A-level results 2024: 8 key trends in England’s data

A-level results are out this morning – here’s your handy FE Week round up of the key trends. 

All findings are for students in England, unless stated. Here’s what we know…

1. Overall performance in England

The proportion of A* and A grades has risen slightly to 27.6 per cent up, from 26.5 per cent last year, a rise of 4.2 per cent. 

This remains above the 25.2 per cent of top grades in pre-pandemic 2019. 

This year, 76 per cent of grades were C or above, up on 75.4 per cent last year and 75.5 per cent in 2019. 

2. Big rise in students getting 3 A*s

The number of students achieving 3 A* grades has risen from last year – from 3,820 to 4,135. 

It’s nearly 50 per cent up on pre-pandemic 2019 – when 2,785 pupils achieved it. This is despite just an 11 per cent rise in entries. 

However it is still way down on the 12,975 pupils achieving 3 A*s in 2021, when teacher grades were awarded. 

4. Regional attainment gap persists

A regional attainment gap persists, but the picture is mixed.

The proportion of A and above grades in London was 31.3 per cent and 30.8 per cent in the south east. This is compared to 22.5 per cent in the east Midlands and 23.9 per cent in the north east.

London’s top grades grew by 1.3 percentage points compared to just 0.2 percentage points in the East Midlands. 

However, the largest rises were in the north east and West Midlands, both 1.9 percentage points. 

5. Further maths adds up, and French reverses slide

Once again, there has been no change to the UK’s top five most popular subjects. 

Further maths saw the largest rise in entries of any A-level subject. The number entries grew by 20 per cent, from 15,080 in 2023 to 18,082. 

Physics, computing – which grew the most last year – and maths also recorded increases of more than 10 per cent. 

Following years of decline, with entries tumbling 16 per cent between 2021 and 2023, the numbers taking French rose by 6.8 per cent over the last 12 months. English literature also grew for the second year running. 

6. But sociology, drama and geography suffer

At the other end, sociology witnessed the largest drop (6.5 per cent), as entries shrunk from 47,436 to 44,359 in 2024. 

Drama and geography were the only other subjects that decreased by more than 5 per cent. Psychology and history also had falls of 2.4 per cent and 2.2 per cent respectively.

7. Which subjects have the biggest gender gaps in entries?

Computing continues to have many more boys than girls, who account for less than one in five of those taking the subject across the UK. 

Physics, design and technology, further maths and economics also remain male-dominated.

Meanwhile, health and social care, performing arts, English literature and sociology are heavily favoured by girls. 

8. Free schools see largest rise in top grades 

According to data published by Ofqual today, all centre types apart from “other” – which covers small centres like hospital schools – have seen rises in top grades. 

The largest rises were at free schools (9.8 per cent) and secondary modern (9.6 per cent) since last year. The smallest rises were for secondary comprehensives (1.4 per cent) and sixth form colleges (3.9 per cent).

Independent schools and secondary selective schools had the highest proportion of top grades – 49.4 per cent and 41 per cent respectively. 

This compares to just 14.8 per cent in FE colleges and 17.2 in secondary moderns,  which are non-selective schools in areas with grammar schools.