London vs North-East England's A-level Difference in Elite Grades
News Article: Regional Disparities in A-Level Results Persist
In the latest A-level results, Northern Ireland continues to lead the pack with the highest percentage of entries awarded A or A* grades at 30.4%, a slight decrease from the pre-pandemic year of 2019. However, the North-east of England trails behind, with only 22.9% of entries receiving top grades, the lowest of all regions and below its pre-pandemic levels [1].
This gap between the two regions has been widening since 2010, primarily due to structural inequalities related to deprivation and poverty, which affect educational opportunities outside school. London has seen improvements in top-grade attainment, whereas the North-east has lagged behind and even declined in top grades, reflecting regional disparities in affluence, resources, and social conditions [2][4].
The UK average for top A-level grades stands at 28.3% in 2025, the highest since 2002 excluding pandemic years. Wealthier or more affluent areas tend to have higher attainment, while regions suffering from deprivation see poorer outcomes, sustaining a pattern where life chances and academic achievements are strongly influenced by postcode rather than solely by student potential [2][4].
London leads with 32.1% of A-level entries awarded A or A* grades, while the North-east trails with only 22.9%, a difference of 9.2 percentage points. This constitutes one of the largest gaps since the current system of grading was introduced in 2010 [4][2].
Elsewhere, the West Midlands, Yorkshire & the Humber, and North-west England have A-level entry percentages of A* at 7.4%, 7.7%, and 8.3%, respectively, while Wales and Scotland do not have specific data provided in the article [1].
The data also reveals that the North-east and the West Midlands are the only regions to see a year-on-year fall in entries receiving A in A-levels. Interestingly, in the pre-pandemic year of 2019, the North-east had a higher percentage of A entries than in 2025. In contrast, London saw an increase in A* entries in 2025 compared to 2019 [1].
For entries awarded C or above, Northern Ireland has the highest percentage at 85.8%. This indicates that while the North-east struggles with top grades, the region still performs well in terms of overall pass rates [1].
These regional disparities point to deeper social challenges rather than differences in school standards alone, emphasizing the need for government and policy interventions that address socio-economic factors to close the attainment gap [2][4].
Sources:
[1] BBC News (2026). A-level results: England's north-east falls behind in top grades. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-62219187
[2] The Guardian (2026). A-level results: London leads the way as north-east England lags behind. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/aug/18/a-level-results-london-leads-the-way-as-north-east-england-lags-behind
[4] The Telegraph (2026). A-level results: London dominates as north-east England struggles. [online] Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2026/08/18/a-level-results-london-dominates-north-east-england-struggles/
- In light of the regional disparities in A-level results, discussing general news matters would involve exploring policy interventions aimed at addressing socio-economic factors affecting educational opportunities and self-development in various regions, particularly focusing on the stark differences between the North-east England and London.
- While education and self-development articles may commonly focus on individual student performances and school standards, recent general news highlights the significance of socio-economic factors in explaining the persisting regional disparities in A-level results, such as those evidenced by the comparatively poor performance of the North-east England compared to more affluent regions like London.
