Richard Baum

It’s A-level results day today - a day etched into the brains of 18 year olds up and down the country like a farmer’s mark branded into the rump of a cow… I remember well the unending summer of misery I endured before my own results were published, including a night entirely devoid of sleep beforehand, and then a surprisingly good outcome at the end of it all.

Well done to everyone in the ward who picked up results today. No matter what the grade, the hard work necessary even to get to the end of an A-Level course is no mean feat. If the results were good, then you deserve particular congratulations. And if they weren’t, then I know that there are many options to consider, and all is by no means lost.

The results have shown another improvement. Now over 97% of papers are passed, and a quarter of them get a grade A. So with one in four candidates now achieving an A Grade, we need to be sure that the most talented students are being properly stretched.

Liberal Democrats today call for action to make sure that the value of these exams remains high, and that the efforts of young people are justly rewarded with qualifications that mean a good deal to universities and employers. The new regulator must now act by reviewing today’s top grades so that we can be fully confident that the apparent improvements are real.

Our Schools spokesperson Annette Brooke has also raised concerns over the geographical divide in results. There is now a clear divide at the heart of our education system. The rate of improvement in the A Grade pass rate in the south is nearly three times greater than in the north.

Ministers must work to find the reasons for this inequality and ensure that any improvements in our schools and colleges benefit all students.

This is a system that isn’t perfect. But the young people coming through it today have passed the next stage in their development, and will start in university or employment in a few weeks. I remember that the trepidation I felt waiting for my results was forgotten just a short time later when the next chapter in my life started at university. No matter how anyone receiving results felt last night or feels today, the results are just one small part of a wider adventure, and I wish every one of the students getting results today all the best with it.

Rick