Teen Wildfire Firefighter Among Students Getting A-level Results

Thousands of students across Wales received their A-level, AS, BTec and vocational qualification results on Thursday — among them Bobi Jones, an 18-year-old who spent much of the exam season not only studying but also fighting wildfires as an on-call firefighter with Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

Juggling exams and emergency calls

Bobi, from Newcastle Emlyn in Carmarthenshire, was awaiting grades in A-level business and sport, as well as the Welsh Baccalaureate qualification. Despite describing the past few months as "very busy with exams and also the fire brigade," he said he felt "quite relaxed" about the results.

His school, Ysgol Bro Teifi, gave him significant flexibility, allowing him to leave class whenever his work alarm sounded — provided he caught up with the material afterwards. During the exam season, he was regularly called to tackle blazes: "a few patches of grass going up on fire and just spreading very fast," he said. He now plans to begin an apprenticeship with a local electrician while continuing his fire service shifts.

Other students, other ambitions

Rosa MacGowan, 18, from Swansea, juggled four A-levels, the Welsh Baccalaureate and a part-time job in the hope of studying medicine at the University of Glasgow, with pharmacy at Newcastle as her insurance. After a summer of Interrailing, she described herself as "positive about the future" and eager for "the next chapter."

William Hopkins studied a BTEC in Uniformed Protective Services alongside A-levels and intends to join the British Army or Royal Marines as an officer. "I've always enjoyed new things and testing my limits," he said. Caitlin Giffard, from Swansea, needs three B grades to secure a place in criminology with psychology at the University of the West of England in Bristol.

Subject trends and the wider picture

Last year's A-level results in Wales saw 10.5% of grades at A*, while 29.5% were A or A*. The most popular subjects remain mathematics, biology, chemistry and psychology. Computer science entries fell 14.9%, Spanish dropped 12.9% and drama declined 8.2%. English language and literature surged 23.3%, Welsh language entries rose 42.7%, and German climbed 59.4% from a small base.

Data from Medr, the body overseeing post-16 education in Wales, shows a longer-term decline: fewer than half (49%) of Year 11 students now progress to AS-level study, compared with 60% in 2014-15. Figures also show that 17% of Welsh young people aged 16 to 24 are not in education, employment or training, which Medr described as "a significant challenge" affecting life prospects.