•••ThousandsmisstopgradesasA-levelresultsplummetRichardAdamsSallyWealeMichaelGoodierThousandsofstudentsinEnglandmissedoutontopmarksintheirA-levelsyesterdayasresultsplum-metedacrosstheboardafterthegovernmentenforcedareversalofpandemic-eragradeinflation.ThesharpfallinAsandAscameonthedaythattheeducationsec-retary,GillianKeegan,wasaccusedof“addinginsulttoinjury”forsug-gestingnoonewouldbeinterestedinstudents’examresultsin10years’timeanyway.FivethousandfewerstudentsinEnglandgainedthreeAgradesthanin2022,whiletheproportionoftopA-Agradesshrankfrom35.9%to26.5%withinayear,with67,000fewertopgradesawardedthisyear.TheproportionofAgradesawardedinEnglandwas8.6%–a...