A-levels: Powys must try harder

By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

Concerns have been raised that Powys A-level results are lagging behind national averages, despite the GCSEs results doing well.

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Learning and Skills scrutiny committee this week, councillors and lay members received a report that contained details of last summer’s exam results that showed A-level results at A* (star)-A grades were at 24% in Powys, compared with the Wales average of 30%.

A*-B grades showed Powys at 49.6%, down on the Wales average of 55.1% and A* to C grades also showed Powys achieving 73.1%, down on the Wales average of 78%.

The A*-E results saw Powys at 99.1% compared to the 99.6% Wales rate.

Secondary and all age schools service manager Cressy Murphy said: “We are below the national average in all of these measures, which does highlight the fact that the current model for key stage five (sixth forms) isn’t working.”

Powys Independent Cllr Gareth E Jones asked if the A-level results are “impacted by the large number of children that are leaving Powys for post-16 education?”.

“Does the council have any evidence that it’s those that gained the higher levels GCSE results that are leaving?” he asked.

Lead 14 plus education officer Chris James said that the department doesn’t have that information.

Mr James said: “It would be fascinating to see that as I’m also intrigued to know. We retain just shy of 40% of the cohort (from Year 11).”

He stressed that pupils and their families can choose which sixth form or further education college to attend.

Cllr Jones believed that these pupils should be tracked to find out if it the county is losing its brightest pupils who could boost the county’s A-level results.

He explained that those who leave the county to continue their post-16 education do so at a considerable travelling expense.

Cllr Jones said: “It’s a key piece of data, we ought to have it.”

Head of school improvement and learning Anwen Orrells said that there was further data available on the transition between GCSE and A-level pupils, which could be shared with the committee in future.

The report explained that at GCSE level 67.7% of Powys pupils achieved A*-C grades, which is above the national average of 62.9%.

It adds that 97% achieved A*-G grades which is above the national average of 96.1%.

However, the national average of those achieving A*-A grades at GCSE was 19.1%, which is just below the national average of 19.8%.

The Powys results for both GCSE and A-level were better than those achieved in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic struck.

Ms Murphy said: “We are above the Welsh level in A*-G. However, it’s expected, we are a county with lower levels of deprivation and children that are eligible for free school meals.”

The report explained that 12.7% of Powys pupils received free school meals compared with the Wales average of 21.3%.

Ms Murphy “While it is positive, we think there is room for improvement, and we can do better.”

The report also showed that Powys is ranked third throughout Wales in Capped nine points score, which is the average individual result total in a year.

Powys is first for Skills Challenge Cymru certificate, seventh for literacy, fifth for numeracy and third in science indicators.

Ms Murphy said: “Literacy and numeracy indicators are a key priority area for us.”

The committee noted the report.