Latest news with #ClaireThomson
The Independent
5 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Boys score more top A-level grades than girls
Boys have outperformed girls in top A-level grades for the first time in seven years, exam results show. Overall, 28.4% of boys' A-level entries scored an A* or A this summer, compared to 28.2% of their female classmates' – a gap of 0.2 percentage points. The last time boys had a lead was in 2018. Last year, girls were ahead with 28.0% of entries scoring at least an A, compared to 27.6% of those from boys, according to figures published by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ). Exam bosses acknowledged the swing towards boys but said the difference between the sexes is 'pretty small'. There are more A-level entries overall from girls than boys, the figures show, with females making up 54% of all entries. Claire Thomson, executive director of regulation and compliance at the AQA exam board, said that while the percentage of girls achieving A*-A grades is lower this year than their male counterparts, overall, nearly 19,000 more females achieved at least an A due to more girls entering for A-levels in general. She said: 'It is important not to speculate too much about what has led to any differences between males and females as the figures are small, they do bounce around a bit over time and the causes will be multi-faceted and complex.' A breakdown by subject shows there is still a clear gender divide in some subjects, such as maths, where nearly two-thirds (63%) of entries are from boys. Richard Harry, executive director of qualifications and assessment at WJEC exam board, said maths is a 'significant contributor' to high A-level grades overall, but added it is 'difficult to pin that small shift in outcomes at A*-A on any one particular subject.' Overall, 16.7% of all maths entries scored an A* this year, compared to 9.4% of entries for all A-levels. Interest in maths A-level has soared in the last decade, with the number of entries up more than a fifth (21.7%) since 2016. Mr Harry said: 'I think on the gender gap for maths it's really important to note a positive increase – nearly 5% in entries for females taking maths.' He added that, given the general continuing interest in the subject, it is 'inevitable' that the gap between the sexes will remain to some extent. Jill Duffy, chairwoman of the JCQ board of directors and chief executive of the OCR exam board, said there has been movement in other science and maths-based subjects, such as in A-level chemistry, which is taken by more girls than boys. There has been a significant push in recent years from both government and industry to encourage girls to take science and maths subjects. Sir Ian Bauckham, chief regulator of Ofqual, England's exams regulator, told the PA news agency: 'We know that maths A-level has the most direct and demonstrable correlation with future earnings prospects and therefore future contribution to the economy. 'So I think what we should be doing is celebrating the rise in entry to maths A-level, the rise in the number of young people reaching those exceptional standards of mathematical knowledge and skill in maths A-level. That is a good thing. 'Because these subjects do correlate with enhanced employment prospects, career prospects and earning potential, I think it should be a challenge to us all to ensure that access to the high grades at those A-levels, which is obviously conditioned at least in part by entry, is available equally to male and female students. 'And we do across these A-levels see some quite stark differences between male and female entry, and I think as a system, as educators, more broadly speaking, we should all be focused on ensuring that girls, as well as boys, access these important A-levels and do well at them.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Influencers ‘could be driving greater uptake of business-related A-levels'
Social media influencers may be fuelling interest in A-level economics and business studies among students keen to enjoy similar success in making money, it has been suggested. The current generation of young people have an 'entrepreneurial spirit' and are choosing subjects that will help open up career opportunities, according to exam bosses. New figures show a rise in entries for A-levels in both economics and business studies this year – with business studies entering the top five subjects for the first time. Claire Thomson, executive director of regulation and compliance at the AQA exam board said both subjects have a 'real world relevance' which helps students understands how the world works and businesses operate. She said: 'They are clearly relevant for lots of career opportunities whether it's finance, marketing, management. 'I also wonder if there's a little bit about the social media phenomenon these days and the amount of influencers people see making what seems like lots of money, and that idea of gaining some entrepreneurial skills so that they can go out and emulate the people that they see all the time on social media.' Ms Thomson added these A-level subjects involve critical thinking, problem-solving and data analysis skills which lend themselves to many vocational and higher education opportunities. Jill Duffy, chairwoman of JCQ board of directors and chief executive of the OCR exam board, said it was good to see an increase in interest for the subjects. She said: 'I think it's true, we see a very entrepreneurial spirit in this generation of young people. They've often got side hustles going on.' Figures published by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland show a 5.5% increase in entries for A-level economics this year, compared to 2024, while business studies entries are up 0.6%. Business studies' entry into the top five most popular subjects means it is the first time a humanities subject has not been in the top five since the current grading system began.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Influencers ‘could be driving greater uptake of business-related A-levels'
Social media influencers may be fuelling interest in A-level economics and business studies among students keen to enjoy similar success in making money, it has been suggested. The current generation of young people have an 'entrepreneurial spirit' and are choosing subjects that will help open up career opportunities, according to exam bosses. New figures show a rise in entries for A-levels in both economics and business studies this year – with business studies entering the top five subjects for the first time. Claire Thomson, executive director of regulation and compliance at the AQA exam board said both subjects have a 'real world relevance' which helps students understands how the world works and businesses operate. She said: 'They are clearly relevant for lots of career opportunities whether it's finance, marketing, management. 'I also wonder if there's a little bit about the social media phenomenon these days and the amount of influencers people see making what seems like lots of money, and that idea of gaining some entrepreneurial skills so that they can go out and emulate the people that they see all the time on social media.' Ms Thomson added these A-level subjects involve critical thinking, problem-solving and data analysis skills which lend themselves to many vocational and higher education opportunities. Jill Duffy, chairwoman of JCQ board of directors and chief executive of the OCR exam board, said it was good to see an increase in interest for the subjects. She said: 'I think it's true, we see a very entrepreneurial spirit in this generation of young people. They've often got side hustles going on.' Figures published by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland show a 5.5% increase in entries for A-level economics this year, compared to 2024, while business studies entries are up 0.6%. Business studies' entry into the top five most popular subjects means it is the first time a humanities subject has not been in the top five since the current grading system began.
The Guardian
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
An astonishing tale of Lamborghinis, cocaine and the need to make a quick buck: best podcasts of the week
Two days after his release from prison, TJ Dominguez opens up about a life where he ran the largest Lamborghini dealership in the world by day, then by night made $100m a month flying cocaine for Pablo Escobar. Host Jonathan Walton's rapport-packed interview with him makes for a wild story – of how Dominguez only ended up there after being conned, desperately needing to make a quick buck to fulfil his late dad's last wishes. Alexi Duggins Widely available, episodes weekly This fun, chatty cookery show features chef Claire Thomsonmeeting celebrities to cook their favourite recipe. First up, it's Amol Rajan making a paneer curry – having failed to tell Thomson which ingredients to buy in advance. The audio's not the slickest, but it's a colourful, engaging way to go about unlocking famous people's informal side. ADWidely available, episodes weekly Subtitled Breaking the Internet, this fourth series of the Long Lead/PRX podcast might make you want to log off for good. From social media to the manosphere, journalist Garrett Graff takes a sharp and generally terrifying look back at 30 years online to ask 'When was the last time you felt good about the internet?' Hannah J DaviesWidely available, episodes weekly Hollywood film star Hedy Lamarr lived two remarkable lives in one: her cinema career and her less appreciated sideline as an inventor. The new season explores her life in full, explaining how technological advances she pioneered helped to lay the foundations for future communication breakthroughs including GPS, Bluetooth and wifi. Phil Harrison Widely available, episodes weekly Sign up to What's On Get the best TV reviews, news and features in your inbox every Monday after newsletter promotion US writer Allison Raskin and her husband John Blakeslee host this series about the ups and downs of getting wed, or as Raskin puts it: 'Is this a pro-marriage podcast? Yes … but with so many asterisks!' While earnest at points, their wit peeks through – and there's added intrigue from the fact that Blakeslee was once in the CIA. HJD Widely available, episodes weekly
