A-level results day for teen fighting wildfires at same time as his exams

An 18-year-old firefighter who combined his A-levels with responding to emergency calls is among thousands of students getting results on Thursday morning.

Bobi Jones from Newcastle Emlyn in Carmarthenshire said he felt “quite relaxed” about his grades after having “plenty on my plate” responding to recent wildfires.

As well as A-levels, results for AS, BTec and other vocational qualifications will also be published, with many students hoping to progress to university.

A-level grades can be shared with students from 08:00 BST but arrangements vary depending on the school or college.

Bobi is waiting for results for A-level business and sport, as well as the Welsh Baccalaureate qualification.

He said his school, Ysgol Bro Teifi, had been “very flexible”, with teachers allowing him to leave class when his work alarm went off as long as he caught up with schoolwork afterwards.

“The past few months have been very busy with exams and also the fire brigade. We’ve been really busy with fires and wildfires,” he said.

Fortunately the problem has not been as serious as in some areas, but Bobi has been regularly responding to “a few patches of grass going up on fire and just spreading very fast”.

He is now planning to take on an apprenticeship with a local electrician which he will combine with on-call shifts for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

Last year, the proportion of A* grades rose slightly to 10.5%, while 29.5% of results were A or A* which was lower than in 2024.

Data shows 32.8% of Welsh 18-year-olds had applied for university places by the end of June – slightly up on last year but lower than figures for other UK nations.