Year on year increase of physics A-level entrants

The Institute of Physics

14 August 2008

Physics A-level entrant numbers on the rise

This morning, Thursday, 14 August, 2008, the Joint Council for Qualifications published results for 2008’s cohort of 827,737 A-level students and announced some good news for the health of physics in the UK. The number of physics A-level entrants continues to increase.

Efforts to ignite young people’s interest in the sciences and to ensure that students receive inspiring teaching and positive information about the prospects open to students with a good grounding in physics are making a difference.

This is the second consecutive year with an increase in the number of students taking physics A-levels. The number of entrants has increased from 27,466 in 2007 to 28,096 students this year, a 2.3% increase of 630 students, bringing the government’s target to see 35,000 young people sitting physics A-level by 2014 closer in sight.

As encouragingly, the number of AS level students has also increased, suggesting that the figures for A-level will continue to rise in 2009. Following on from a three per cent increase at AS Level last year, 2008 has seen a further two per cent increase of more than 800 students.

The gender divide in the physics classroom has remained relatively constant. Despite increasing numbers of students taking physics, the 78.2% male to 21.8% female ratio at A-level in 2007 has only narrowed by a further 0.4 per cent in 2008.

Dr. Robert Kirby Harris, chief executive of the Institute of Physics (IOP), said, “We are delighted that the trend is continuing. Students are increasingly aware that A-levels in physics are seen by business and academia as the Rolls-Royce of A-levels and well worth all the effort when lining up for university places and the very best jobs, but more still needs to be done to entice girls into the physics classroom.”

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