Tweets suggest that Durham, Sheffield, Leeds and Lancaster have dropped A-level minimum by as much as two grades
Students who didn’t do as well as expected in their A-levels have landed places on top LLB courses after universities slashed their entry requirements, Legal Cheek understands.
Rumours circulating around the law student population yesterday afternoon suggested that the University of Sheffield — a member of the elite band of Russell Group Universities — was offering aspiring lawyers places on its respected LLB course at two grades below its minimum A-level requirement. The chatter continued on Twitter:
According to the uni’s LLB prospectus, students must have obtained at least three As. At the time of publication, Sheffield University had not responded to Legal Cheek‘s request for comment.
Meanwhile, City law firm favourite, and fellow Russell Group member, Durham University, also appears to be lowering entry requirements. According to Durham Uni’s website students must have obtained at least one A* and two As to land a place on its prestigious LLB. However Legal Cheek has seen at least one social media post (pictured below) purporting to show a student gaining a place with AAB.
Durham University has issued this statement, which indicates that the lower grade requirements are associated with a social mobility scheme it runs:
Supported Progression is one of our access schemes, which provides a progression route for a targeted cohort of most able, least likely to apply, disadvantaged students from the North East. Students admitted through this scheme participate in a rigorous academic assessment in their subject as part of the summer school they attend at Durham between year 12 and 13. If they pass this assessment, which is marked by our academic tutors at a first year undergraduate level, students will be recognised as having achieved a qualification equivalent to two A Level grades that can contribute towards meeting the entry requirements for a programme of study at Durham University, along with a guaranteed offer. This is because we are satisfied that they have the merit and potential to succeed on one of our degrees.
The University of Leeds also appears to be doing some adjusting.
Like Sheffield and Durham, the Russell group uni appears to have lowered its entry requirements. Normally requiring three As according to its online prospectus, a student has taken to social media publishing their acceptance onto the course having obtained just ABB.
Leeds University has not got back to us with a comment.
Last, but by no means least, Lancaster University.
Though not a Russell Group member, students still have to obtain three As at A-level in order to secure a place on the course. Despite the hefty entry requirements, Legal Cheek has seen a tweet that suggests that the uni has accepted a student onto its LLB with just three Bs.
Lancaster has not yet responded to Legal Cheek‘s request for comment.
As college students across the country collected their A-Level results yesterday, stats showed the number of students awarded top grades had fallen for the fifth year running.