Kirklees falls behind on A-level results

Exams were cancelled amid the coronavirus pandemic and, following a U-turn, students were given a choice of their predicted grades or ones calculated by an algorithm.

The Sutton Trust said the regional inequalities seen in the marks suggests that pupils may have been disadvantaged by their postcode, calling the issue the “new frontier” of inequality.

Department for Education figures show 2,398 students in Kirklees took A-levels in 2019-20 – with 19 per cent receiving three A* or A grades, 29 per cent AAB or better and 88 per cent at least two A-levels.

The proportion getting A*-As was much higher than the 12 per cent of pupils who achieved the same result under normal circumstances the year before, but the gap to the best performing parts of England has grown.

In 2018-19, Kirklees was 18 percentage points behind Reading, but this grew to 27 this summer.

The Sutton Trust said the data furthers concerns that high-attaining, lower income students lost out the most.

Loic Menzies, chief executive of the Centre for Education and Youth, said: “The summer’s exam chaos came on top of a lockdown that played out very differently for young people, depending on where they lived and how well off their parents were.

“It is therefore deeply worrying that this has played out in regional inequalities when it comes to exam results – despite the government’s stated commitment to ‘levelling up’.”

A DfE spokesman said: “Exams are important in judging a pupil’s performance and this data reflects the unprecedented circumstances faced this year. That is why Ofqual and the Government agree that exams should go ahead next year.

“Exams give all pupils the best possible opportunity to demonstrate their ability and achieve the results they deserve, no matter what their background.”