Near-perfect A-level pass rate for ISC schools

22 August 2003

This summer's provisional GCE Advanced Level results from schools in membership of the constituent associations of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) show that their candidates achieved a near-perfect pass rate.

Provisional results achieved by more than 30,000 candidates from 476 schools were released today by the ISC information service (ISCis). Full school-by-school analyses are available by e-mail on request and on the World Wide Web (after 11am on Friday) but the aggregate data show that:

At GCE A-level:

99.1% of all entries (96,545 out of 97,464) received pass (A-E) grades (national average 95.4%);

43% of entries (41,876) were awarded the top A grade (national average 21.6%);

Nearly 70% of entries (67,884) were graded A or B (national average 44.5%).

For the second year, the ISCis results service reports on the cumulative achievements of upper sixth formers (Year 13), including their grades in AS level examinations not taken at full A level, and, in some schools, VCE (vocational) A and AS examinations and the International Baccalaureate (IB).

When their GCE A and AS achievements are combined, ISC school candidates' results show that:
98.7% of entries (110,245 out of 111,655) received pass (A-E) grades
40.9% (45,656) were awarded the top A grade
67.1% (74,866) were graded A or B.

The ISC figures show the significant contribution that independent schools make to the overall national performance at A level.

Comparison with national figures released last week show that results from ISC schools account for at least:
13% of ALL entries at A level;
25.8% of ALL A grades.