Top-grade A-levels down

Drop in top grades for London A-level students

A-level results paper.
The number of students getting A* and A grades in London has dropped slightly this year. Photo: Fiona Hanson, PA Wire

The number of A-levels being marked at the top grades in London has dipped this year.

Only 9% of papers marked in the capital were given an A*, compared with 9.3% last year.

There was also a decline in the numbers getting either an A* or an A - down to 28.5% from 29.1% in 2011.

However, Londoners still out-performed, when compared to the rest of the country. Only the South East region could boast more A* and A grades than the capital.

Pass numbers hold up

Overall, London's pass rate has remained remarkably stable. The number of candidates achieving grades A* to E is exactly the same as last year - 97.8%.

But the capital is slightly behind the rest of the country in the lower grades. On average, 98% of candidates are getting grades A* to E.

So, while the best candidates are doing very well compared with their counterparts elsewhere, the poorest students are, perhaps, doing worse.

Hear advice on what to do once you've got your A-Level results from the Director of Student Recruitment at the University of East London: