Shocking decline in A Level results for one area of Wales

Shocking decline in A Level results for one area of Wales
'We're in a situation where only 65 per cent are getting A* to E grades. Let's be frank, an A-level grade below C is not much use to anyone in life'
Stock image of pupil taking exam
(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto )
Councillors have voiced concerns over a "shocking" decline in school performance in Powys. The county's A Level results are well below the Wales average according to a council report on education standards.
The report reads: "Over time the performance of Powys post-16 students has declined, with performance in all of the key indicators below the outcomes for 2019 and Powys performing at best 14th of the 22 Welsh local authorities." The proportion of post-16 Powys students who achieved three or more A* to E grades in their exams was 65% — compared to a Wales average of 69% — ranking 18th of the 22 Welsh local authorities.
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Neighbouring county Ceredigion, Gwynedd and the Vale of Glamorgan achieved the highest proportions with 77%, 76% and 73% respectively.
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And only 73.1% of Powys' A Level grades were between A* and C in 2024, compared to 75.1% in 2019.
The report continues: "Based on the consistent performance measures for post-16 learning, summer 2024 outcomes showed that only 9% of Powys learners achieved three or more A* - A grades (or equivalent), and ranked Powys 15th when compared with all 22 local authorities."
That is less than half the percentage of Vale of Glamorgan students (19%) who achieved the same feat.
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Councillor James Gibson-Watt (Liberal Democrat) stood down as council leader last month but has stayed on in the cabinet to start a post-16 education review. The preferred option already backed by council officers could see all English-medium school sixth forms vanish – in favour of two specialist sixth form schools to be based in Brecon and Newtown.
Mr Gibson-Watt said during a meeting on the report: 'If ever we needed evidence of some radical reform in post-16 this paper sums it up. If you look at the details of the decline in performance it is quite shocking."
He added: 'We're in a situation where only 65 per cent are getting A* to E grades. Let's be frank, an A-level grade below C is not much use to anyone in life, particularly to get into higher education. I remember Powys was consistently in the top three counties for GCSE and A-level outcomes and here we are languishing in the bottom quartile.'
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Councillor Gareth E Jones (Powys Independents) asked an officer from the council's education department: 'Have you done any work around the significant number of learners that are going out of county for their post-16 education to Hereford, Shrewsbury and Merthyr.
'What impact do those learners going out of county have on the overall performance of post-16? My guess would be that better quality learners go out of county and if they had stayed our overall performance may be better.'
Education officer Anwen Orrells replied: 'You would be correct in assuming that the more able are the ones that are leaving.'
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She said that the council knew 'how many' post-16 pupils were out of county but did not have details of their results from last summer.
Between 2010 and 2019, sixth forms across the county saw a 32% decline in student numbers, falling from 1,445 to 978.
At that time, it was estimated that up to 500 youngsters from Powys were leaving the county daily to continue their education elsewhere.
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