AFTER months of waiting, students across south London have received their A-level exam results.
Whether it’s grades to get into university they needed, or the go-ahead to embark on their careers through apprenticeships, students can finally see how well they have done.
It was the first time the exams had been sat since the coronavirus outbreak, and there was delight for thousands of youngsters and their proud parents.
If you don’t get the results you expected - whether higher or lower - and need advice about future options, you might also find it helpful to contact professional careers advisers on the Exam Results Helpline 0800 100 900.
We have compiled pictures from schools across south London of this special day.
The overall pass rate across the country (grades A* to E) was 98.4 per cent, according to the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ).
This is down from 99.5 per cent in 2021 but up from 97.6 per cent in 2019.
82.6 per cent received a C or above, down from 88.5 per cent in 2021 but above the pre-pandemic figure of 75.9 per cent in 2019.
Around one in seven (14.6 per cent) of entries received an A*.
This is down from nearly one in five in 2021 (19.1 per cent), but higher than the figure in 2019, which was 7.7 per cent.
A total of 36.4 per cent of entries were awarded either an A or A*, down from 44.8 per cent in 2021 but up from 25.4 per cent in 2019.
87 per cent of students at Royal Greenwich Trust School (RGTS) have accepted their first choice university places.
Over half of students got at least Distinction or above for every grade, with more than one in ten getting the maximum grade available.
One such student is Riley, who is delighted to have achieved Distinction* in Level 3 Engineering.
Elizabeth also from RGTS, celebrates her grades in Engineering despite only moving to the UK in 2019.
Headteacher Caroline Longhurst said: "It is brilliant to share their joy at achieving these wonderful results and to hear about their varied plans for the future.
“I have been overwhelmed by the passion with which they speak about their time at RGTS Sixth Form, the respect they have for the quality of their teachers and the incredible memories they have made.
“I want to wish every RGTS graduate well for the future and I look forward to hearing about their accomplishments in the years to come.”
Harris Academy Orpington student, Lee Carew, has been awarded a place at Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina.
Having achieved excellent results in his Sport and Health and Social Care qualification, Lee will be studying for a degree in Sports Management.
He has represented Harris Academy Orpington and Kent at golf.
Whilst studying in the United States, Lee will be training and competing in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 2 Program which is an exceptionally high standard of competition.
Mr Richard Carey, Head of Harris Academy Orpington said: “I am very pleased for all our students celebrating their sixth form results today.
"They are testament to the hard work and dedication shown over their time here.
"Everyone knows that the past two years have been challenging due to the pandemic so it is particularly special to see our students so happy this morning.
“Lee Carew has been an exceptional student at the school and is a wonderful ambassador for Harris Academy Orpington.
"Securing a sports scholarship to an NCAA Division 2 College in the US is an amazing achievement for someone from the UK.
"Getting a place at a College such as this is the academic equivalent of a golfing hole-in-one.
"We are all delighted for him and for all our other students celebrating today."
Rand El-Shebli, from Battersea, felt her generation had not been treated fairly as she opened her A-level results.
The 17-year-old is now going on to study psychology at Queen Mary University of London, after achieving A in media studies, B psychology and B in sociology.
She said: “I was expecting a bit better, but overall I’m happy because for those to be the first exams since SATs, it’s a big achievement and everyone should be proud regardless of what they got,”
“We’re the first year to never have sat GCSEs then go straight into A-levels. We did have some help but I feel like it’s not entirely fair but overall I think people did get what they deserved.”
The Ark Academy Putney school-leaver added: “At the end of the day, I feel like it’s pretty unfair for your whole secondary school and A-level life to be determined by just one grade and three papers that you sit.
"Your future depends on that, which isn’t the best.
“I did expect the grade boundaries to be lower but if anything they are not actually low, which again is not really fair.
“It has become normal for people to get A*, and I think they wanted that grade to be reserved for a particular type of student this year.”
Igor Kurnik, 18, is trying to find a university place via clearing after missing his first choice university and back-up offer by just two marks.
The teenager, from Carshalton in south London, was predicted ABB and had offers from the University of Warwick and the University of Nottingham, but received four Bs.
He said:“As soon as I woke up, I saw an email saying I didn’t make it, so I had to sob for a little bit but then I realised that there’s no point sobbing.
“I need to do as much as I can now so at least I can place in hopefully a better university than before,” the Ark Putney Academy leaver said.
“I’m going through clearing as well as getting my paper remarked as I was two marks off an A grade in art and photography.
“Right now, I’m calling the two insurance and firm universities seeing if I still have a chance of getting there.
"I was told I was going to get an A continuously so I thought I was fine, so didn’t put as much effort in as I should have.
“Everyone can put excuses out and the only one I can think of is we didn’t have GCSE exams to prepare, so that might have impacted the amount of revision people did.”
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