Students in South nearly TWICE as likely to get three A* A-level grades than those in North
Just 5,800 of the 258,000 who sat the exams last year came away with three or more top grades.
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Of those, 3,779 were from the South and 2,021 in the North.
Nine out of ten of the best areas for A-levels were in the South. Pupils in reading, in Berks, came out top — with seven per cent hitting the highest grades.
Dozens in London suburbs Kingston, Newham, Sutton and Barnet also got top marks.
The Government stats show Salford, Gtr Manchester, fared the worst, with a single set of three A* grades.
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Social mobility expert Professor Lee Elliot Major called it a national scandal, saying: 'These figures lay bare a brutal truth — your chances of the highest academic success at school are still shaped more by where you live than what you're capable of.
'This A-star divide highlights the vast differences in support offered to today's children and young people both outside and inside the classroom.
'Increasingly A-level grades are as much a sign of how much support young people have had as much as their academic capability.
'This isn't just a North-South education divide. It's a London and South East versus the rest Divide.'
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The Department for Education said: 'We are taking measures to tackle baked-in inequalities.'
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Students in the South of England are nearly twice as likely to get three A* A-level grades than those in the North
Credit: Getty
Schools Minister Nick Gibb says he's optimistic about the GCSE results as students face 'shock' over grades
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The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Psychologist who worked with the Radfords reveals early trauma led to brood of 22… & how it became their secret weapon
WITH 22 kids the biggest question many people want to ask the Radfords is, 'why?' The huge brood is an eye-watering thought for most, but 10 The Radford family are famous for having Britain's biggest brood at 22 kids... and counting Credit: PA 10 Sue fell pregnant with their first child when she was just 13 Credit: The Sun 10 The couple are childhood sweethearts - and psychologist Jo Hemmings reckon their similar upbringings makes them kindred spirits Credit: Getty And, in a rare twist, both were adopted as babies, leading many to wonder if that was the reasoning behind their decision to create The couple have always denied that their own adoptions had anything to do with their wish to have two football teams of children. But psychologist Jo Hemmings, who worked with the family on their show 22 Kids and Counting, says that there could be deep-rooted reasons linked to their adoption journeys that may have had a subconscious influence. She says people who have been adopted often feel a great sense of comfort when they have a child of their own, to finally have a connection with a blood relative. READ MORE FEATURES 'That is quite important,' she explains. 'Because they are both adopted I think that sense of having their own children together would have had much more significance, but not necessarily 22 of them. 'There isn't any science to back it up and say that either one or both parents that come from adoptive families are more likely each to have more birth children of their own. 'What there is some evidence of is that adopted children tend to be brought up in better socio-economic circumstances by their adoptive parents, so they are given a really stable upbringing, perhaps better education. "A lot is put into their upbringing partly because their parents have chosen them rather than given birth to them. Most read in Fabulous 'So there is something in that. If they both grew up in good, stable adoptive families, they feel they have got as much to give back as they had in their own childhoods.' Despite this, Noel, 54, dismissed links between their adoptions and their huge brood in the couple's book, The Radfords: Making Life Count. Mum-of-22 Sue Radford says she'll NEVER meet her birth mum & it's caused 'disagreements' with Noel, who's also adopted He wrote in one chapter: "A lot of amateur psychologists may think the reason me and Sue have had lots of kids must be linked to the fact we were both adopted, but I don't think there is any connection. "Unless someone comes along and sticks some electrodes on our heads, and says after doing some tests, 'Oh, this is why you've got so many kids,' we're just not going to believe any of those theories.' And wife Sue, 50, agreed, saying: 'No, there is nothing in that - because I don't even think about my birth parents. I don't give the fact that I was adopted any thought at all, and never have.' While Sue has always said she has Sense of connection 10 Sue and Noel met when she was just seven and he was 11, and got married when Sue was 16 - when they were already parents Credit: Supplied 10 Jo believes people who have been adopted feel a great sense of comfort when they have a child of their own Credit: Supplied Noel and Sue are childhood sweethearts, having met when she was just seven and he was 11. Sue fell pregnant with first child Christopher when she was 13 years old. The couple married three years later and then the children kept on coming. Jo says the couple share a deep bond and work together as a team. 'When you speak to them, they say no it is nothing to do with the psychology of us being adopted, it absolutely is because we felt we have a lot to give, we adore children - Sue especially adores babies," she says. "I don't think their intention was to have so many children, but it worked out for them. I don't think their intention was to have so many children, but it worked out for them Jo Hemmings 'When I have talked to them one thing that comes across is how incredibly gentle and calm they are. You don't see that in many parents who have three, four or five kids, never mind 22 of them. 'There is just that feeling that they had so much to give, they love bringing up children. "They don't claim benefits. They have made money over the years with Noel's successful bakery business and because their TV series have become so successful they have become influencers, in a way. 'I just think they are a remarkable family who have this presence about them. I'm sure there is chaos at times, but when you see them with their children, you don't see it. "They are good, solid, stable, parents, which is amazing. 'They are very straight-talking, they are very resilient. So when there have been problems, you feel that they are a very strong couple together. "Also they are talkers. They sit down and say, 'What are we going to do about this?' They are very open and candid with their children and will talk everything over with them. "They always bounce back and they have this lovely soft energy about them which makes them work brilliantly together as parents.' Driving force 10 Jo says they are a 'remarkable family' who have 'this presence about them' Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 10 Jo commends Sue and Noel for being great communicators with their children Credit: Channel 5 Jo believes the Radfords' incredible parenting skills stem from their own upbringings in their loving, adoptive families. She says: 'Sue was very young when she had her first child. I think their driving force is that they badly wanted to be parents. "I know they are at pains to deny that it is anything to do with the adoptions, and I don't want to go against what they say, but knowing that you can give a large number of children a very stable, productive and healthy upbringing would probably have come from the upbringings they had. 'Often adoptive parents put the extra mile in, they over-compensate for the sadness that they didn't grow up with their birth families. "I think a lot of it comes from the happiness and security that they had when they were growing up.' Often adoptive parents put the extra mile in, they over-compensate for the sadness that they didn't grow up with their birth families Jo Hemmings For years, both Noel and Sue had been adamant that they didn't want to trace their birth families, saying they regarded their adoptive parents as their mums and dads and had idyllic upbringings. But Jo says their background of both being adopted will have made them kindred spirits. 'I don't know how rare it is for two adopted people to get married, but it would have been one of the early conversations they had when they first met,' she explains. 'It would have been one of those bonding things, those shared values, that make relationships solid. "I think having that in common would have been a really important thing for them as they both knew implicitly how the other one might have felt growing up. "I think they were very similar in their views. I think they had all agreed at the time that they had both had such wonderful childhoods, there was no need or drive to seek where they were from.' Meet the Radford children Christopher, 36 The oldest Radford child, Chris works as a glazier and is married to Nicole Spencer. They have three children: Maise-Paige, eight, Jacob, five, and Oakland, three. Sophie Rose, 31 Sophie has her own cleaning company, Time for Sparkle, and shares three children with husband Joseph Bradley: Daisy, 12, Ayprill, 10, and Leo, nine. Chloe Anne, 29 Chloe's a make-up artist and is mum to daughter Milla, two, and son Bodhi, three months, with her boyfriend, Jake Wallace. Jack Richard, 28 Publicity-shy Jack prefers to stay out of the limelight, and hasn't publicly shared his relationship status or career. Daniel Leon, 26 After training to be in the RAF, Daniel had a near-fatal car crash in Bristol, which played out on his parents' TV show. He overcame his subsequent fear of driving in order to emigrate to Australia. Luke James, 24 Luke came out to his parents as bisexual in 2021 - warming viewers' hearts after Sue and Noel attended a Pride festival with him that summer. He works for the family's pie business. Millie Jo, 23 Millie is married to Harley Passmore and is mum to three children: Ophelia, four (from a previous relationship), and Chester, three, and Elodie, one (whom she shares with Harley). Katie Louise, 22 Katie works at a nursery and shares one nine-month-old son, Ronnie, with her boyfriend Connor Carter. James Edward, 21 James is busy working in the family's pie shop and hopes to run it someday. Ellie May, 20 Ellie's training to be a hairdresser, and has also worked part-time in a hotel housekeeping job. Aimee Elizabeth, 19 Aimee's also qualified to be a hairstylist and has famously practised her skills on family members in video clips. Josh Benjamin, 18 According to his parents, Josh was a 'nightmare' at school and he didn't commit to his studies - but that all changed when he found his passion as a sports coach. Max Joseph, 16 Max was diagnosed with autism in 2021, and has since struggled with socialising. Working in the pie shop has apparently helped him. Tillie May, 15 One of Tillie's legs stopped growing when she was just 18 months old, due to an infection. In 2019, she was fitted with a frame to help strengthen the limb, but - last year - it was revealed she'd need further treatment and potential surgery. Oscar Will, 13 Oscar has been described as having 'incredible initiative' at school. Casper Theo, 12 Casper always dreamt of being a footballer, but was gutted on his family's show when he didn't make it into a Premier League club's youth team. Alfie Thomas Alfie would have been the Radfords' 17th child, but he was tragically stillborn at three months. The Radfords refer to him as their 'missing heartbeat'. Hallie Alphia Beau, 10 Hallie's middle name was given in tribute to her late brother, who died just a year before her birth. Phoebe Willow, eight Phoebe has been awarded prizes at school for her achievements, much to her parents' pride. Archie Rowan, seven As the 20th Radford baby, Archie was expected to be the last - marking 'a nice, even number' in Sue's words. Bonnie Raye, six Again, Bonnie was expected to 'finish' the brood, but plans changed. Heidie Rose, five The youngest Radford child, mum Sue has since insisted: 'No, that's it now!' Tragic discovery Things changed for Noel in 2023 when the couple's teenage daughter Ellie was found to have the hereditary liver disorder Gilbert's Syndrome. The couple were tested and He said at the time: 'It's got me thinking, we're both adopted and we know absolutely nothing about our medical history at all. 'I'd quite like to find out more about my family, where I'm from, just anything about myself. 'It might tell me a bit more about who I am, where I'm from, possibly my birth parents. Now, as I'm getting older, I do think about it a bit more often.' Fighting back tears he added: 'I don't even know why I don't like talking about it. I just don't like it. "I have a lot of respect for my mum and dad.' In the opening episode of the latest series of 22 Kids and Counting, Noel reveals he met his birth mother for the first time - and she was shocked by the news of his huge family. He told The Sun: 'It was emotional meeting her and I was nervous beforehand. "You don't know what she is going to look or sound like, and how she will react. "A lot was going through my head, but she was so lovely and so glad to see me. We were with each other for a couple of hours.' His mum, who chose to stay anonymous in the show, told him she was forced to give him up at 17 after she split from his birth father. He added: 'As I have got older, I have been curious to find her,' Noel explains. 'I'm only ever going to have one chance and I've got no regrets that I have.' 10 Noel connects with his birth mum in the latest series of 22 Kids and Counting Credit: Lion TV 10 Sue has always insisted she has no desire to meet her birth parents Credit: Lion TV 10 Psychologist Jo Hemmings has nothing but admiration for the family
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Lottery results and numbers: Lotto and Thunderball draw tonight, July 19, 2025
THE NATIONAL Lottery results are in and it's time to find out who has won a life-changing amount of money tonight ( July 19, 2025). Could tonight's £7.2million jackpot see you handing in your notice, jetting off to the Bahamas or driving a new Porsche off a garage forecourt? 3 Could you win big tonight with the National Lottery? 3 Previous winners have gone on to build mansions and buy islands You can find out by checking your ticket against tonight's numbers below. Good luck! Tonight's National Lottery Lotto winning numbers are: 05, 07, 25, 29, 40, 46 and the Bonus Ball is 15 . Tonight's National Lottery Thunderball winning numbers are: 09, 12, 13, 19, 20 and the Thunderball is 14 . The first National Lottery draw was held on November 19 1994 when seven winners shared a jackpot of £5,874,778. READ MORE ON LOTTO The largest amount ever to be won by a single ticket holder was £42million, won in 1996. Gareth Bull, a 49-year-old builder, won £41million in November, 2020 and ended up knocking down his bungalow to make way for a luxury manor house with a pool. TOP 5 BIGGEST LOTTERY WINS ACROSS THE WORLD £1.308 billion (Powerball) on January 13 2016 in the US, for which three winning tickets were sold, remains history's biggest lottery prize £1.267 billion (Mega Million) a winner from South Carolina took their time to come forward to claim their prize in March 2019 not long before the April deadline £633.76 million (Powerball draw) from a winner from Wisconsin £625.76 million (Powerball) Mavis L. Wanczyk of Chicopee, Massachusetts claimed the jackpot in August 2017 £575.53 million (Powerball) A lucky pair of winners scooped the jackpot in Iowa and New York in October 2018 Sue Davies, 64, bought a lottery ticket to celebrate ending five months of shielding during the pandemic — and won £500,000. Most read in The Sun The biggest jackpot ever to be up for grabs was £66million in January last year, which was won by two lucky ticket holders. Another winner, Karl managed to bag £11million aged just 23 in 1996. The odds of winning the lottery are estimated to be about one in 14million - BUT you've got to be in it to win it. 3 Sandra Devine and her husband Mike won by chance - can you too?
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Air India pilot's haunting plea when he left home on day of deadly crash as probe ‘confirms he turned off fuel switches'
AIR INDIA'S captain made a haunting plea as he left home on the day of the deadly crash. Sumeet Sabharwal gave an eerie message to a security guard at his Mumbai apartment complex before 8 Captain Sumeet Sabharwal was the lead pilot of the doomed Air India flight 8 The plane seconds before disaster 8 A firefighter stands next to the crashed Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, India Credit: Reuters 'Please, take care of papa. I will be back soon,' the 56-year-old pilot reportedly told guard Sunil Lokhande. It was the last thing he ever said at home before Lokhande, the security guard at Sabharwal's residence in Jal Vayu Vihar, Mumbai, recalled what can now be understood as the pilot's final goodbye. He told The Telegraph: 'I can't forget that last moment, when he ran his hand through his hair, like he always did, and said, 'How are you Mr Lokhande. Please, take care of papa, and I will be back soon.' Read more on Air India crash 'He smiled and went away. You'd never guess he carried any sadness inside.' Lokhande added: '[Sabharwal] would visit home for two or three days and take his father for an evening walk regularly. 'Buy vegetables and fruits. He would often share fruits with me and would give money to buy meals or tea.' Crash probe Now, investigators say the experienced pilot may have Most read in The Sun According to cockpit recordings, the co-pilot can be heard asking: 'Why did you cut off?' Sabharwal replied, apparently eerily calm: 'I didn't.' 'Human hand' HAD to be involved in Air India crash disaster, pilot says…as he reveals billions-to-one odds of tech fault But US investigators, reviewing flight data, say the The Boeing 787 Dreamliner plunged into a hotel housing medical students just 30 seconds after takeoff. A total of 241 passengers and crew plus 19 people on the ground were killed in the tragedy. And only Captain's personal struggles Three days before the crash, Sabharwal reportedly told his elderly dad, Pushkaraj, he was planning to resign from Air India and move home permanently to care for him. His former colleague Neil Pais told The Telegraph: 'He was actually considering early retirement in the next couple of years. 'His father is very old, and he was going to look after him full time. That was the plan.' Sabharwal had reportedly He had also separated from his wife and relocated from Dehli to Mumbai to be closer to his dad. 8 A cockpit view of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner shows the fuel switch; Annotations by The Sun Graphics 8 An image showing how the fuel cut off switches have to be deliberately 'unlocked' before being moved Veteran pilot under scrutiny Captain Sabharwal had logged over 15,000 flying hours and was known as a calm, capable flyer. He had never been involved in a major incident until Flight 171. But his mental health is now under review. Despite passing a Class I medical exam in September, The Telegraph reports that Indian investigators are probing claims he previously took leave for depression. Friends and colleagues described him as humble, gentle and intensely private. 'Human hand involved' Aviation experts say the switches used to cut off fuel are physically guarded and require deliberate manual action to move. There is no emergency scenario where both engines would be shut down after takeoff. Captain Steve Scheibner said: 'When you place both fuel cutoff switches to cut off, that will fuel-starve the engines and they'll both flame out. 'There is no universe where there's any procedure ever in the history of commercial flight where you place both fuel control switches to cut off, leave them there for 10 seconds, right after rotate.' He added there was a 8 Landing gear of the Air India plane crashed directly on the BJ Medical College Credit: Getty 8 The Boeing 787 Dreamliner plummeted into a doctors' hostel 8 Clive Kunder was the co-pilot on the doomed flight Credit: Pixel8000 The seasoned pilot and respected aviation analyst, told Piers Morgan Uncensored: 'My take on it is that the aeroplane was operating exactly the way it was designed, I don't think there was anything wrong with this particular aircraft. 'Some things are plain and some things are clear, whether it was intentional, placing of the fuel control switches to cut off, or unintentional, that's two different things. 'But I really firmly believe that there had to be a human hand on both of those for them to go to cut off.' Investigation ongoing India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has released a US officials believe the evidence suggests deliberate human action. Some sources claim a criminal probe may be warranted if the crash had occurred on American soil. Air India says it is cooperating fully but declined to comment on the findings. 'We continue to mourn the loss,' a spokesperson said. 'Given the active nature of the investigation, we are unable to comment on specific details and refer all such enquiries to the AAIB.' Key findings of Air India preliminary crash report Dual engine shutdown - fuel cutoff switches moved from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' Confusion between pilots - cockpit audio confirms one pilot asked 'why did you cut off', the other replied 'I didn't' RAT deployed - as seen in CCTV footage before the crash, the ram air turbine (RAT) which acts as a backup power source in case of emergencies had deployed Engine relight attempted - fuel switches were found returned to 'RUN' at crash site 32 seconds - the time the aircraft was airborne before it crashed Thrust levers mismatch - Thrust levers found at idle but black box data shows takeoff thrust was still engaged Fuel test pass - fuel was clean without any contamination Normal take-off set-up - Flaps and landing gear correctly configured No bird activity - clear skies, good visibility, light winds Pilot credentials clear - both medically fit and rested No sabotage detected - although FAA alerted over a known fuel switch vulnerability not checked by Air India Aircraft loading - the flight was within weight and balance limits
