Thousands of students in England are celebrating today (14 August) after receiving their A level, T Level and Vocational Technical Qualification (VTQ) results. Education Secretary

Bridget Phillipson praised both students and teachers for their hard work, urging every young person to use this moment as a springboard to their ambitions — whether through further study, university, apprenticeships or employment.

This year has seen a record number of English 18-year-olds (193,510, up from 184,400 in 2024) securing their first-choice university place. Among disadvantaged students, 20.4% gained entry to higher education — up from 19.8% in 2024 and 17.4% in 2019.

However, the results also highlight persistent inequalities. The North East remains the only region where A level attainment at grade C or above is below pre-pandemic levels, and the gap between London and the North East in securing a university place has grown to 18.5 percentage points — the highest on record. Pupils from white working-class backgrounds, particularly boys, continue to face significant challenges in educational attainment.

T Levels — the government’s new technical qualification — are going from strength to strength. This year’s pass rate is 91.4%, with 65.3% achieving merit or above. Almost 12,000 students received T Level results this year (up from 7,000 in 2024), and industry placements continue to lead directly to jobs, with around a third of students securing employment with their placement employer.

These results come as the government continues to implement its “Plan for Change”, aimed at breaking the link between background and success. Recent achievements include:

- Over five million fewer days of absence compared with last year.

- 2,300 more teachers in schools.

- Expansion of free school meals and breakfast clubs.

- A £100 million investment in ten specialist Construction Technical Excellence Colleges.

Phillipson stressed that progress in education must go hand-in-hand with tackling wider disadvantage through early years reforms, revitalised family services and targeted post-16 reforms.

Key facts from 2025 results:

- More pupils are taking maths, physics and chemistry A levels than at any time since modern records began, with higher pass rates at grade C or above.

- 240,000 certificates awarded for Level 3 vocational and technical qualifications.

- The A level performance gap between the highest (London) and lowest (East Midlands) regions is 6.0 percentage points at grade C or above — slightly down from 2024 but still higher than in 2019.

Later this year, the government will publish Schools and Post-16 Skills white papers, setting out further reforms to ensure every child can thrive. Alongside this, the newly launched Youth Guarantee, backed by £45 million, will ensure that all 18–21-year-olds can access apprenticeships, quality training, further education or employment support. Photo by Anto475, Wikimedia commons.