A-level results day 2021: Recap the updates and reaction as students in Portsmouth, Gosport, Fareham, Havant and Waterlooville collected grades
There were plenty of smiles and sighs of relief as students found out what grades they have achieved this morning.
Once again exams have been cancelled due to the on-going Covid pandemic and the results are based on teacher assessments – drawing on a range of evidence, including mock exams, coursework and in-class assessments using questions by exam boards.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad
Results day has also been moved slightly earlier in 2021, taking place on a Tuesday instead of the normal Thursday in mid-August slot, with GCSE’s being collected then instead.
Ofqual interim chief regulator Simon Lebus told the BBC that pupils in England awaiting their A-level and GCSE results can “feel satisfied” that their grades are fair this summer.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdHe said there have been three stages of checks to ensure students can feel they have been “fairly treated”, including Ofqual checking the policies that schools have for awarding grades and exam boards looking over them.
Our reporters and photographers will be out at colleges and sixth forms in Portsmouth, Gosport and Fareham this morning to speak to teachers and students.
Follow our live updates in our blog below throughout the day!
You can subscribe here for unlimited access to our online coverage, including Pompey, for 27p a day.
Recap updates from A-Level results day in Portsmouth and Hampshire
Key Events
- Students collecting grades
- A-level grades surge to record high
- Record number of students accepted on to degree courses
Top grades were up in the south east
The percentage of students gaining the top grades in their A-levels was up across the south east, compared with the year before.
In the south-east England 47.1 per cent of grades were A or A* in 2021, compared with 41.2% per cent in 2020.
The overall A-level pass rate was 99.5 per cent in the south east - down slightly from 99.7 per cent the year before.
Students discuss their results at Fareham College
Students at Fareham college discussion results
These restaurants are giving away free food to students
What better way to celebrate your results than with free food!
‘The course has really helped me and the teaching was exceptional'
Martin Bishop, 34, of Whiteley, qualified for his Level-3 in Motorsport after deciding to retrain and now has his own business Bishop Sport Racing.
‘I’ve always been a motorsports fan and have been a volunteer marshal all over the UK and abroad so decided to go back to college,’ he said.
‘The course has really helped me and the teaching was exceptional. I found it hard learning at home as I’m a hands-in person but the support was great.’
Lewis Marchant, 18, of Portsmouth, also completed the same course. ‘It was disappointing we weren’t able to go to race meetings because of Covid but overall the course was brilliant,’ he added.
‘I had a great time though the pandemic did make it quite difficult'
Stuart Tucker, 18, of Southampton, secured a Level-3 in mechanical engineering.
He said: ‘I was one of the last students to do the course as it’s now been scrapped.
‘I had a great time though the pandemic did make it quite difficult but we adjusted and got through.’
The pandemic has disrupted Oscar Flatt’s hopes of becoming an actor
Oscar Flatt, 19, was happy to gain a Level-3 in performing arts. ‘I hope to be an actor and this course has helped me with the first two years being very good,’ he said.
‘It was weird when the pandemic hit and we had to make changes and there were less shows because of Covid. Unfortunately it put everything on hold which was disappointing as I need to get my name out there.’
He will now go to Winchester University to study acting and build on his production understanding.
Fareham College ‘very proud’ of its students
Christian Allen-Kotze, deputy principal of Fareham College, said: ‘We are very proud of our students and the resilience they have shown.’
‘The tutors were always willing to help and go out their way to help us'
Jack Dimmer, 19, of Gosport, was over the moon to gain a Level-3 in sport at Fareham College. ‘It went very well but at the beginning I was worried about Covid.
‘The teachers were so reassuring which helped me a lot,’ he said.
‘The tutors were always willing to help and go out their way to help us. ‘We did a lot of PowerPoint presentations but still did all the practical things with them done at the end of the course instead.’
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.