A-Level joy for Yorkshire students on results day

Students across Yorkshire have opened their A-Level, T-Level and Btec results- improving on last year's grades across the board.

A record number of 18-year-olds in the UK have also secured a place at their first choice of university, according to Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas).

In Yorkshire and the Humber, 25.7% of A-Level entries were awarded an A or A* this year, compared to 25.3% last year and 23.2% before the pandemic in 2019.

The region also saw 78.1% of entries graded at C or above, which increased from 76.8% in 2025 and 74.7% in 2019.

Among those celebrating at Selby College in North Yorkshire were 18-year-old twins Nancie and Molly Broadhead.

Nancie, who has earned a place at Cambridge University after achieving four A*s, said: "It's something I've always dreamed of but something that felt slightly out of reach so the fact I've managed to achieve it - I'm so grateful the hard work paid off.

"When I logged onto my Ucas this morning and saw my place had been confirmed, I felt like I was floating."

Molly admitted she was "slightly overwhelmed" by her results - two As and a C - which secured her a spot at Newcastle University to study chemistry.

She was excited to celebrate after a "long few months feeling the dread".

After 18 years of "leaning on each other for a lot of things", being 230 miles apart at university would be "scary", according to the twins.

"But I think it's going to be great to develop who we are as independent people and not a pair that comes together," Nancie said.

Libby Fernley was among the students to achieve remarkable grades against challenging odds.

While the 18-year-old was attempting to study for her A-Levels at Horsforth School and Sixth Form in Leeds, she was taken to hospital with an inflamed liver.

"It definitely made me really worried about how the exams were going to go," she said.

"I missed one of the rounds of mocks in year 13, which was really difficult."

Despite the months of treatment, Libby's cramming "paid off".

Her A*A*A*A grades in English literature, English language, politics and drama meant she is now heading to Cambridge University to study English literature.

"It just means everything. I have wanted to go to university since I was so little and I just cannot believe it is going to happen now," she added.

Twins Sienna and Jayden Zdubek were buzzing with their results at Barnsley Sixth Form College, with Jayden picking up two A*s, an A and a B and Sienna achieving three A*s.

Jayden opted to study maths, further maths, physics and chemistry while Sienna chose business, economics and English language and literature.

Although the pair admitted to having a sibling rivalry, they also motivated each other to get on with revision.

"When I see someone else studying, I think I need to study, so we kind of help each other in that way," Sienna said.

"We always revise at the dining room table, I have one side of the table and he has the other."

Jayden said it took a burden off him to go through the same exam stress as his sister.

"Although mine are harder," he teased.

Miriam Khan, a student at New College Bradford, got the grades she needed for university, but has decided to take a year out to go travelling.

"I got a D* D* and an A so I have got into the university that I want to go to – I did A-Level biology and a double Btec in sport," she said.

"I'm going to do sport and exercise science next year at Loughborough, but I want to go travelling and I hope to work a little bit to get a bit more experience before next year.

"I just feel it will be good to have a year to relax a little bit because it has been a busy two years."

Miriam hoped to head off to Egypt and Spain.

Marta Kumar couldn't enjoy her summer holiday because she was so worried about her results, but today she found out she had the grades she needed to get into her "dream uni".

"I was so scared to disappoint everyone, my teachers and my parents, but I'm happy that it went the way I wanted it to go," she said.

She got an A in psychology, B in business and a B in law and is going to the University of Leeds to study law.

Matthew Clarke received the grades he needed to study sports science next year at Loughborough University.

He got distinction stars in sport, a B in further maths and a B in maths.

"I am really pleased. I'm going to do maths and sports science – Loughborough is the best in the world for sport so it's really good."

Fabian Kowalewski, 18, is going to study electrical engineering at Imperial College London.

He got an A* in maths and further maths and an A in physics and chemistry.

"I was one mark off an A* in physics so I've asked for a remark," he said.

"Hopefully I will get it – but I'm happy, I got in so it's fine."

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