Thousands of teenagers across Kent have received their A-level results today, with an increase in the number of top grades achieved.

It's been a nervous wait for the students who have had to deal with two years of interrupted schooling due to the pandemic.

They've endured months of home schooling and, after exams were cancelled, they are once again relying on teachers' assessment to determine their grades.

A-level students have received more As and A* than ever before this year.

Almost 45% have been awarded those grades - that's up by more than six percent.

The results are based on teacher assessments after exams were cancelled.

In 2020, more than a third of students, some 38.6%, achieved an A* or A grade – and it has been suggested this year's grades could be even higher.

In a joint statement, Kent County Council’s cabinet member for education and skills, Shellina Prendergast, and director of education, Christine McInnes, said: “On behalf of everyone at Kent County Council, we would like to offer our sincerest congratulations to all pupils in Kent who are receiving results today.

"Although Covid-19 restrictions have eased significantly over the last few weeks, and the country is hopefully well on its way back to a more normal way of life, we cannot underestimate the impact the pandemic and periods of lockdown have had on your education and on your lives in general.

“We would also like to take this opportunity to thank school leaders, teachers and support staff, who worked hard in extremely difficult circumstances to ensure pupils’ education continued with minimal disruption over the past 18 months."

"You should therefore be very proud of yourselves for completing your courses and gaining your well-deserved qualifications.

“We would also like to take this opportunity to thank school leaders, teachers and support staff, who worked hard in extremely difficult circumstances to ensure pupils’ education continued with minimal disruption over the past 18 months, as well as families who have supported their loved ones throughout the course of their studies.

“Finally, we hope all the young people who received their results today will take some time to relax and enjoy themselves over the summer, and we wish them every success in the next step along their career paths, whether they are remaining in education, beginning an apprenticeship or moving into the world of employment.”

Here are all the answers to questions you might have now that brown envelope has been opened.

Some of the first results to come through in the Maidstone area, saw teenagers across Malling, Weald and Maidstonerejoice like those at Invicta Grammar School, in Huntsman Lane, where 27% of all grades were A* and 83% of all grades were B or higher this year.

A spokesman for the school said that almost a third of all students achieved A* and A grades in all subjects and nearly two thirds of students achieved a B or higher in their courses.

The spokesman added: "Our teachers and staff worked extremely hard to implement a four-stage process in which all grades were discussed, reviewed and challenged by multiple members of staff and a grading panel.

"We are extremely proud of our students and the way they have overcome the challenges of Covid-19 with calmness, integrity and positivity."

Julie Derrick, head teacher, said: “2021 has presented us with challenges and tested our limits but Invicta as a community has approached it with resolve, and overcome it with creativity, courage and above all, a sense of community."

"We are extremely proud of our students and the way they have overcome the challenges of Covid-19 with calmness..."

In Canterbury, the hard work of students at Barton Court Grammar School paid off, with a raft of top results.

Head teacher Jonathan Hopkins said: “We are delighted that so many of our students have achieved grades that are enabling them to progress to university or secure high quality employment opportunities.

"As a year group our Year 13 students were both talented and hard-working but were not able to sit their final exams after another lockdown was announced in January.

"Instead students had to work with the additional pressure of knowing that they had to evidence standards for their teachers over a long period of time and not just in the exam hall at the end of their course.

"We are delighted that just over 70% of the grades for the 2021 cohort were at A*-B."

Mr Hopkins also paid tribute to staff who worked "tirelessly" during the pandemic to deliver lessons online and support pupils remotely.

Over in Dartford and Gravesend, Northfleet School for Girls saw another year of excellent and further improving achievements in A-level and IB qualifications.

Overall, students achieved an average grade B in academic subjects and distinction in vocational qualifications – another rise on previous strong results.

Particular praise went to: Eleanor Lingham – A in English literature, law, and psychology, A* in criminology; Ria Bains – 7 in IB business, A in finance, distinction* in health and social care; Ellen Bennett – A in law, B in EPQ, A* in criminology, B in English literature; Kacee Ramsell – A in EPQ, A* in criminology, 6 in IB business, distinction in health and social care; Amy Spaul – 6 in IB biology, A in geography, distinction in sport.

Head teacher Chris Norwood said: “We are immensely proud of the achievements of all our students, especially after such a difficult and disrupted year.

"Our teachers have worked tirelessly to ensure students are all able to achieve these excellent results and progress onto their chosen destination."

Elsewhere in Sheppey, student Samuel Bird has set his sights sky-high.

The Oasis Academy Year 13 pupil is about to begin training as an aerospace engineer.

After collecting his results at the Academy's sixth form campus in Sheerness this morning (Tuesday), Samuel said: "I am so excited and can't wait to start my new job in aerospace engineering."

He picked up a C for his A-level in criminology and achieved a D* and D in BTEC psychology and law.

School principal Tina Lee was in the building to present him with his results.

Fellow pupil Amber achieved D* D* D* in BTEC art and design and will take her place to study fine art at the University of the Creative Arts (UCA) in Canterbury.

She hopes to become a secondary school teacher specialising in art. She said: "I felt really happy this morning. All my nerves left me."

And no one denies it has been a tough year for pupils and staff but sixth form students at Fulston Manor comprehensive school in Brenchley Road, Sittingbourne, have every reason to celebrate.

More than 60 pupils have been offered university places across the country.

Out of 139 teenagers sitting exams across 32 subjects, 127 have walked away with A* to C grades.

Head of School Susie Burden said: “It is good to see so many students achieving the grades they needed to progress to the next stage of their lives.

"We are immensely proud of the success of our young people and for all they have done to get through an incredibly turbulent year. We wish them all well for the future.”

Hannah Davies, 18, who is off to study film production at the University for the Creative Arts after getting four As and a C, said: "I am so pleased with my results.

"The past year has been really hard but it was made much easier by my teachers and the support they gave us.

"Working from home had its challenges but the hard work has paid off and I’m now off to Uni.”

In Dover, Deal and Sandwich pupils were also celebrating their results.

The Duke of York’s Royal Military School, in Dover saw an increase in A* and A grades, BTEC with an average of Distinction, and some 66% gaining A*- B results.

Most students are now going to university, having gained their first-choice place.

Several others will begin military careers, while another group has chosen engineering apprenticeships with major companies such as Amazon.

Outstanding success stories included three students who got four A* grades each.

Ruth Adewole got them in in English literature, French, history and EPQ; and will now study law at Cambridge.

Guido Rowe gained them in geography, history, religious studies and EPQ and will now read politics and history at the London School of Economics.

Sebastian Brown earned his A*s in chemistry, maths, physics and EPQ and will read economics and finance at University College London.

Over in Cranbrook area, one student is today celebrating a clutch of top A-level grades after almost a year separated from her parents by the pandemic.

Freya Ridgwell, who is a pupil at Benenden School near Cranbrook, insists she will not "moan about the negative things" after receiving four A* grades and an A when she opened her results this morning.

The 18-year-old was unable to see her parents for 11 months - including the entirety of her final year at Benenden - due to restrictions on returning to Singapore where her family lives.

"It has been really difficult and I spent a lot of the holidays at school, which is something I really didn't think I was going to do," she said.

"I spoke to my parents nearly every day through video calls but it was difficult not knowing how long it would last.

"I had so much fun at school and those of us who were in a similar position managed to support each other. The school put on really fun activities so it wasn’t too bad but it was hard not to see my parents or hug them.

"That’s been a real challenge because I didn’t know if I was going to get home this summer, I’m really glad to be home now."

When will pupils receive their A-level and GCSE results?

Teenagers get their A-level and AS level results today. Vocational BTec results are also out today.

Those expecting GCSE results will get them in two days time, on Thursday, August 12.

Pupils should check with their school or college whether they are still required to pick up their results in person, or whether they will be sent out by email or post instead.

Over in Medway, school trust bosses at a combined sixth form are celebrating a 97% pass rate in this year's A-levels – 41% of them at A-C.

The 124 students who attended Chatham's Greenacre Academy and Walderslade Girls' School (WGS) received the all-important marks today.

At Greenacre, notable successes included: Dylan Addison (A-A-B), Jack Prendergast (C-A-Dist*), Josh Wood (B-Dist-Dist) and Louie Ralph (Dist-Dist*-Dist-B).

The Skills for Life Trust describes the overall results as "record breaking".

The youngsters join thousands of others across Kent in getting their results having endured months of home schooling and cancelled exams.

How have the grades been decided this year?

Teachers have been required to consider a range of evidence, including mock exams, coursework, and in-class assessments using questions by exam boards, to make decisions on pupils’ grades.

Head teachers had to submit a personal declaration that they believed grades to be accurate.

Schools and colleges were asked to provide samples of student work to exam boards, as well as evidence used to determine the grades for the students selected, as part of quality assurance (QA) checks.

Random and targeted sample checks of evidence were also carried out after grades were submitted.

In some cases, where the evidence did not support the grades submitted, schools and colleges have been asked to review their grades.

Last summer, the fiasco around grading led to thousands of A-level students having their results downgraded from school estimates by a controversial algorithm, before Ofqual announced a U-turn.

But this year, no algorithm will be used to moderate teachers’ grades.

What should teenagers do if they are unhappy with their final grades?

Pupils who want to appeal against their grade must first request that their school or college reviews whether an administrative or procedural error was made.

Each school or college will set their own deadlines by which students must ask them to review a grade.

If the school or college rules no error was made, then students can escalate the appeal to the exam boards, which their school or college is expected to submit on their behalf.

Graham Jones is an education expert at Whitehead Monckton solicitors in Maidstone

In England, the deadline to send an appeal to the exam board is Friday, September 17.

There is an earlier deadline of Monday, August 23 for priority appeals, for example, if a student has not got their first choice of university place confirmed.

Can students sit an exam if they do not like their results?

Teenagers who are unhappy with their A-level or GCSE grades will have the opportunity to take exams in the autumn.

AS and A-level exams will be held in October, while GCSE exams will take place in November and December.

The higher grade will count for applicants who wish to take an autumn exam.

What is the plan for the summer exams next year?

Ministers hope that exams will go ahead in summer 2022 after two years of them being cancelled.

But pupils taking GCSE and A-level exams next year could be given advance notice on the focus of exam papers to ensure they are not disadvantaged as a result of lost learning during the pandemic.

The proposals include giving schools and colleges some choice over the topics that students are assessed on, as well as providing exam aids, but final details will not be confirmed until the autumn term.

News from our universities, local primary and secondary schools including Ofsted inspections and league tables can be found here.

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