As students across England this morning opened just over 1.1 million results, Sir Ian Bauckham affirmed the importance of their achievements for their own prospects and national prosperity.

Sir Ian said: “Standards have been maintained for another year, with grades determined by students’ performance in exams using exam boards’ strict marking and grading processes.”

Slightly fewer A levels were taken this year, with 814,335 entries compared to last year’s 816,890, despite an increase in the number of 18-year-olds in 2025.

“This may be a sign that young people are making different choices about what types of qualification suit them, which then has an impact on A level outcomes,” added Sir Ian.

“A levels remain a valued and well-recognised qualification in the UK and globally.”

This yea

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