Top-grade A-levels down

• Education
• A-Levels

The number of London students getting the highest grades in A-Levels has fallen for the first time in more than 20 years.

Today's exam results show that 28.5 per cent of this year's entries got an "A-star" or an "A".

Last year, it was just over 29 per cent.

The worry is that some students will now miss out on the universities of their choice.

Paul Brand has this report.

• Education
• A-levels

There's been a fall in the number of students already accepted for university places, down 7% this year, compared with 2011.

There are various reasons for this, such as tuition fees - now up to £9,000 a year - putting teenagers off higher education.

So what are the options for students who know that university isn't for them? Liz Wickham has been finding out.

• Education
• A-levels

Thousands of students in the capital have been opening their A-Level results this morning.

Teenagers here in London have been getting high grades, compared with the rest of the country, but admissions service UCAS says university applications are down.

Paul Brand sent this report from a clearing centre at the University of Greenwich.

• Education
• University of Greenwich
• UCAS

Off to see students in Hackney get A level results. Good prospects are pricey this year - up to »9000 per yr at uni now

From @PaulBrandITV on Twitter: ( 6:59 am, Thu 16 Aug 2012)

Spoke to couple of students this morn who missed grades and now wonder whether second choice uni is worth the tuition fees #Alevelresults

From @PaulBrandITV on Twitter: ( 9:06 am, Thu 16 Aug 2012)

Applications at Greenwich Uni down 6.5%. But unprecedented no. of v early morning calls at their clearing centre today #Alevelresults

From @PaulBrandITV on Twitter: (11:26 am, Thu 16 Aug 2012)

• Education
• A-levels