School is well and truly back in session across England, with a new cohort of sixth form students embarking on their A Level studies this year.
It was only in August that we found out how 2024’s secondary school leavers who sat their A Levels earlier this year fared. The total number of top A* grades awarded actually rose a little, while the overall pass rate dipped - although it remained in line with normal fluctuations.
However, performance gaps between England’s different regions do appear to have lingered on. When it comes to the proportion of A and A* grades awarded from total entries by region this year, Greater London students took out the top spot, with 31.3% of papers sat awarded an A.
The South East was a close second, with 30.8% As, while the rest, in order are: the East of England at 27.5%; the South West at 26.9%; the North West at 25.5%; the West Midlands at 24.8%; Yorkshire at 24.6%; the North East at 23.9%; and the East Midlands at 22.5%.
But regions are made up of many different counties, and breaking results down a little further give a broader insight into performance. So what does Ofqual’s data say about how England’s different counties fared when it came to the percentage of A Levels sat awarded an elusive A* top grade?
Here are the 10 highest and lowest performers from across the country:
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1. Rutland
The tiny county of Rutland, in the East Midlands, took out the top spot, with 15.2% of its total A Level entries earning an A* - compared to a nationwide average of 9%. This is an amazing achievement, although it is worth noting that Rutland had a comparatively low number of students sit their A Levels this year, with 1410 results total. | Adobe Stock
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2. Surrey
The South East's Surrey came in second overall, with 12.7% of its more than 26 thousand A Level entries earning an A* - compared to the nationwide average of 9%. | Adobe Stock
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3. East Sussex
Another of the South East's counties, East Sussex came in at a close third. A total 12.6% of its 12.5 thousand A Level results earned an A* this year. | Adobe Stock
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4. Oxfordshire
In fourth place is Oxfordshire, home to the esteemed University of Oxford - thought to be one of the world's very oldest. A total of 12.4% of its 15.5 thousand A Level results earned an A* this year. | Adobe Stock