A-level results should not be the be-all and end-all when recruiting school leavers, according to Sarah Shillingford, graduate recruitment partner at business advisory firm Deloitte.

Shillingford, who takes on around 1,000 graduates in the UK each year, says: “With so many young people gaining top grades at A-level, and the graduate job market getting more and more competitive, some graduate employers may be tempted to impose higher requirements for students’ A-level results.

“However, at Deloitte we have decided against this, as we feel it can disadvantage some students, depending on the school that they have attended. For Deloitte’s graduate programme we look for three B grades at A-level plus a 2:1 degree as the minimum criteria.

“While this inevitably gives us a greater number of applications to assess, we feel it enables us to judge people on a range of skills and achievements that go beyond their school grades and helps to create a level playing field.

“While it is true that a solid academic background is necessary, we also place importance on the skills gained through work experience and extra-curricular activities.

“As a business, we recognise that we are only as good as our people, making it imperative that we make strenuous efforts to identify the talented individuals who can make a difference to our clients.”