A-level results day is about issuing individual young people with their passports for progress to the next stage in their education or into the world of work. It is an opportunity for them to take stock and consider their options for the future.

Given the changes in the pipeline, it’s also an opportunity for schools to take stock and consider which qualifications best serve the educational needs of their pupils. The problem is that lots of questions about future A-levels remain unanswered, and this is leading to confusion among schools, students and parents.

It would be helpful if the Department for Education and the university sector could provide some clarity on the following issues: How many subjects will pupils be expected to study in Year 12? Will universities continue to take AS results into account? Will it be workable in practice to co-teach the first year of A-level and AS level - given that even with similar content coverage the type of assessments will be completely different?

Answers to these questions will enable us to continue equipping our girls for life beyond school.