Sir Ian Bauckham, chief regulator of Ofqual, speaks ahead of A-level results day. He said that this year's results for England are as he expected, given the "smaller cohort" and because in 2023 GCSEs returned to pre-pandemic grading standards so it was "effectively harder" to get into A-level courses at schools and colleges which drives "higher prior attainment of the cohort".

Sir Ian Bauckham, chief regulator of Ofqual, speaks ahead of A-level results day. He said that this year's results for England are as he expected, given the "smaller cohort" and because in 2023 GCSEs returned to pre-pandemic grading standards so it was "effectively harder" to get into A-level courses at schools and colleges which drives "higher prior attainment of the cohort".