Congratulations... let’s do even better

Students, schools and colleges across Wales are to be congratulated on delivering the best A-level results for years but, as the Education Secretary rightly says, there is no room for complacency.

With education reforms and the new curriculum underway this is no time to rest on our laurels.

It is time to look to the top achieving schools, colleges and education authorities to see what can be learned by those not doing so well.

These A-level results have closed the gap with the rest of the UK for the top grades and puts Wales ahead of all northern and Midland regions of England at A*-A.

But let’s not forget that for A* to C grades we are still behind all regions of England, apart from the West Midlands and East Midlands.

With this excellent set of results behind us we must now close this gap and keep the impetus going to show we can up our game and lead the way as Wales forges ahead with education reforms and new qualifications.

There is a mixed picture across Wales, and no doubt within individual schools and this must be addressed.

In Pembrokeshire secondary schools A-level performance remained the same as 2016 and the rate getting top grades was more than 3% lower than average.

By contrast Cardiff has recorded its highest top grades for A-level for two years with a total of 30.2% of A-levels in the city graded A* to A, an increase of almost two percentage points on 2016 and significantly above the national average.

While this is no time to pit one area against another it is time for all in the profession - and in local and national government - to show they are willing to share and absorb best education practice.

No one can be short of inspiration after the individual stories that have come out of our schools and colleges on A-level results day.

Among the many students to shine is Awita Zera, 19, who fled war in Eritrea three years ago without speaking a word of English. The Cathays High student has now won a place at the university of South Wales to study Mechanical Engineering.

Then there is 18-year-old Robin Denham, originally from Parcllyn, near Aberporth, who got four A*’s whilst also acting as a full-time carer to his disabled mother - a role he has undertaken since he was nine years old.

But it is not just these, or those who have got into some of the top universities, who should be singled out.

All those who did their best and worked hard and all their teachers, head teachers, families, parents and carers should also be congratulated.

If it takes a village to raise a child it takes a nation to educate it. Wales is now well on the way to reforming its education system which at times has seemed creaky - not least when we trail in the OECD’s Pisa tests for 15-year-olds.

But keeping up a narrative that we are not the best helps no one.

This year’s set of A-level results must be used as spur to deliver better education at all levels.