Teacher-assessed grades in lieu of exams benefit those at independent schools as gap with state education widens
The gap between private and state school A-level grades has grown to its widest in the modern era as part of a record-breaking set of results in which black pupils and male pupils also received lower grades than their peers.
After a year of disruption and school closures during the pandemic, nearly 45% of A-level entries across England, Wales and Northern Ireland were awarded top grades of A or A*, up from 38% in 2020 and 25% in 2019.