Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of pupils who (a) were and (b) were not eligible for pupil premium in their last year of compulsory secondary school (i) entered at least one A level, (ii) achieved three or more A-levels, (iii) achieved grades ABB or better at A level, and (iv) achieved A*A*A or better at A-level in the last year for which figures are available.

The Department publishes student’s achievements in A levels, in different grade combinations, split by characteristics. This information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/a-level-and-other-16-to-18-results-2017-to-2018-revised.

Table 1, attached below uses this data to provide the number[1] of students entering at least one A level[2] and those who achieved A*/A*/A, A/B/B and E/E/E[3]^,[4],[5] or better, split by their disadvantaged status[6] at the end of key stage 4. Figures are based on 2017/18[7] revised data, for students in state-funded schools and colleges. The Department does not publish estimates of the proportion of key stage 4 disadvantaged pupils who go on to enter and achieve these different A level combinations by the end of 16-18 study. However, an estimate can be derived by comparing the published numbers to the size of the disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged groups from two years previously in 2016. These are shown in table 2, attached.

[1] The cohort of students is based on those who are eligible for inclusion in the AAB measure, however this is further restricted (see footnote 2). Inclusion in the AAB measure refers to those who entered at least one full size A level, excluding applied A levels (this includes double award A levels, but does not include AS levels, general studies or critical thinking)). If students are entered for less than three full size A levels, they are only included in the measure if they have not entered for other academic, applied general and tech level qualifications greater than or equal to the size of an A level. Where a student has only been at a provider for one year, they need to have entered three A levels to be included.

[2] This includes A level entries only (excludes double awards, AS levels and Applied A levels); it excludes general studies and critical thinking.

[3] Each student's total grades are taken and compared to the requested groupings. Inclusion in each group occurs when the student has the exact grades, or when three (or more) of their grades match or are higher than the required grades. Therefore, students with only 1 or 2 grades are excluded as they do not match or beat all three required grades. These figures will differ slightly from measures published for all students nationally, due to this slight methodological difference.

[4] Only includes students with pass grades (A* to E). Discounting has been applied in line with performance tables methodology (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/16-to-19-qualifications-discount-codes-and-point-scores).

[5] The E/E/E combination identifies those who achieved 3 or more A levels as an E grade is the lowest passing grade.

[6] Students disadvantaged status is taken from the census recorded completed in their final year of key stage 4 year study. Students who completed their key stage 4 study in independent schools will not have been included in the census and are grouped as 'unknown disadvantaged status'.

[7] Based on students who finished their 16 to 18 study in 2017/18. Covers results achieved during all years of 16-18 study (up to three years, i.e. the 2015/16, 2016/17 and 2017/18 academic years).