The headlines
At A Level, results continue to be stable overall, with A* grades unchanged from last year at 8.2%, A*-A down slightly at 25.9%, and A*-E up slightly at 98.1%. The number of A Levels taken has risen by 2.0% compared to 2014, total entries for ‘facilitating subjects’ 51.2% of this total (a small increase) and other subjects 48.8% (a small decrease).
For languages specifically, entries for French and German have decreased from 2014 levels, but entries for Spanish and other modern languages have increased.
French, German and Spanish:
| A Level entries |
2015 |
2015- 2014 |
2014 |
2014- 2013 |
2013 |
2013- 2012 |
2012 |
2012- 2011 |
2011 |
2011- 2010 |
2010 |
2015- 2010 |
| French | 10328 | -1% | 10433 | -7% | 11272 | -10% | 12511 | -5% | 13196 | -5% | 13907 | -26% |
| Spanish | 8694 | +14% | 7601 | -1% | 7651 | +4% | 7351 | -3% | 7610 | -1% | 7671 | +13% |
| German | 4009 | -4% | 4187 | -1% | 4242 | -11% | 4773 | -8% | 5166 | -7% | 5562 | -28% |
| Total | 23031 | +4% | 22221 | -4% | 23165 | -6% | 24635 | -5% | 25972 | -4% | 27140 | -15% |
Other modern languages:
| A Level entries | 2015 entries |
2015 – 2014 | 2014 entries | 2014 – 2013 | 2013 entries | 2013 – 2012 |
| Chinese | 3099 | -0.4% | 3113 | -6.4% | 3326 | -3.0% |
| Russian | 1321 | +15.2% | 1147 | +6.3% | 1079 | +7.0% |
| Polish | 1090 | +13.2% | 963 | +7.0% | 900 | -2.0% |
| Italian | 823 | +1.1% | 814 | -0.2% | 816 | -6.0% |
| Arabic | 652 | +1.1% | 645 | +0.3% | 643 | +6.0% |
| Urdu | 479 | +4.1% | 460 | -18.7% | 566 | -13.0% |
| Turkish | 535 | +14.8% | 466 | +11.2% | 419 | +18.0% |
| Portuguese | 446 | +20.5% | 370 | +2.8% | 360 | +15.0% |
| Japanese | 222 | -14.6% | 260 | -0.4% | 261 | -7.0% |
| Panjabi | 157 | -6.0% | 167 | -11.6% | 189 | +3.0% |
| Persian | 192 | +1.1% | 190 | +15.9% | 164 | +6.0% |
| Dutch | 127 | -14.8% | 149 | +17.3% | 127 | -9.0% |
| Modern Greek | 127 | -15.3 | 150 | +23.0% | 122 | +10.0% |
| Bengali | 43 | +2.4% | 42 | -25.0% | 56 | +4.0% |
| Modern Hebrew | 46 | -11.5% | 52 | +13.0% | 46 | 0.0% |
| Gujarati | 16 | -15.8% | 19 | +46.2% | 13 | -31.0% |
| Total | 9375 | +4.1% | 9007 | -0.9% | 9087 |
Entries for AS Level languages have risen for Spanish, Italian and Russian, but decreased for French, German, Chinese and Polish.
AS Level entries
| AS Level entries | 2015 entries | 2014 – 2013 | 2014 entries | 2014 – 2013 | 2013 entries | 2013 – 2012 | 2012 entries |
| French | 16917 | -4.9% | 17781 | +1.6% | 17501 | -6.5% | 18721 |
| Spanish | 14009 | +0.4% | 13958 | +15.0% | 12136 | +3.0% | 11781 |
| German | 6645 | -7.6% | 7193 | +2.7% | 7006 | -1.6% | 7119 |
| Chinese | 2443 | -7.2% | 2632 | +2.6% | 2566 | -1.6% | 2608 |
| Italian | 1289 | +3.5% | 1245 | +0.1% | 1244 | +8.8% | 1143 |
| Polish | 1293 | -2.7% | 1329 | +4.4% | 1273 | +7.2% | 1187 |
| Russian | 1063 | +8.1% | 983 | +10.2% | 892 | +16.8% | 764 |
Likewise, conversion rates from AS Level to A2 have risen for Polish and Italian, held steady for Spanish and dropped for French and German.
AS – A Level conversion rates
| A & AS Level entries | 2015
A Level entries |
2014
AS Level entries |
Conversion rate | 2014
A Level entries |
2013
AS Level entries |
Conversion rate | 2013
A Level entries |
2012
AS Level entries |
Conversion rate |
| French | 10328 | 17781 | 58% | 10433 | 17501 | 59% | 11272 | 18721 | 60% |
| Spanish | 8694 | 13958 | 62% | 7601 | 12136 | 62% | 7651 | 11781 | 65% |
| German | 4009 | 7193 | 56% | 4187 | 7006 | 60% | 4242 | 7119 | 60% |
| Italian | 823 | 1245 | 66% | 814 | 1244 | 65% | 816 | 1143 | 71% |
| Polish | 1090 | 1329 | 82% | 963 | 1273 | 76% | 900 | 1187 | 76% |
The percentage of A* grades awarded for A Level languages has risen slightly overall (French is up 1.5%, German down 0.6%, Spanish up 0.4%, other modern languages up 1.0%), however given the changes expected this summer, these differences are much more slight than we anticipated.
(JCQ published a report on Modern Foreign Languages at A Level last July, which identified: “some clear issues relating to the proportion of A*s at A-level in Modern Foreign Languages and the low take-up of and progression in these subjects… These are not issues that can be resolved by a few tweaks to the system, but must be part of a holistic review of assessment, qualification design and qualification purpose. As such, awarding organisations will be using the findings to feed into the wider reforms being undertaken by ALCAB, which has been tasked with reviewing A-level Modern Foreign Languages and reporting to Ofqual, with a view to new qualifications being taught from 2016. ALCAB’s work presents an opportunity to address the concerns and issues that surround the design and assessment of Modern Foreign Languages.” Ofqual recognised these problems, and explored them further in their own report – An Exploration of Assessment Quality Issues in A Level Modern Foreign Languages – Technical Report, making a number of recommendations for exam boards to rectify in time for his summer’s exams. For more information on these recommendations, click here.)
We are concerned that with respect to A* as a percentage of total A and A* grades, there is still a great disparity between languages and other ‘facilitating subjects’, in spite of Ofqual investigating and taking action, and the exam boards complying with their recommendations. Looking at some of the details of the 2015 raw mark boundaries, we have questions, but these are best dealt with in an additional meeting with JCQ, Ofqual and exam boards.
The President of ALL, Rene Koglbauer, commented:
“Today should be about celebrating students’ successes – congratulating A-level students on their achievements, and their teachers on persevering in such difficult times with passing their passion for languages on to the future generation.”
“It is still a concern that A level entries have decreased for some languages once again, but we will unpick this issue in our discussions with the DfE in early September. One of the biggest issues head teachers have been reporting is that the new Sixth Form funding forces them to close smaller subjects, languages and arts subjects will be hit by these changes to funding. However, we hope that the introduction of a compulsory language at GCSE will lead to an increase in A level language study in the longer term.”
Further detail
From David Blow, Headteacher of The Ashcombe School in Surrey, member of ASCL Data Group and technical adviser to ALL London:
“It is highly significant that one of the three headlines in the Ofqual website statement on the A-level results relates to the A* in A Level Modern Languages issue.
The analysis of the A* issue is extremely complex, but what is clear is that the number of A* students in French has risen from 689 in 2014 to 837 in 2015 (a rise of 148, i.e. over 20%) whilst the number taking A Level French has dropped by 1% and the number of students gaining A + A* has dropped by 2%. Thus, thanks to the efforts of those who have been raising the A* issue, 1 in 5 students more have gained an A* in French, i.e. for every 4 A* last year, there are 5 this year. There is a similar increase in Spanish in the context of rising numbers taking Spanish. In both French and Spanish, the proportion of A* grades has risen from 6.5% (Fr) /6.7% (Sp) to 8.1% in both. The situation in German is more complex as the subject continues to see a decline in numbers taking, and we need to see evidence about the ability profile changes in order to make a judgement.
We welcome the commitment by Ofqual to complete a detailed analysis of the exam papers and marks in the next few weeks, and we will press for further action in the light of the findings, as for example, the raw marks in the AQA Paper 3 in all 3 ML are still too high and well above the 2013 level criticised by Ofqual, which will continue to lead to problems in correctly ranking the most able students. Separately, there still remain the problems with the oral exam which can only be resolved with the new specifications.
We also need to press for action on “severe grading” at GCSE.”
- A Level Modern Languages Sept15 update v1a – A* 2013-15
- A Level Modern Languages Sept15 update v1a – A Level numbers
- A Level Modern Languages Sept15 update v1a – graphs
Further information
– Joint Council for Qualifications: Click here for the Joint Council for Qualifications – press release and full JCQ data tables.
– Department for Education: Summer 2015 AS and A level results: a brief explanation
– Speak to the Future: Mixed messages from today’s A level results for languages
– BBC News: A-levels: Top grades down, but more university places
– TES: ‘We need a national campaign to reverse the decline of languages’
– Telegraph: A level results 2015: Which subjects did students do the best and worst in?
– Scottish Association for Language Teaching: Language study bounces back after decade of decline
A & AS Level results 2014