Shropshire A level results 2026: 38% of grades A* at Concord

Sixth formers across Shropshire collected their A level results on Thursday 13 August, and four schools and colleges in the county published figures of their own the same day. Below is what each of them put out, set against the national picture released this morning. We report only what institutions publish themselves, so this piece will grow if others follow.

The national benchmark, published this morning

The Joint Council for Qualifications released UK-wide figures at 9.30am. Across England, Northern Ireland and Wales, 97.5 per cent of A level results were awarded A* to E, the same as in 2025; 28.5 per cent were A* or A, up from 28.3 per cent; and 9.6 per cent were A*, up from 9.4 per cent. The number of students taking A levels rose 2.4 per cent to 349,917, with 906,425 entries at all ages. (JCQ, Level 3 press notice, 13 August 2026)

Those three numbers are the yardstick for everything that follows. A school quoting a share of grades at A* or at A*/A can be read straight against them. A school quoting A* to B, or a pass rate, cannot.

Shrewsbury College: 868 A level students, 99 per cent pass

Shrewsbury College, which describes itself as Shropshire’s largest post-16 provider and the county’s only Ofsted Outstanding school sixth form or college, said more than 1,300 of its students completed A level, T Level, BTEC and vocational courses this summer.

At A level it reported a 99 per cent pass rate across 868 students, with 51 per cent of grades at A*, A or B. Thirteen students achieved three A* grades or better and 68 achieved AAA or better. Principal James Staniforth said the results mean 800 students will start university courses in the autumn, alongside apprenticeships and jobs. (Shrewsbury College, College Celebrates Brilliant A Level, T Level and Vocational Course student results, 13 August 2026)

That 868 figure is worth holding on to. It is a reminder that in a rural unitary this size, post-16 study is heavily concentrated: most Shropshire teenagers who sit A levels do so at one provider rather than at a school sixth form.

Concord College: 38 per cent of grades at A*

Concord College at Acton Burnell, in the countryside south east of Shrewsbury, said 36 students achieved three A* grades or better and that 38 per cent of all its grades were A*. Close to 100 students achieved three A grades or better, and nine hold confirmed offers to study at Oxford or Cambridge this autumn.

Principal Dr Michael Truss said: “Young people face many challenges and pressures and we hope our leaving 6.2s will take a moment to enjoy their well deserved success.” (Concord College, A Level Results 2026, 13 August 2026)

Set against the JCQ figure of 9.6 per cent of grades at A* nationally, Concord’s 38 per cent is close to four times the national rate.

Moreton Hall: 56 per cent at A*/A, up for a third year

Moreton Hall, the girls’ school near Oswestry, reported 56 per cent of grades at A*/A and 37 per cent at A*, and said results have now risen for a third consecutive year. Principal Michael Brewer said: “Behind every one of these grades is a young woman who has worked with real determination, supported by families and staff who believe in her.”

The school also confirmed in the same announcement that it returned to UK ownership this summer. (Moreton Hall, A Record-Breaking Year of A Level Results as Results Rise for Third Consecutive Year, August 2026)

Its A*/A share is close to double the national 28.5 per cent.

Shrewsbury High School: 94.2 per cent at A* to C

Shrewsbury High School said almost half of all grades were A* or A, three quarters were A* to B and 94.2 per cent were A* to C. A quarter of the year group achieved straight A*/A results, and more than 90 per cent of those going to university in September got their first choice, with places at Edinburgh, Durham, Exeter, Bristol and King’s College London.

The school picked out STEM subjects: 80 per cent of grades in physics and computer science were A* or A, and 75 per cent in maths and further maths. Head Darren Payne said his Year 13s were “a focused and ambitious year group”. (Shrewsbury High School, Outstanding A level results)

This is the school’s last set of results as a girls’ school. From September it begins moving to co-education, taking boys into its Junior School, Year 7 and Year 12.

The T Level number that deserves a second look

Shrewsbury College also reported on its second cohort of 115 T Level students: a 100 per cent pass rate, 37 per cent at Distinction* or Distinction, and 89 per cent at Distinction*, Distinction or Merit. It compared those with national figures of 93 per cent, 18 per cent and 52 per cent.

We checked the national pass rate against the source. JCQ says 19,665 students received overall T Level results this year, up from 11,909 in 2025, and that 92.6 per cent achieved a pass or above. So the college’s comparison holds, and the gap is real: nationally about seven T Level students in every hundred did not pass, and at Shrewsbury College none of the 115 fell into that group.

The college’s vocational results were on the same scale as its A levels. More than 500 students took BTEC and other vocational qualifications, with 102 achieving D*D*D* on Extended Diploma courses and 269 achieving DDD or better.

What it means for you

If you are going through Clearing. Eligible applicants could add a Clearing choice from 1pm today. The last date to add a Clearing choice is 19 October, and universities and colleges have until 21 October to make their decisions. The last date for UCAS to receive a 2026 application at all is 6pm on 24 September. (UCAS, Confirmation and Clearing 2026 key dates)

If you want to talk to someone. The Exam Results Helpline for England, run by the Department for Education with the National Careers Service, is open from today until Friday 28 August on 0800 100 900, 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 5pm on Saturday. The advisers are qualified careers advisers, not admissions staff, so it is the right call for “what are my options” rather than “will they take me”.

If a grade looks wrong. A review of marking has to be requested through your school or college, not direct to the exam board, so the first call is to the exams officer. For A levels and Level 3 vocational qualifications, the priority service deadline is 20 August 2026 and the standard deadline is 24 September 2026. Priority is for students whose university place depends on the outcome. (JCQ, Post-results services)

If you are waiting on GCSEs. GCSE results are published on 20 August. If you hold a university offer with an outstanding GCSE condition, you have to send those results to the university yourself.

If you are visiting universities during Clearing. Open days and Clearing visits from Shropshire usually mean an early train. Our guide to Shropshire train times and fares to London sets out what the journey costs and how long it takes.

We do not name students in results coverage. If another Shropshire sixth form or college publishes its own 2026 figures, tell us and we will add them here.