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A-level students battle for university places
THOUSANDS of South Yorkshire teenagers received long-awaited A level results today - and are now facing the toughest battle ever for university places.
See The Star for an 8-page A-level results pullout on Tuesday, August 25, 2009.
Young people seeking to avoid the worst of the recession have sent university applications soaring this year by almost 10 per cent - meaning more than 50,000 more sixth formers nationwide are looking for places.
But due to the economic downturn the Government has restricted the number of extra places universities can provide to only 10,000.
It means students who fail today to achieve the exact grades they need could be left without a place for the coming term.
Experts are predicting almost all spare university places will be filled within a week, with only half as many available as last year.
Most of England's leading universities are full, and it is estimated fewer than 5,000 clearing places are available in 31 English universities.
Sheffield Hallam is one of several universities which has been given an emergency extra allocation of more than 200 places on its science courses - but it is not planning to fill them as no extra funding has been provided.
Hallam today confirmed applications this year were significantly up on last year, but it would only be taking in the same numbers as in 2008.
"A number of our courses may be full once students' qualifications have been confirmed but there will be some areas of recruitment," a spokesman said.
At the University of Sheffield application figures have risen by over 2,700 on last year, making places on its courses even more sought after than usual.
Silverdale School in Bents Green today reported a provisional pass rate at the top A and B grades of 58 per cent, down seven per cent - with assistant head Tony Moore admitting an air of uncertainty was in the air.
"We have 15 students who we feel are borderline in terms of the grades they need, but we cannot be sure how universities are going to react," he said.
"In the past there has been some flexibility but we don't know if they will insist on the exact grades they asked for. The power definitely rests with the universities this year with regard to available places - and we don't know how they will use that power."
Carolyn Siddall, deputy head at All Saints RC High where the AB pass rate was 34 per cent, said she hoped her students would get the places they wanted.
"I do feel though that those who accepted points offers may be in a better position than those who are aiming for specific grades. It is going to be a challenging year for some students," she added.
Tapton School in Crosspool reported an AB pass rate of 61 per cent, up one on last year, while Notre Dame RC High was one per cent behind that on 60.
Staff at High Storrs were delighted with an AB pass rate of 54 per cent, the second best ever and up nine per cent on 2008.
Head Roisin Paul said she was confident most of her students had achieved the necessary grades.
Sheffield College, the city's biggest A-level provider, said its AB pass rate had risen by five per cent to 34 per cent overall, with the overall pass rate nearly touching 97 per cent. Longley Park, the other main sixth-form college, reported a 98 per cent overall pass rate.
All Sheffield state schools and sixth-form colleges reported overall pass rates of 95 per cent and above for the fourth year in a row.
And at independent Birkdale in Broomhill the overall rate was provisionally 99.7 per cent, with an AB pass rate of 76 per cent, their best ever.
LibDem universities spokesman Stephen Williams said: "This will be the toughest year ever for places and it looks like huge numbers of very able young people will be joining the record numbers already unemployed."
See The Star for an 8-page A-level results pullout on Tuesday, August 25, 2009.
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