The #ALevelResults fiasco has affected students from all institutions and from all backgrounds, but not proportionally  Sixth form and FE colleges are by far the biggest losers. The percentage of A and A*s in fee-paying went up 4.7 points in since 2019 compared to 0.3 points in sixth form and FE colleges.

The fact that Further Education is woefully underfunded is not news. Nor is the fact that FE colleges are reducing the curriculum offered. According to research by the Association of Colleges in partnership with TES, almost two thirds of colleges offering A-levels have reduced the number of subjects available, with half of those attributing the cuts to lack of funding (TES 4th August 2017). Even more worrying is the fact that some FE colleges are ceasing to offer A-levels completely, focussing instead on apprenticeships, BTECs and other vocational courses. I will argue that this trend has to be reversed.