A-level students across England received results on Thursday, with 32.7% of candidates in London achieving A and A, marking a six-point rise from the previous year. In contrast, the East Midlands recorded 23.1% top grades, down from 23.8% in 2025, while the north-east stood at 22.9%, showing only a marginal improvement. The gap between London and the lowest-performing regions has widened to 9.6 percentage points, the highest since the pandemic and nearly two and a half times the 3.9-point disparity recorded in 2019. The difference in A grades alone has grown from two points in 2019 to 5.1 points in 2026.
Regional disparities in performance are now more pronounced than a simple north-south divide, with experts pointing to London's long-term educational advantages. Initiatives such as the 2003 London Challenge, higher teacher pay, and the presence of ambitious migrant families have contributed to sustained improvements in the capital. The Department for Education says its Rise teams are focusing on underperforming areas to improve standards. A proposal in the schools white paper suggests adjusting funding based on household income to better target disadvantage, though details of implementation remain pending.
Lee Elliot Major, professor of social mobility at Exeter University, stated that opportunity, not talent, is unevenly distributed, with London increasingly outpacing other regions. He emphasized that young people in the north-east and East Midlands face markedly different educational prospects despite national improvements in top grades.
The widening gap in top A-level grades between London and other regions means students outside the capital face steeper challenges in accessing elite universities and opportunities. Affected students should consider targeted support programmes and monitor regional funding proposals that may address disadvantage in coming years.
Editorial note: AI-assisted opinion, not established fact. Full disclaimer →
