emphasis this year on how grades compare to 2019 and more on how they compare to last year, since it is the second year that grading has returned to pre-pandemic levels across the heading to university will pay higher fees in England and Wales this year. They have risen to £9,535 for undergraduate loans have also gone up, meaning that students can borrow more to help with their living costs.
Powys County Times
7 days ago
- General
- Powys County Times
Students will want universities to ‘understand context' over grades
School and college leavers will want universities to 'respect and understand' that they faced a 'significant' programme to deflate their GCSE grades following Covid-19, the Ucas chief has said. Jo Saxton, chief executive of the university admissions service, suggested that fewer students who are receiving their post-16 qualification results this summer met the entry requirements for A-level courses two years ago when grading was returned to pre-pandemic levels in England. Dr Saxton, who was chief regulator of England's exams regulator Ofqual from 2021 until 2023, has suggested that there could be 'higher' attainment across this year's A-level cohort as a result. Her comments come as students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will receive their A-level and Level 3 BTec results on Thursday, with many finding out if they have secured a university place. Last year, more than a quarter (27.8%) of UK A-level entries were awarded an A or A* grade, up from 27.2% in 2023. It was the highest proportion of entries scoring top grades outside the pandemic-affected years of 2020-22. In 2019 – the last year that summer exams were taken before the pandemic – 25.4% of entries were awarded A or A* grades. The Covid-19 pandemic led to an increase in top A-level and GCSE grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams. Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at the University of Buckingham, has suggested that a higher percentage of UK A-level entries awarded top grades – compared with before the pandemic – could become the 'new normal' this summer. During a webinar hosted by the Higher Education Policy Institute think tank, Dr Saxton said: 'This cohort are the first to sit their Level 3 qualifications where they had the pre-pandemic standard reinstated on their GCSEs. 'I think that's just such an important backdrop for this whole cycle, just remembering this is that cohort, that there was a significant national programme to deflate their grades.' Dr Saxton, who was in charge at Ofqual when A-level and GCSE exams were reinstated in England following the pandemic, said she 'lost a lot of sleep' over the action to tackle grade inflation. But she suggested that teenagers told her that they wanted their exams back and they wanted their results to 'carry value'. Dr Saxton said: 'I think they will really be looking to those universities to respect and understand the context in which they've come through.' She said the return to pre-pandemic grading in 2023 meant 'fewer students than in recent years actually met the entry criteria that most schools and colleges would set for progression into A-level subjects'. Provisional exam entries data for England shows that A-level entries decreased by 0.4% from 825,355 last summer to 821,875 this summer, despite a 3.8% increase in the size of the 18-year-old population. Speaking just a few days before students receive their exam results, Dr Saxton added: 'It probably means that there's fractionally higher prior attainment across the cohort. This is me speculating as a former chief regulator.' Dr Saxton said clearing is no longer perceived as a 'bargain basement' for those who are not successful on A-level results day. Clearing is available to students who do not meet the conditions of their offer on A-level results day, as well as those who did not receive any offers. But prospective students who have changed their mind about what or where they wish to study, and also those who have applied outside the normal application window, can also use clearing. On Tuesday, the Ucas chief said: 'Clearing maybe was perceived as a bargain basement – it was for the people who had been unsuccessful. 'But that is definitely not how current applicants perceive it. 'For current applicants it's the mechanism by which they change their mind.' Nearly 22,700 courses with vacancies for undergraduate students living in England were available on the Ucas clearing site as of Wednesday last week – eight days before results day, a PA news agency analysis showed. A sample of 129 of the UK's largest higher education providers showed 17 of the 24 elite Russell Group universities had more than 3,600 courses with vacancies for English residents on clearing. Dr Saxton added: 'It is about students trusting their instincts and going back to their curated playlists, the favourites that they researched, that they've probably visited. 'They're not blindfolded throwing a dart at a dartboard.' Earlier this week, the Education Secretary said 'far too many young' white working-class British students do not get the exam results that they need to allow them to continue on to university. Bridget Phillipson told PA that the Post-16 White Paper and the Schools White Paper, which are both due in the autumn, will focus on turning around these 'thorny and generational challenges'. Dr Saxton said she would like the Government to look at regional disparities in access to and participation in higher education – such as the 'London advantage'. She said: 'More people in all parts of the country should get to benefit from higher education.'
