Kirsty Williams congratulates A-level and Welsh Baccalaureate students

Education Secretary Kirsty Williams has congratulated students across Wales receiving their A-level and Welsh Baccalaureate results today (Thurs 18th August).

This year’s results show:

• The overall pass rate remains high in Wales at 97.3% at A*-E
• 73.8% achieved A*-C grades
• 22.7% of learners in Wales gained the very top grades of A* to A

• In Mathematics Wales again outperformed England with 43.2% attaining A*-A grades.
• There was also improved attainment in subjects at A*-C in subjects such as History, Art & Design and Psychology.
• The results for the Welsh Baccalaureate (Advanced Diploma) show 89.8% achieved Advanced Diploma in 2016, up 2.5% compared to 2015.

On a visit to Maesteg school to meet students, Kirsty Williams said:

“Today is about celebrating the success of our pupils. I want to congratulate everyone receiving their results and thank them for all their hard work. This is such an important day and I wish them all the best as they make important decisions about their next steps in life.

“The number achieving the highest grades is encouraging, we can be proud of our pupil’s performance in Maths and the progress when it comes to the Welsh Baccalaureate.

“However, there are some areas where we are not where we would want to be. I will be looking closely at the full details of these results and those we expect next week to see what lessons we can learn and what we can do differently. Our performance at the top grades in maths show what Wales can achieve.

“I will be pushing further ahead with our reforms and continue to develop qualifications to make sure we build an education system that provides pupils with the appropriate skills and knowledge they need to thrive in the modern world.