London students stretched their lead over the rest of the country as almost one third of A-levels taken in the capital were given top grades. Results published today show that 10.5 per cent of exams taken in London were graded A*, which is the highest of any region. In the North East - the lowest performing region, just 6.4 per cent of grades were awarded an A*. In total, 30 per cent of exams taken in London were graded A* or A – which is just behind the South East at 30.3 per cent. It means the gap between London and the South East and the lowest performing regions has increased from 3.9 percentage points in 2019 to 8.3 percentage points this year. London was also the most improved region this year, with an 11.5 per cent increase in top grades since 2019 – the last year exams were taken and marked normally. It comes as students in the UK saw the biggest ever drop in A-Level results, with top grades plunging by a quarter as exam chiefs battle pandemic grade inflation. Teenagers now face a scramble to secure university places in one of the most fiercely competitive clearing rounds yet. Top grades dropped by 25 per cent compared to last year, but are still higher than before the pandemic. It means there were 73,000 fewer top grades awarded this year than last year, but 32,000 more than in 2019. Results were deliberately lower for the second year running as exams watchdog Ofqual aimed to reduce grades that had spiralled during the pandemic when exams were cancelled and marks were based on teacher assessment. Geoff Barton, head of the Association of School and College Leaders said today’s results will feel like a “bruising experience” for many students.