A level results were released today as students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland received grades for the first formal exams since 2019. Scottish Higher results were released on 9 August.
The LMS extends its congratulations to all students receiving their results, particularly in light of the ongoing difficulties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on both students and teachers.
Qualifications in mathematical sciences offer a wide choice of rewarding careers and are pre-requisites for many jobs in all sectors of the economy, but support for the subject is essential to ensure the health of the UK’s pipeline of mathematics talent. Of the £300 million in additional funding for mathematics announced in the 2020 budget, only around £120 million has so far been allocated. The Protect Pure Maths campaign therefore continues to call on the government to honour its pledge, and has recently released a ‘maths manifesto’ aimed at the current Conversative leadership candidates.
Dr Kevin Houston, LMS Education Secretary and spokesperson for the Protect Pure Maths campaign, said:
“A Levels results day is always a day of mixed emotions for the maths community, just as it is for many of the pupils receiving their results.
“It’s welcome that maths is yet again the most popular subject studied at A Level. However, this is also the point at which the maths talent pipeline begins to heavily leak. We need more pupils achieving good passes today to consider studying maths at university.
“Without a healthy flow of mathematics undergraduates, the nation’s national security, healthcare services and future as a STEM superpower is put at risk.
“As a first step the candidates to be Prime Minister ought to endorse our six-point maths manifesto and pledge to honour the government’s promise of £300 million in extra funding for the mathematical sciences. That will protect study programmes that are already ongoing and ensure all pupils are able to study maths to the highest level they can and have the widest possible range of institutions to choose from.”
The number of A-level mathematics entries fell by 2.1% compared with 2021, with 95,635 student entries. Entries for A-level further mathematics also fell by 3.8% compared with 2021. However, both represent an increase on 2019 figures, and mathematics remains the most popular A-level choice.
As expected, the percentage of students receiving A* and A in mathematics has fallen since 2021, with 23.4% receiving A* (compared with 28.7% in 2021), and 48.2% receiving A (compared with 55.2% in 2021). This year’s percentages are still higher than in 2019, when results were last based on exams, and the percentage of students receiving A* in further mathematics is significantly higher in 2022 than in 2019 (40.6% vs 24.7%, respectively).
Listen to Professor Marcus du Sautoy on A-level results day and the leaking maths pipeline here.
Last updated 24/8/2022