A-LEVEL results analysis has found that the North East saw a fall of -0.4 per cent in the proportion of students achieving a Grade C or above - the only region which saw any fall in this category.

Analysis from the Northern Powerhouse Partnership also found the region saw the smallest increase in the proportion of students achieving a grade A.

Research earlier this year found that 10.1 per cent of secondary school pupils in the North East were from long-term disadvantaged high impact groups - double the national average and the highest proportion in the country.

READ MORE: North East and North Yorkshire students receive A-level results - follow live

Sarah Mulholland, head of policy at the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: “Pupils in the North East have had to deal with a triple-whammy of challenges to their learning over the past 18 months.

“Long-term disadvantage was already a huge problem in schools here before the pandemic, and the disproportionate disruption to learning of education coupled with the lack of access to remote learning has exacerbated the existing education divide.”

A spokesperson for Schools North East added: "Whilst we are unreservedly proud of our students' results today, the question must be asked: has the impact of covid on our schools and young people been recognised and appropriate account taken of this in regard to A Level assessment?

"All of the available data points to the fact that the North East has been the region hit the hardest by this pandemic and it is the same for its schools.

“Despite schools across the country relying on online learning to support students, far too many North East students and their families were unable to access relevant devices during lockdown. While schools strived to provide each student with a device, this was simply impossible to accomplish quickly on a large scale, with many families sharing devices as parents worked from home.

"As a charity, we could not be more proud to serve a profession which has truly stepped up to the plate during such a challenging time, and will continue to do so in the future. They have truly been the ‘fourth emergency service’.”

"The Education Secretary now has to provide our schools with a properly thought through and resourced ‘recovery’ plan, including clear, simple, accurate and - most importantly – early guidance with regards to next year’s exams."

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