Ofqual data puts 97.5% of A level results at Bracknell Forest centres at a pass grade and 11.7% at A*. Edgbarrow, Garth Hill and Brakenhale published their own figures.
Almost every A level result handed out in Bracknell Forest this week was a pass. Ofqual data published on results day shows 97.5% of the A level results awarded to 18 year olds at exam centres in the borough were graded A* to E, and 11.7% were awarded at A*, which the council says is above both the South East and the national figure. (Bracknell Forest Council, 13 August 2026)
That borough figure is worth reading carefully before anyone treats it as a league position. Ofqual’s local area data assigns every grade to a place using the postcode recorded for the exam centre in the National Centre Number register, not where the student lives, and the regulator says the accuracy of the map depends on the accuracy of those records. (Ofqual Analytics) In a borough this size, one sixth form’s cohort moves the number. It describes results taken in Bracknell Forest, not the achievement of Bracknell Forest’s children, some of whom sit exams in Wokingham, Reading, Ascot and Camberley.
What the borough’s sixth forms published
Three schools put their own headline percentages out on the day.
Edgbarrow School, Crowthorne reported 53% of grades at A*-B, 81% at A*-C and 98% at A*-E, on UCAS equivalents. The school said leavers are going on to Oxbridge and Russell Group universities and to apprenticeships with employers including BMW and Rolls-Royce. (Edgbarrow School)
Garth Hill College, Bracknell reported 48.4% at A*-B, 70.6% at A*-C and 95.0% at A*-E, including equivalents. Principal Keith Grainger said the college was “delighted at the increase in the overall number of passes at A*-B and A*-C”. The college listed leavers going on to biochemistry at Oxford, pharmacy and biochemical engineering at UCL, physics and chemistry at Bath, law with psychology at Southampton, veterinary medicine at Surrey and medicine at Sunderland. (Garth Hill College)
Brakenhale School, Bracknell reported the sharpest movement: the share of grades at A*-B almost doubled, to 43%, with the school’s average grade rising. It said 56% of its students going to university have places at institutions ranked in the top third nationally, with destinations including UCL, King’s College London, Bristol, Cardiff, Newcastle, Birmingham, Reading, Surrey and Royal Holloway. Headteacher Camilla Douglas said seeing the average grade “increase so significantly is a testament to the culture of excellence and dedication that defines our school community”. (Brakenhale School)
Ranelagh School and King’s Academy Easthampstead Park had not published figures of their own when this was written.
How those numbers compare, and where they do not
Two of the three school figures above include vocational equivalents, and none of them are counted the way Ofqual counts. The regulator’s published tables report the share of results at A and above and at C and above for A levels only. A school’s “A*-B” has no national counterpart at all, so it can only sensibly be compared with that school’s own previous years, which is exactly how Brakenhale used it.
Where the measures do line up, at C and above, the national picture this year is:
| Benchmark (A level only, 2026) | A and above | C and above |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 31.5% | 79.5% |
| London (highest region) | 32.7% | 80.5% |
| All state-funded centres, England | 25.4% | 76.8% |
| Academies | 23.5% | 75.8% |
| Sixth form colleges | 25.6% | 78.1% |
| Grammar schools | 43.4% | 88.4% |
| Independent schools | 48.6% | 89.4% |
Source: Ofqual, Qualification results in England: summer 2026, tables 8 and 9. The South East’s 31.5% at A and above is up from 31.2% last year, and second only to London.
Nationally, 835,950 A level results went to 320,505 students at 2,835 schools and colleges, and 28.3% of results were at A or above, against 28.2% in 2025. T Levels grew sharply, from 11,980 results to 19,665. (Ofqual, 13 August 2026)
Ofqual does not publish an A*-only figure by region in those tables, which is why the council’s “above the South East and the national figure” claim for 11.7% at A* rests on the interactive local authority map rather than the downloadable statistics.
What it means for you
If a grade looks wrong, the clock is already running. Requests go through your school or college exams officer, not directly to the exam board, and they need the student’s written consent first, because a grade can go down as well as up. The summer 2026 deadlines are:
- Priority review of marking: 20 August 2026. A level, T Level and Level 3 vocational results only, for students whose university place depends on the outcome. Boards must complete it within 15 calendar days.
- Standard review of marking: 24 September 2026, completed within 20 calendar days.
- Clerical re-check: 24 September 2026, completed within 10 calendar days. This checks the addition and recording of marks rather than the marking itself, and is the cheaper first step if a total looks odd.
If plans have changed, the council points students at its Elevate careers guidance service and at the National Careers Service exam results line on 0800 100 900, which is free and staffed by careers advisers. (Bracknell Forest Council)
GCSE results follow on Thursday 20 August, the same day as the priority remark deadline, so families with children in both year groups have one week to deal with both. (Edgbarrow School calendar)
If you are travelling to a university open day, a clearing interview or an accommodation viewing over the next fortnight, our guide to trains from Bracknell to London has current journey times and fares, and things to do in Bracknell covers what is open locally for anyone staying put and celebrating.
We will publish the borough’s GCSE figures on 20 August, from the schools’ own announcements and Ofqual’s data, on the same basis as this piece.
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