Religious Studies bucked the trend in exam results this year with fewer pupils gaining top results than average.

A fall of nearly 3.5 per cent in the numbers taking RS A-level also defied the national picture and could fuel concerns about growing religious illiteracy in the UK.

Across the board there were 8,350 fewer A-levels awarded in 2017 compared to 2016 – a drop of one per cent and a decrease of less than the 1.7 per cent fall in the number of 18 year-olds in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. But in RS alone there was a fall of just under a thousand pupils sitting the subject from 27,032 in 2016 to 26,086 in 2017.

At AS level there was an even greater decrease of 54% on 2016. However the National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE) said this reflects the decline across all subjects where the number of AS entries fell by 40% across England and Wales. 

Nationally results showed the first increase in the proportion of pupils gaining top results for the first time in six years. More than one in four entries resulted in at least an A-grade overall.

But for students taking RS their chances of gaining top marks did not rise, with 23.5 per cent gaining an A or A* grade compared to 26.3 per cent on average.

And whereas the general picture showed boys outperforming girls among the top grades, in RS girls did better than boys for the first time in three years.

The proportion of boys gaining an A* in RS dropped significantly from 5.7 per cent in 2016 to 5.0 per cent.

This is particularly striking when a year-on-year comparison with 2016 shows very little change in RS results across the genders with 5.2 per cent gaining A* in both years, 18.3 per cent awarded A and 31.1 per cent receiving a B.

Although the number of pupils taking RS fell markedly in 2017, the trend over the last five years is of increasing uptake from 2013 when 23,354 took the A-level to the heights of 2016 with 27,032 sitting the exam. Addressing the drop in numbers, Daniel Hugill, chair of RE (NATRE) pointed out it was still more than double the 11,132 entries recorded in 2003. 

He said RE A-level is 'excellent preparation' for further study and the world of work adding 21 per cent of those studying English at Oxford University in 2015 had a RS level and one in ten of those studying PPE.

'Congratulations to the many students receiving their Religious Studies results today. Their results are the product of their hard work grappling with some of the most difficult questions to ever puzzle humankind,' he said.

'The subject matter and approach of an RS A-level helps to equip students with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to succeed in modern Britain.'

Rudolf Eliott Lockhart, chief executive of the Religious Education Council of England and Wales added: 'Religious Studies is a rigorous, academic A-level that provides an excellent foundation for further study in a wide range of academic subjects, and remains a very attractive qualification to universities. These results are really encouraging, but there's still work to do.'

Joint Council for Qualifications' director general, Michael Turner, said the overall UK picture was 'steady'.

He said: 'Today is about congratulating the hundreds of thousands of students on their efforts and results and ensuring they get the right support they need to embark on the next stage of their lives.

'The overall UK picture for A levels this year is steady, with small increases in the top grades.'