More than 20,000 teenagers from the most disadvantaged backgrounds have degree places - up 8 per cent


A-level pass rates fell yesterday for the first time in more than three decades following a crackdown on grade inflation and a return to traditional subjects.

The number of pupils scraping at least E grades dipped from a record high of 98.1 per cent after 32 years of relentless rises.

Top A and B grades were also squeezed as former Education Secretary Michael Gove’s measures to restore credibility to the exam system took hold.

Despite the decline, record numbers of teenagers will start degree courses this autumn after universities relaxed entry requirements.

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Incredible achievement: Libera Assini (left) passed an amazing 11 A levels with 8 A*s and 3 A grades at Colchester Royal Grammar School in Essex while Tabitha Jackson (right) achieved 4 A*s in her A-level results at Brighton College

Going places: Travis Alabanza-Behard opens his exam results and hugs friend Hannah Wilson after seeing he has gained a place at Kings College London to study Theology with 1A* and two As at St Mary Redcliffe school, Bristol

Giddy: Kate Appleby (2nd L), Amy Huyton-Taylor (2nd R) and Olivia Pike react after collecting their A-level results at Brighton College Success: Identical twins Lara (left) and Ella Bavington, both 18 and from Buckinghamshire, who achieved identical A-level results at St Mary's Calne School in Wiltshire

UNIVERSITY DELIVERS BAD NEWS BEFORE RESULTS WERE OUT Some students were told prematurely that they had not received their required grades - after one university accidentally emailed them before results were officially published. Nottingham Trent University yesterday sent emails to 30 students, offering them a place on an alternative course. The emails were sent to those who had not attained the correct grades for their chosen course. Parents told The Guardian that one student received an email from Nottingham Trent's admissions office on Wednesday telling him: 'Sorry you didn't get your predicted A-level grades. But we can still offer you a place.' A spokesman for the university said the email had been sent to 30 out of 12,000 applicants and said students had not been sent their actual results. She said: 'A small number of emails were unfortunately sent to applicants who have exceeded or slightly missed their required grades. 'The issue was identified and resolved very quickly. The emails, which did not disclose any results, were to offer applicants a place on a similar, but alternative course.' Universities are given their applicants' A-level grades by Ucas before they are officially published. The process is to help the university make quicker decisions about over or undersubscribed courses on results day. But the university is not allowed to approach students with offers or decisions until after results are sent out. A Ucas spokesman said: 'Ucas wrote to each institution earlier this year reminding them of the importance of maintaining the embargo. 'Each institution returned a signed agreement confirming that they would respect the results embargo. 'Ucas takes any breach of the results embargo very seriously and will be following this up with institutions concerned as a matter of urgency.' Advertisement

Maths is now the most popular A-level among students, with latest exam results showing that 88,816 candidates took the subject this year.

There were also boosts to science, with biology entries up 0.2 per cent, chemistry rising 3.3 per cent and physics increasing 3.2 per cent.



At the same time, subjects derided as ‘Mickey Mouse’ courses fell out of favour. The number of pupils taking critical thinking fell nearly 50 per cent, performing arts 8.5 per cent and media studies 2.1 per cent.

The hikes come amid a major drive by Government and employers to encourage young people to study science and maths-based subjects post-16.

This campaign - particularly towards girls - has been promoted because the subjects are seen as vital for the UK's economy and future success.

Almost 400,000 undergraduates have already been accepted on to degree courses, but the A-level pass-rate fell for the first time in more than 30 years.

With thousands of places still available the total number of people going to university could top half a million for the first time, Ucas said.

It came as national A-level results for England, Wales and Northern Ireland showed that 98 per cent of exams scored at least an E this summer, down by 0.1 percentage points - the first time it has fallen in 32 years.

Pupils were no longer able to attempt papers in January, forcing them to sit all exams in the summer, as part of measures to curb the practice of re-sitting bite-size A-level modules, which had been pushing up grades.



Experts believe the decline in grades may have been steeper without controversial protocols by exam chiefs to ensure results are comparable with last year. Ofqual said it would order pass marks to be lowered if necessary to ensure trends this year were broadly similar to 2013.

Ofqual chief executive Glenys Stacey denied this amounted to results being ‘fiddled’, but was aimed at making sure that pupils ‘are not disadvantaged’.

Despite the move, exam boards wrote an unprecedented letter to schools and colleges yesterday warning of ‘volatile’ results. UCAS universities admissions figures showed a record 396,990 students had places confirmed yesterday – up 3 per cent on the same point last year – with tens of thousands more still up for grabs.

English has slipped down to second place amid a 4.6 per cent fall in entries, a decline that is likely to be down to the GCSE English grade controversy two years ago.

In 2012, it was claimed that thousands of students had received lower than expected results in GCSE English after grade boundaries were raised between the January and June exam sessions.

An alliance of hundreds of pupils and schools and scores of local councils, as well as teaching unions, mounted an unprecedented legal challenge over the situation.

However, they ultimately lost after a High Court judge ruled that teenagers who fell foul of changes to GCSE English were treated unfairly - but exam boards and regulator Ofqual did not act unlawfully.

Charlie Stripp, chief executive of Mathematics in Education and Industry (MEI) said: ‘I believe the continued increases in the numbers of students taking AS and A-levels in maths and further maths show how young people's attitudes towards maths are changing as they understand more how maths underpins careers in business, science, technology and engineering, and how maths and further maths A-levels provide access to prestigious courses at top universities.

‘These are demanding qualifications and it's brilliant news that our sixth formers are rising to the challenge.’

Frances Saunders, president of the Institute of Physics said: ‘We're very pleased to see an increase in the numbers of students choosing to take A-level physics.

Happy day: Caitlin Sweet, Olivia Metcalfe, Rebecca Page, Jess Coenen, Molly Ward, Emily Barcroft and sister Lucy Barcroft of Manchester High School for Girls celebrate outstanding A Level results as record numbers are accepted to university

Celebrations: Kate Nissan, 18, who got 2 A* and one A from Newcastle High School in Jesmond with friend Bethany Painter, 18, who got 2 A* and a B

Triple celebration: Alexandra. George and Zoe Ellaby, all 18, will all fly the nest next month after they each made the grade to get into their first choice of university. The siblings opened their results together at Ashville College in Harrogate, North Yorkshire this morning

Star: Actress and A-level student Izzy Meikle-Small (R), who starred in the film 'Never Let Me Go', reacts with friends after collecting her 3 A's at Brighton College

Proud mum: Olivia Katie is congratulated by her mother as she opens her A-level results at Winterbourne International Academy in Bristol

Manchester High School for Girls pupils Alison Bristow, Jordan Greenwood, Georgia Williamson and Ashika Shajahan celebrate their outstanding A Level results

Overwhelmed: Newcastle student Kate Nissen get emotional after her 2 A* stars and an A guaranteed her a place at university

A student at the Winterbourne International Academy in Gloucestershire clearly enjoyed his results, as did double amputee Private Pa Njie (right), who lost his legs in Afghanistan in 2010 but today bagged an A* and Cs in his exams



HERO SOLDIER WHO LOST HIS LEGS ACHIEVES UNIVERSITY 'DREAM'

A hero ex-soldier who lost both his legs in an explosion in Afghanistan is celebrating after picking up his A Level results - and will now be the first in his family to go to university.

Pa Njie, 24, suffered horrific injuries after stepping on an IED while on patrol in Helmand Province in 2010 and later underwent intensive rehabilitation at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

He has now gained an A* grade in his business studies A Level, as well as C grades in accounting and economics, at Abbey College Birmingham and will now go study business at Aston University.

He picked up his results online as he is away in America, providing advice and support to other servicemen and women who have lost their legs.

Pa, who lives in Hockley, Birmingham, began training with the armed forces in 2008 before joining the Mercian regiment in Catterick.

He served all over the world, including the Falkland Islands, Kenya, Cyprus and Afghanistan, before leaving the regiment after his injury to become a

student.

He said: 'Since joining the Army, it has been a long-held ambition of mine to go to

university, and I would be the first of my family to pursue that dream'.

‘Increasing uptake has been a long-term objective of ours, and one we are addressing through initiatives such as the Stimulating Physics Network (SPN).

‘SPN is helping to develop a cadre of secondary-school teachers that are more confident, effective and inspirational.

‘Students' experience of physics in school is a big factor in whether they choose to continue studying it post-16, and SPN is proving to be a major contributor to increasing numbers of A-level physics students.’

The number of girls taking the subject increased by around 5 per cent, and their progression from AS to A-level physics also increased slightly, by 0.8 per cent.

But female A-level physics students still only represent 21.1 per cent of the total number of entries, and worries remain about too few girls choosing physics.

John Cridland, director-general of the CBI, said: ‘Growth and jobs in the future will depend on closing our yawning skills gap and the UK having a workforce that can exploit new technologies, so it's great to see entries up in the sciences, and maths now the number one A-level choice, reflecting our call for more students to study maths up to 18.

‘Highly-skilled workers are essential for our growth sectors so these qualifications carry a real premium with employers.

‘It will be those young people with science and maths qualifications who go on to become engineers and new tech entrepreneurs in the future.’

Meanwhile, it was revealed that record numbers of students are heading to university this year, as new figures showed that the A-level pass-rate has fallen for the first time in more than 30 years.

Almost 400,000 undergraduates have already been accepted on to degree courses, with thousands of places still available, particularly for those with top grades.

For the first time this year, the total number of people going to university could top half a million, Ucas said.

It came as national A-level results for England, Wales and Northern Ireland showed that 98% of exams scored at least an E this summer, down by 0.1 percentage points - the first time it has fallen in 32 years.

Just over one in four (26 per cent) of exams were awarded an A* or A grade, down 0.3 percentage points on last summer.

But the proportion of A* grades rose to 8.2 per cent, up 0.6 percentage points on 2013.

Exam board bosses said the decline in pass-rates could be fuelled by more students deciding to take ‘facilitating subjects’ - traditional subjects often favoured by top universities - even if they are less likely to perform well in them.

Andrew Hall, chief executive of the AQA exam board, said: ‘There is that slight shift towards facilitating subjects, and that we think can have an impact.

‘The students choosing to do some of the facilitating subjects in the past may have taken one of the other subjects.’

To watch Monica's mum's reaction to her results click here.

Tense times: Students in Cheltenham consider their results as the overall pass rate dropped for the first time in 32 years

Happy: Hannah Sanderson, Charlotte Sayers and Hannah Benyon from Gloucestershire jump for joy

Double trouble: Twin girls Jenny and Carrie Soderman, 18, picked up their results from King Edward VI High School for Girls in Edgbaston, Birmingham

D-day: Students from Pate's Grammar School in Cheltenham receive their A-Level results as record number of students head to University

Elation: Despite a fall in pass rate the number of A*s being handed out rose markedly SAME RESULTS, SAME SUBJECTS, SAME DEGREE AND SAME UNIVERSITY FOR IDENTICAL TWINS

Identical twin girls today achieved exactly the same results in the same subjects - and are going to study the same degree in the same university.

Anuja and Shailja Chalishazar, 18, achieved A*s in biology and maths and As in chemistry and have both secured places to study medicine at Cardiff University.

Shailja (left) and Anuja (right) with their parents The twins picked up their identical results at Howell's School, in Llandaff, Cardiff, and were amazed when they realised their incredible double.

Anuja said: ‘We have always had similar interests and similar strengths. We have taken the same subjects since GCSE and we've been together ever since.

‘We revised in the same room and we helped each other a lot. It was great having that support there.’

Shailja added: ‘We were slightly nervous going into the exams because we knew they were so important, but we came out feeling they had gone quite well and we knew we'd done our best.’

The pair will be starting at Cardiff University in September and admit they were ‘surprised’ when they realised they both wanted to study the same degree in the same place.

Shailja added: ‘We didn't discuss our individual choices. We each applied to five universities and we picked a couple of the same, so it is a huge coincidence we have both been accepted at Cardiff.’ These students may find that, for them, the facilitating subject they have chosen is harder. An open letter published by the exam boards warned it was ‘quite probable’ that the drop in pass-rates below A* was down to students picking traditional subjects, when they have made different choices in the past. ‘If these students have found a particular facilitating subject more challenging than their peers, it may have depressed overall outcomes at grade A and also at B.’ For the first time this year, A-level students have been able to take exams only in the summer, after the January exam session was scrapped, leaving fewer opportunities for them to re-sit papers. This move has given students more time for studying, Mr Hall suggested, adding that perhaps those students who were ‘comfortably getting an A with the re-sit opportunities, a few more will have stretched to get that A*’. The top grade is also becoming more important to universities, and therefore to students seeking degree places. OCR chief executive Mark Dawe said few universities asked for the A* grade when it was first introduced in 2010, but increasing numbers are now doing so. ‘Again, we think there's been this increasing trend of students reaching to get the A* because they now need it,’ Mr Dawe said. A Department for Education spokesman insisted that the drop in the A*-E passrate was ‘insignificant’. The results showed: Boys outperformed girls at A* grade for the third year running, with 8.5 per cent of boys' entries attaining the top mark, compared with 7.9 per cent of the girls, according to the official data, published by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ).

An increasing number of students are choosing science, with the number electing to study biology, chemistry and physics rising by 2 per cent, while those taking maths has gone up by 0.9 per cent and further maths by 1.5 per cent. These are all facilitating subjects.

The number studying English - also a facilitating subject - has gone down by 4.6 per cent, a fall that is likely to be down to the GCSE English grade controversy two years ago.

Even greater decreases were seen in non-facilitating subjects such as political studies - down 10.6 per cent, general studies, which has dropped by 24.3 per cent, and critical thinking, down 46.6 per cent.

Soaring numbers of students are doing the extended project - a qualification that allows a candidate to study a topic in depth. Around 33,200 were entered for the qualification this summer, up from 5,100 in 2009.

Languages saw another slump, with the numbers taking French down from 11,272 last year to 10,433 this year - a drop of 7.4 per cent - while German has declined 4,242 to 4,187, representing a 1.2 per cent fall. Separate figures show that record numbers of people are signing up for university this year. Ucas statistics show that, as of midnight, 396,990 undergraduates had places confirmed at UK universities, up 3% on last year, and 352,590 have won a place on their first choice of course, up 2 per cent on 2013. More places are available to would-be students than ever before this year, with around 35,000 courses on offer in clearing today. Many of these are aimed at students with top grades. Under a new system, there is now no limit on the numbers of students with an A and two B grades at A-level that universities can recruit, allowing them to offer last-minute places to youngsters meeting this threshold. The Government has also made 30,000 more places available. A snapshot survey of the Ucas clearing website taken this afternoon by the Press Association found 19 Russell Group universities, considered among the best in the country, were collectively advertising spaces for English students on around 3,600 courses, mainly for youngsters with top grades. Russell Group director-general Dr Wendy Piatt said: ‘Some Russell Group universities may have more places to offer through clearing to well-qualified students who have narrowly missed out on their first choice.' Nick Foskett, vice-chancellor of Keele University, said: ‘As predicted, this year we have seen the role of the clearing system continue to change. ‘An increase in spaces at universities for 2014/15 means more students have been accepted into their first choice, even if they have missed their target by the odd grade.



Battle of the sexes: Boys did better than girls again this year with eight per cent getting an A* compared to 7.4 per cent of girls. These young men from Pate's Grammar School in Cheltenham looked pleased

Ellie Wood, who got two grade A's and a A* and is taking a place at Cambridge poses for a photograph as she opens her A-level results at Yate International Academy in Bristol, before her friends dive on her to celebrate



Pleased: Colchester County High School for Girls students Beattie Roberts, who got 2 As and 1 B, Roisin Leahy 4A* and A and Hattie Lodge with 2A and 1B are enjoying their day

Waiting game: Some students will have to phone UCAS to go through clearing - but universities are expected to offer places even if grades are not as anticipated EIGHT A*S MAKES LIBERA ONE OF OUR TOP ACHIEVERS AT A-LEVEL A top student from one of the country’s leading grammar schools is celebrating stunning A-level results of eight A*s and three A grades.

Libera Assini (below) stunned teachers at Colchester Royal Grammar School with her record-breaking haul.

The talented 18-year-old from Wivenhoe, Essex, is now going on to study philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford University.

Libera - whose father is Italian and mtoerh is Taiwanese - believes she did well because she did subjects which interested her.

She said: ‘Time management was always my biggest issue - it was a case of trying to juggle all the courses which was not easy.

‘When it came to exam time though, it was just a case of focusing on the next subject as it came up.’

Libera, who has a younger brother, Leo, 15, achieved eight A*s in Government and Politics, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths, French, Italian and Critical Thinking.

She also took home three As in Chinese, History and General Studies.

Headmaster Ken Jenkinson said: ‘Libera is certainly a very exceptional student with such a wide range of abilities and talents and I can think of no other student who could contemplate taking 11 A levels in one session.

‘She was a senior prefect, a key member of the school orchestra and fully involved in the wider life of the school so she took all her academic studies in her stride.’ However, her haul was some distance off that achieved by Ali Moeen Nawazish of Pakistan, who took 24 A-Levels - securing 22 A grades, one B and a C. The Mail reported on his astonishing effort in 2009.

‘Many universities have been keen to accept students that may have been rejected in previous years, to help assist their plans for growth and expand student numbers.’ Critical thinking saw the largest fall, with entries down 46.6 per cent this year, followed by general studies, which has dropped by 24.3 per cent. Meanwhile, those taking Spanish A-level has dropped from 7,651 last year to 7,601, a 0.6 per cent decrease. Last year the number of students choosing Spanish had actually increased compared with the previous one. There were 9,007 entries for other modern foreign languages, down from 9,087 last year, representing a 0.8 per cent drop. It emerged earlier this month that exam boards will have to change French, German and Spanish A-level tests after an investigation into falling student numbers and not enough top grades being awarded. Ucas chief executive Mary Curnock Cook said: 'Today's numbers are a reflection of the continuing strong demand for higher education. 'A combination of extra places available and the falling population of 18-year-olds means that students are in a good position to secure a place this year. 'Alongside the impressive numbers, this is also a story about individuals who have made a life-defining decision to invest in their personal growth and position themselves for a more fulfilling life and career.' Analysts have predicted the changes will lead to a dip in the number of top grades. Any fall in A* and A grades would be the third consecutive drop after more than 20 years of relentless rises. Sixth-formers across the country are today finding out if their hard work and effort has paid off as they wake up to their A-level results. Around 300,000 students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland went to their schools and colleges this morning to receive their grades. For many, success in the exams will mean a prized place at university, an apprenticeship or other training scheme, while those who achieved less than expected are likely to be considering their options. Youngsters who do better than expected will also be deciding whether to change their plans, and 'trade up' to a different university or degree course. A snapshot survey of the Ucas clearing website taken this afternoon by the Press Association found that one in 20 courses listed with vacancies were for Russell Group universities. The Russell Group represents 24 leading institutions including Oxford and Cambridge, neither of which are taking part in clearing. In total, 19 of the universities were advertising spaces on courses, but were only offering them to students whose grades were over a certain threshold. Altogether there were 359 universities and colleges offering spaces through clearing, with more than 3,600 courses on offer for students in England between them. Russell Group director-general Dr Wendy Piatt said: 'Some Russell Group universities may have more places to offer through clearing to well-qualified students who have narrowly missed out on their first choice. 'Ucas and our universities have been preparing for this carefully and are on hand to help students who have missed their offer. There may also be places available through the Ucas adjustment process for those who have done better than expected.' Exam board bosses said the decline in pass-rates could be fuelled by more students deciding to take 'facilitating subjects' - traditional subjects often favoured by top universities - even if they are less likely to perform well in them. Andrew Hall, chief executive of the AQA exam board, said: 'There is that slight shift towards facilitating subjects, and that we think can have an impact. The students choosing to do some of the facilitating subjects in the past may have taken one of the other subjects.' These students may find that, for them, the facilitating subject they have chosen is harder. An open letter published by the exam boards warned it was 'quite probable' that the drop in pass-rates below A* was down to students picking traditional subjects, when they have made different choices in the past. 'If these students have found a particular facilitating subject more challenging than their peers, it may have depressed overall outcomes at grade A and also at B.' Scary: A-level students from Ashford in Middlesex were challenged by Thorpe Park to open their results in the most thrilling ways on some of the UK's top rollercoasters Unusual way to get your results: More A-Level students from Ashford who were challenged by Thorpe Park to open their results on a ride

Girls from Newcastle High School in Jesmond, Newcastle, celebrate their A-level results, as official figures show that more A-levels were handed the very highest grade this summer

Celebrations in Newcastle this morning as students from Church High and Central High receive their A Level results for the last time before the schools merge to become Newcastle High School for Girls next month

Magnificent seven: Lauren Buchan and Tom Griesbach, both 18, from Solihull, who got seven A stars between them

Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, one of the top state schools in the country, are this year sending 16 students to Oxbridge and 92 to Russell Group Universities FROM RESULTS TO RACE TRACK IN JUST 20 MINUTES

Sprinter Dina Asher-Smith learned she had passed her exams minutes before the 200m qualifiers at the European Championships in Zurich yesterday morning. The 18-year-old also secured a place in the semi-finals, with a time of 22.75 seconds. Dina, who will go on to study history at King’s College London, said her proud mother had texted her. She added: ‘It was about 20 minutes before I went to warm up so it was pretty close. It’s quite a boost and I’m so happy. ‘I was probably more nervous for my exam results than the heats to be fair. I was absolutely petrified of not getting into university. I don’t know exactly what I got, but I’m going to King’s College London for history, and I needed [at least] three As.’ Last year, just over one in four entries (26.3 per cent) scored an A* or A, down 0.3 per cent on the year before. The fall was believed to be the second biggest drop in the history of the qualifications. A* - the very top grade - also dipped last summer, with 7.6% of exams scoring the mark, compared with 7.9 per cent in 2012, while the overall A*-E pass rate rose by 0.1 per cent to 98.1 per cent. The national picture also showed that boys pulled further ahead in the highest grades in 2013, with 8 per cent of boys' entries attaining an A* compared with 7.4 per cent of girls. In 2012 the gap between the sexes was just 0.1 per cent, with young men doing better. Girls were still slightly ahead in A*-A grades combined last year, but their results dropped half a percentage point to narrow the gulf between the genders. They also continued to do better in terms of A*-C grades. Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at Buckingham University, said he did not anticipate major changes in this year's results. 'Given the change to take out the January exams and the drop in the number taking A-levels, it looks as though, if anything, the results will be a bit lower than they were in 2013.' As part of reforms to the system, students can no longer sit papers halfway through the academic year, in January, with all exams now taken in the summer. Greg Clark, Minister for Universities and Science, welcomed the A-levels results saying it was a 'good day for the country'. 'I think it is great news,' Mr Clark said. 'The fact we have got record numbers of people going to university is a great day for the students, who worked very hard to get in, and a good day for the country as we want to see people realising their potential. 'It's a real red letter day for everyone. It's a record number of people placed on results day and as the weeks ahead progress it is looking likely the 500,000 barrier will be broken. 'That is tremendous news. One of the things the Government did this year was to increase the student number cap by 30,000, with a view to removing it next year. 'That's because we want to remove the cap on aspiration and we want every young person, who can benefit from higher education, to be able to do so. 'That's good for them and that's good for the country.' Shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt said: 'For thousands of people across the country, today brings the culmination of years of hard work and perseverance. Congratulations to all of those who have got the grades that will take them on to the next chapter in their lives. 'But under David Cameron there are fewer opportunities for young people, with the decision to scrap the link between AS and A-level qualifications reducing opportunities for many young people who want to go to university. 'This Government also has no plan whatsoever for the forgotten 50 per cent of young people not choosing that route - we need more options for university-level vocational study so more young people can take qualifications that help them into the labour market.' One union said it hoped students had not been disadvantaged by the move. Nansi Ellis, assistant general secretary for policy at the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said: 'We hope that Thursday is a day of celebration for thousands of young people when they get their AS and A-level results. ‘We hope they get the grades they need to go to university, get a training place or find a good job. ‘And we congratulate the teachers who continue to do their best for their students, despite all the upheaval in the system. 'However, we wait to see what the impact of the removal of January exams has had on students who could not take one unit early this year. ‘This change will have put students under a lot more pressure as January exams gave them the chance to complete part of their course and track their progress.' Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), said: 'From discussions with members, NAHT does not anticipate dramatic variations in 2014's overall A-level outcomes but individual schools may experience larger swings.

Reflection: Pupils at Rochdale Sixth Form College ponder their A-Level results as official figures show that more A-levels were handed the very highest grade this summer

Mixed emotions: Students at the Winterbourne International Academy react differently as they open their A-level result

'A further decline in the proportion of top grades is, however, likely. The reduction in opportunities to sit modules could harm some schools but others have favoured a more linear approach to A-levels, so the effect should not be as pronounced as at GCSE.'

As the A-level results are published, youngsters who have applied for university will be finding out whether they have met the grade requirements to take up their chosen course.

The tens of thousands of would-be students without a university place are likely to enter clearing - the annual process which allows them to search and apply for courses that still have vacancies.

Demand for university is high again this year, with more than 659,000 people applying by the end of June - up 4 per cent on last year.

Last year, 495,595 people secured a place at university or college through Ucas, the admissions service, with a record 57,100 accepted through clearing.

Under a new system, there is now no limit on the numbers of students with an A and two B grades at A-level that universities can recruit, allowing them potentially to offer last-minute places to youngsters who do better than expected and meet this threshold.

A number of leading institutions are expected to enter clearing to offer last-minute places to students with good grades above the cap.

Dr Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group, which represents 24 of the UK's top universities, said: 'Some Russell Group universities may still have places available in some subjects for students who have done better than expected.

'There may also be places available for highly qualified students who have narrowly missed out on their first choice. We encourage those students to get in touch with Ucas to see whether there may be places available to them.'

Star of TV's The 7.39 and the film Never Let Me Go, Izzy Meikle-Small is celebrating gaining three A* grade A-levels.

The 18-year-old, who achieved her grades in English literature, government and politics and photography, said that getting her results was more nerve-racking than going to premieres of her movies.

The student at the independent school Brighton College said: 'I was so nervous, I didn't sleep at all last night but now I'm really happy.

'I get quite nervous at premieres and when auditioning although when I am on set I do not tend to be nervous but this is the most nervous I have ever been.'

She said the task of studying while filming had been 'tricky' and she is now planning to take a gap year to concentrate on her acting.

She said: 'It's been really, really tricky, a bit of a juggling act, I missed the first half of the first term I have been really behind so I had to catch up which has been really stressful but I managed to do it.

'I'm having a gap year now to try to concentrate on my acting and not have to juggle so much. I might go to university depending on how everything goes.'

'I WANT TO GIVE SOMETHING BACK': SCHOOLGIRL WHO FLED WAR-TORN IRAQ WILL STUDY MEDICINE SO SHE CAN BECOME A NHS DOCTOR AND LEUKAEMIA PATIENT WHO TOOK EXAM IN HOSPITAL BEFORE SURGERY WINS UNI PLACE

Success story: Hana Barzinji, who is originally from Iraq, receives her A-level results at Rochdale Sixth Form College and they will enable her to go to medical school at Manchester University An aspiring doctor who fled strife-torn Iraq to the UK at the age of six wants to 'give back' to the country after she achieved four A* A-level grades. Rochdale Sixth Form College student Hana Barzinji, 18, will now go on to study medicine at the University of Manchester where she is determined to repay Britain for taking in her and her family. In 2000 - before the fall of dictator Saddam Hussein three years later - her father, Hiwa, 43, and mother Tka, 42, decided their native Kurdish region of northern Iraq was too volatile to bring up their children. Qualified teacher Mr Barzinji came to the UK that year and did any odd job he could find to pave the way for his wife, also a teacher, and their then two children to follow in 2002. Hana explained: 'My father first needed to establish some sort of life to come here. 'My parents wanted a safer environment for their children to grow up in. A better place for an education. I was only very young at the time but it was a turbulent place. The situation in Iraq that we are seeing on TV at the moment is precisely the thing they were trying to protect us from.' The family are now settled in Norden, Rochdale, with Mr Barzinji currently studying for a computing degree at Bolton University while Mrs Barzinji works as a teaching assistant at a local primary school. Hana, who has two younger brothers, Taman, 16, an engineering student at Bury College, and nine-year-old Ara, is the first member of her family to go to university. She said: 'I spoke to my mum after I opened my results and she was ecstatic. It will make them proud but it is a great feeling of satisfaction for myself predominately. 'I am really grateful to this country for providing the opportunity. 'Hopefully I can contribute back by becoming a doctor. This is my chance to give back.' Hana achieved top grades in biology, chemistry, maths and an extended project in which she looked at the effects of calorie restrictions on people with age-related neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. A leukaemia patient who once took an exam in hospital before going straight into theatre for an operation was celebrating winning a place at university today.

Samantha Adams, 18, from Darlington, has undergone years of treatment and at one time was so ill her mother thought she might not pull through.

She has won a place at Leeds Trinity University to study psychology and child development after getting interested in the subject during her own treatment.

The Carmel College student gained a grade C in art design/photography at A Level and in the BTECS of childcare, and health and social care, she won two distinctions.

Samantha Adams, 18, from Darlington, who has overcome leukaemia to win a place at Leeds Trinity University Earlier in her treatment, she took a GCSE in English literature at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI), Newcastle, before undergoing a biopsy on her lungs.

Samantha, now in remission, said: 'I feel really good.

'When I was 13 I felt tired, was covered in bruises and kept falling over.

'A blood test revealed I had no platelets and it was leukaemia.

'So for two years I had chemotherapy and at one point remember taking my English literature paper in the RVI before going straight into theatre for a lung biopsy.

'But it has been OK really and the studying has helped take my mind off my illness and influenced what I would like to do in the future - work with children.'

Her mother, Linda Grantham, said: 'She was so poorly with pneumonia that we didn't think she was going to come back at one point.

'She is everything to me and she has done fantastically well.

'I don't think any mum could be prouder.'


Looking on the bright side: How worried students have some A-level fun

Some students might have been worried sick about their A-levels - but it didn't stop them seeing the funny side of exam results day.

Expectant students last night took to Twitter to post scenes from famous films and TV shows, predicting how they thought they would feel after opening their results.

Under the hashtag #ResultsDayQuotes, Twitter users posted iconic moments of despair and dejection from the likes of Sherlock Holmes, Breaking Bad and Wolf of Wall Street.

The hashtag, which was trending for a short period, was used more than 10,000 times in 24 hours and is still proving popular with students.

One of the most popular tweets, posted by @ALevelProblems, shows a scene from the BBC's adaptation of Sherlock Holmes.

In the scene, John Watson's wife Mary asks him not to look through a file about her murky past, saying: 'If you love me, don't read it in front of me.'

That tweet has been retweeted 1,242 times.

Another user, Charli Musgrave, tweeted a scene of Tyrion from Game of Thrones, saying: 'I demand a trial by combat'. A scene from Toy Story, retweeted by several students, features the words, 'Disappointment, disappointment everywhere.'

Another user tweeted a scene from animated sitcom Bob's Burgers, shows Tina Belcher lying on the ground saying, 'If you need me, I'll be down here on the floor dying.'

That has been retweeted 437 times.

User Fraser Mycroft also tweeted a picture of Harry Potter, overlaid with the words: 'I'll be in my room, making no noise and pretending I don't exist'.

