Ministers have pledged to address England’s “entrenched” educational inequalities after A-level results revealed persistent regional gaps, with students in London and the south-east outperforming those in the north-east. While national top grades rose, the north-east saw results remain below pre-pandemic levels.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Every single young person collecting their results should have the opportunity to pursue their dreams… but too often, opportunities depend on background rather than talent.” She highlighted the lack of progress for white working-class children as “particularly concerning”.
Carl Cullinane, director of research at the Sutton Trust, said: “If the government is going to break down barriers to opportunity, the growth in regional inequalities must be reversed.” He noted that while more deprived students are entering university, the gap between the most and least deprived areas has widened since 2019.
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, called for investment in disadvantaged communities, stating: “We have to stop merely talking about these issues and actually address them.” He added that schools alone cannot solve the problem.
Nationally, 28% of entries in England achieved A* or A grades, up from 25.2% in 2019. Ofqual attributed the rise to a stronger cohort and fewer students taking A-levels, denying grade inflation. Similar trends were seen in Wales and Northern Ireland.
