RECORDS were broken across York, North and East Yorkshire on A-level day 2019.

Provisional results for York schools’ sixth forms and York College show that the very high standards of previous years have been maintained, and indicate that A-level results in the city remain consistently amongst the best in the country.

York school sixth forms - All Saints RC, Archbishop Holgate's CE, Fulford, Huntington and Joseph Rowntree - and York College - are reporting strong results including ‘best ever' performances. Overall results are showing increases in the number of students achieving the highest grades, the overall A*-E pass rate is above the national average and both the proportion of students achieving A* and A grades and the overall A*-E pass rate are above the national averages reported today.

Early results for the schools show that across the board young people will be able to get to the universities of their choice, including those applying to Oxford and Cambridge universities and medical courses.

Not unlike last year, results coverage this year has also been hamstrung by new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules which, though not intended to influence exam coverage, have had a significant impact with many York schools choosing not to submit their results to The Press including in York, Fulford School, All Saints RC School and York College.

Cllr Ian Cuthbertson, executive member for education at City of York Council, said: “I want to congratulate all the students from our school sixth forms and York College on their outstanding A level results.

“Continuing to increase the skills levels and educational attainment in the city is a key element of our economic strategy. These young people will be among our top experts, designers, engineers and leaders of the future. I wish them every success on the next stages of their learning and career journey.”

Maxine Squire, Assistant Director, Education and Skills at City of York Council, said: “These results are testament to the hard work and commitment of our young people, as well as the support of their parents and carers and the skill and dedication of the city’s school and college staff. Well done to all those involved.”

Meanwhile North Yorkshire is in the top 20 per cent of all local authorities for students achieving at least two As and a B grade based on performance in previous years and it is likely the county will maintain this outstanding record.

North Yorkshire also has a high proportion of pupils who attend good or outstanding secondary schools; over 83 per cent of pupils in North Yorkshire attend a good or outstanding secondary school compared to 78.7 per cent nationally.

North Yorkshire’s looked-after young people in The Virtual School are also celebrating results, with six young people intending to join the 22 leaving care students already attending university. They will take up a range of courses, including Biology at Hull University and Social Care at Teesside University. Some looked-after students are also embarking on a range of apprenticeships and scholarships, including engineering and football.

The Virtual School and the Leaving Care Team hold dedicated events across the year including bespoke visits to universities and taster courses to ensure that the young people and their carers can aspire to achieve the best educational outcomes.

One leaving care postgraduate has recently qualified as a social worker and taken up employment within the county council’s social care team and others are graduating in a range of courses, such as Graphic Design, Zoology and Nursing.

Students throughout the East Riding of Yorkshire Council schools celebrated some outstanding A-level results, with early indications suggesting that schools, academies and colleges have performed well compared to regional and national averages.

See The Press tomorrow our 16-page A-level supplement and look out for our GCSE coverage next week.