The initial A-level results indicated that there is a considerable gap between private and state schools. Announcing this year results, the Girls’ School Association awarded 32.0% of grades at A* level and 70% at A and A*. In last year out of 17.9% of entries, more than half were awarded an A*.
The A* grade is used to define the best candidates among many others willing to get the place at universities. Universities at Bristol, Sussex, Exeter require applicants the A* grade for 15 of their courses. In 2010 only Imperial, Cambridge and UCL demanded the grade from students entering the universities. The number of applicants to UK universities has risen up to 1.3% in previous year. The same year almost 210,000 candidates missed out the place at university.
Caroline Jordan commented upon the girls’ school results: "These are great emerging results which means that today girls educated in our schools are celebrating getting into the most prestigious universities, many of them to study medical, science and language courses. They have also proved themselves to be team players and taken part in a multitude of extra curricula activities throughout their time at school, they are well placed to be the leaders of tomorrow".
On Tuesday a study on next year university applications was published. According to it, students from low-income families would get fewer places at top universities than ever. As a matter of fact, the number of students who will achieve less than two As and a B while A-level exams is to increase up to 8%. However, universities will have an opportunity to recruit an unlimited number of students with the same A-level results.
The thinktank claims that such reforms will negatively result in social mobility because smart pupils from-income homes and schools may have the same abilities as other peers from advantageous families but have less chances to achieve two As and a B.
