There has been further coverage today of this year's A-level results. Across the board, pupils opening their results yesterday morning saw the proportion of A*s and As climb to the highest on record excluding the pandemic, despite efforts to curb grade inflation. According to Ucas, the admissions service, the results boosted the number of British 18-year-olds accepted into high-ranking universities by more than five per cent to a record level. The surge in top grades has been attributed to the increasing popularity of maths, which remained the most popular subject at A-level for the 13th year. By Albert Tait, Ben Butcher, Victoria Ward and Myma Goodger, The Telegraph. 

Almost 49 per cent of grades issued to independent school pupils were A or above, compared to around 43 per cent for grammar schools, according to Ofqual data. The proportion of top grades was 27 per cent at free schools, 25.6 per cent for sixth form colleges, 23.5 per cent for academies, 23 per cent for council-maintained schools and 22 per cent for secondary moderns. By Ruth Lucas, Schools Week.

The Guardian's analysis reveals "shocking" regional disparities, with the gap between London and the lowest performing areas of the country at record levels. Nearly a third of A-level candidates in the capital (32.7 per cent) gained A*s and As, while in the East Midlands, less than a quarter (23.1 per cent) secured top grades. A proposal to increase funding for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds has been welcomed, but experts have warned that the scale of the divide requires significant intervention. By Sally Weale.

Tes breaks down this year's A-level results by subject, and notes that maths and English literature both saw a bigger increase in top A-level grades this year than the marginal rise recorded across all subjects. Maths remained the most popular A-level this year with over 107,000 entries, and was once again the only subject with more than 100,000 entries. Psychology was the second most popular A-level, with just over 76,000 entrants. By Kyle Tormey. 

A fall in the number of girls achieving the top A-level grades has been linked to a potential mental health crisis among female pupils. The percentage of girls' grades that were A* or A fell marginally this year to 28 per cent, almost an entire percentage point lower than boys', at 28.9 per cent. The Education Policy Institute, an education think tank, has suggested that a rise in the number of girls being diagnosed with mental health problems since the coronavirus pandemic could be a factor. Speaking to The Telegraph, Sam Tuckett, an associate director for post-16 and skills at the institute, said: "It stands to reason that if you are struggling with mental health issues, that is only going to harm your ability to work and prepare for exams." By Albert Tait and Ben Butcher. 

University tuition fees are set to reach almost £11,000 a year by 2030, leaving some of this year's freshers with debts as high as £100,000, iNews exclusively reports. Tuition fees will total £9,790 this autumn and £10,050 next year, suggesting students who are about to begin four-year courses can expect to see their fees go up by more than £800 in their final year. By Alexa Phillips.

Students at Milton Abbey School have created a thought-provoking film exploring artificial intelligence (AI) and online safety, earning them third place in Childnet's national Film Competition. 

This success reflects the school's long-running commitment to digital citizenship through its Digital Leaders programme, which has been empowering students for more than five years. The group meets regularly to discuss emerging technologies, share experiences, raise concerns, and offer practical advice on staying safe online, while developing valuable leadership skills.

For this year's competition, the students chose to focus on AI and dating, recognising its growing influence on young people's lives. As Greg P, a lower sixth student, explained: "I think AI is an up-and-coming thing. It's going to be quite influential in people our age, and it's important to inform people our age about it."

By creating the film, the students have not only raised awareness of the opportunities and risks associated with AI but have also encouraged meaningful conversations about responsible technology use across the wider school community.

If you have a good news story you would like to share with us, please email [email protected] to be considered for inclusion.

The Independent Schools Council (ISC) monitors the national and educational press in order to keep independent schools up-to-date with relevant education news. The DNS is a service primarily for schools in membership of ISC associations, although other interested parties can choose to sign-up. We endeavour to include relevant news and commentary and, wherever possible, notable public letters. Where capacity allows, we may include links to ISC blogs, press statements and information about school or association events. News stories are selected based on their relevance to the independent sector as a whole. Editorial control of the DNS remains solely with the ISC.

Sign-up to the email service is available on our website.

Members can contact the ISC if they know in advance of news, letters or opinions that are likely to feature in the media, or are aware of existing coverage which they would like to see featured in the DNS.

Headlines and first-line summaries are written by the ISC with the link directing to the source material. You should read and comply with the terms and conditions of the websites to which we link.