Top A-level grades have slipped in 33 council areas. Most are in the North
What happened
Analysis published on 7 September 2026 has found that top A-level grades have fallen in 33 local authority areas since 2019, and that most of those areas are in the North of England. The figures come from the Northern Powerhouse Partnership and were reported by Tes. Of the 33 councils where the share of A* and A grades has declined, 21 are northern. That is nearly two-thirds. Broken down by region, the declines cover 8 of 24 local authorities in the North West, 8 of 12 in the North East, and 5 of 15 in Yorkshire and the Humber. The steepest fall was in Hartlepool, down 7.1 percentage points. York fell 5.5 points. Darlington and Luton each fell 3.7 points. At the other end, the City of London rose 12.8 percentage points. Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, argued that this is not fixed, saying that with focused intervention, improvement is possible. Pepe Di'Iasio of the Association of School and College Leaders described the trend as 'incredibly frustrating', given that successive governments have not managed to shift it.
Why this matters
A-level grades open or close doors. They decide which universities and courses are within reach, which apprenticeships are competitive, and which careers feel realistic to an eighteen-year-old. When the gap widens by geography, it means where a child grows up is doing part of the work that their ability should be doing. Billy Huband-Thompson of the Sutton Trust made the point directly: opportunity is heavily shaped by socioeconomic factors and geography. There is a health connection here that is easy to overlook. Areas with lower attainment often have poorer health outcomes too, and the two feed each other. Children who miss school because of asthma, untreated dental pain, poor hearing or mental health difficulties lose learning time. Families under financial pressure find it harder to prioritise appointments and prescriptions. And the gap starts early. Professor Becky Francis, chief executive of the Education Endowment Foundation, noted that 44% of the GCSE disadvantage gap is already locked in by age 11. By the time anyone is looking at A-level results, much of the story has already been written.
What the evidence actually says
This is analysis of grade data, comparing the share of top A-level grades now with 2019. It is worth understanding what that comparison does and does not capture. Between 2020 and 2021, exams were cancelled and grades were awarded differently. Top grades rose sharply. Since then, grading has been brought back towards pre-pandemic patterns. So a comparison with 2019 is a sensible choice: it avoids treating the unusual pandemic years as normal. But percentage-point changes in individual councils need care. Some local authorities have small numbers of A-level entries, and in a small cohort a single year group can swing the figures. The City of London's 12.8-point rise is a good example: it is a tiny area, and a large percentage change there does not mean the same as a large change in a big county. The analysis also shows a pattern, not a cause. It does not identify why grades fell in these particular places. Possible explanations include teacher recruitment and retention, funding, post-16 subject availability, and the uneven effects of the pandemic on different communities. This data cannot tell you which mattered most. What is harder to dismiss is the direction of travel. Twenty-one of 33 declining areas in the North, including two-thirds of North East councils, is a consistent geographical pattern rather than random scatter. And, as Henri Murison points out, patterns like this have been shifted before with sustained, targeted effort.
Practical advice
If you have a child in secondary school or sixth form, a few things are within your control. Protect attendance where you can, and get treatable health problems treated. Asthma reviews, hearing tests, dental check-ups and eye tests are free for children on the NHS. Children with well-controlled asthma miss less school. It sounds small; over five years it is not. If your child has a long-term condition, make sure the school or college has a current healthcare plan and in-date medicines on site. Ask about subject choices early. Some university courses and apprenticeships require specific A-level subjects, and choices made at 16 can quietly narrow options at 18. Use free support. The Sutton Trust and other charities run free programmes for students from lower-income households, including university summer schools. Ask the school's careers lead what is available locally. If money is a barrier, ask about the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund. It can help with transport, equipment and course costs for eligible students in England. And if exam stress is affecting your child's sleep, appetite or mood, speak to your GP or the college's welfare team. Anxiety at this age is common and treatable, and it should not be written off as just nerves.
What to know
Analysis from the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, reported by Tes on 7 September 2026, found top A-level grades have fallen in 33 local authority areas since 2019, with 21 of those in the North of England. The largest falls were in Hartlepool (down 7.1 percentage points), York (5.5), and Darlington and Luton (3.7 each). The City of London rose 12.8 points. The analysis shows a geographical pattern, not its cause. Small entry numbers in some areas mean individual figures should be read with care. The Education Endowment Foundation notes that 44% of the GCSE disadvantage gap is already in place by age 11, which points to early years and primary school as where change has to start. For families, the practical steps are protecting attendance, treating health problems that cause absence, choosing subjects with future options in mind, and asking about free support programmes and bursaries. Sources: Tes, 'Northern areas hit hardest by long-term declines in A-level grades', 7 September 2026, https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/northern-council-areas-hit-hardest-long-term-declines-a-level-grades ; Northern Powerhouse Partnership, accessed 7 September 2026, https://www.northernpowerhousepartnership.co.uk/ ; GOV.UK, '16 to 19 Bursary Fund', accessed 7 September 2026, https://www.gov.uk/1619-bursary-fund This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional. If exam pressure is affecting your child's health or wellbeing, please speak to your GP.
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