A new study has revealed that Greater Manchester has officially been crowned the smartest area of the UK.
According to the research, on average, 48% more students in Greater Manchester achieve the top GCSE grade of 9 in the core subjects of Maths, English Language and Literature, Chemistry, Biology, and Physics, than the average for all the regions on the list.
Greater Manchester also has over 200% more students attaining Grade 9s on average than Kent – which is the region where students achieve the fewest Grade 9s.
The research – which has been carried out by international education providers Oxford Summer School – saw new data from the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) analysed to discover which areas in the UK achieved the highest average results for core GCSE subjects in 2021.
Following Greater Manchester, Tyne and Wear is the second most intelligent area in the UK.
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45% more students in the North East area achieved a Grade 9 in the core subjects, than the average for all regions surveyed, and Tyne and Wear also has 214% more students attaining a Grade 9 in Maths, Science, and English Language and Literature, than Kent.
Greater Manchester has officially been crowned the smartest area of the UK / Credit: Unsplash (lilartsy)
Cambridgeshire is the third smartest region in the UK, with 44% more students in the area achieving a Grade 9 in the core subjects compared to the average, while Buckinghamshire and the Isle of Wight round out the top five.
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Cheshire claims the sixth spot, while fellow Northern regions of Cumbria and West Yorkshire claim places in the top 15.
Top 15 Most Intelligent Places in the UK
Greater Manchester
Tyne and Wear
Cambridgeshire
Buckinghamshire
Isle of Wight
Cheshire
West Midlands
Essex
Greater London
Cumbria
Hampshire
Rutland
Gloucestershire
West Yorkshire
Cornwall
At the other end of the scale, as already mentioned, Kent is the area where students achieve the lowest percentage of Grade 9s in the key GCSE subjects of Maths, Science and English Language – which is 53% less than the average for all regions.
Merseyside, Suffolk, and Surrey are all places that also rank lower on the list, with students achieving 33%, 25%, and 20% fewer Grade 9s at GCSE than the average for all UK areas.
One in 10 Brits are fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party, new survey finds
Emily Sergeant
We’re in peak office Christmas party season right about now.
With just under two weeks to go until the big day itself is here, many businesses across the UK are treating their staff to night out to celebrate both the festive season and all of the hard work they have been putting in throughout the year… and as you can expect, these are usually quite eventful gatherings, shall we say.
But now, a survey by has shed light on just how ‘eventful’ they actually are, as a new survey has revealed that, apparently, one in ten Brits face some sort of disciplinary action or dismissal due to their behaviour at Christmas parties.
The study was conducted by After Drink, and included more than 2,000 participants.
During the research, it was highlighted that 89% of employees admitted to drinking alcohol at these events, Lad Bible reports – with 65% of these confessing that they drank “excessively”.
One in 10 Brits get fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party / Credit: Kraken Images | Mimi Thian (via Unsplash)
There are a multitude of incidents which could lead to disciplinary action in the workplace nowadays, but according to the survey, some of the common reasons following festive celebrations with colleagues included inappropriate comments (23%) and even getting into fights (21%).
16% of these incidents were because of drug use during the event, while inappropriate interactions with colleagues accounted for 14%.
Some of the legal reasons you can be fired from your place of work after a Christmas party include gross misconduct, drunken behaviour, and fighting of any kind.
Despite all these risks, however, Christmas parties still remain as popular as always, and a whopping 79% of respondents said they are planning to attend theirs this year.
Clearly, the moral of the story here is , enjoy yourself… but just not too much.
Featured Image – The OurWhiskey Company (via Pexels)
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Half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner, new survey reveals
Emily Sergeant
Christmas dinner is one of the key parts of any festive celebration.
No matter whether you choose to tuck into a traditional roast with all the trimmings and lashings of gravy, or you prefer to go for something a little different like a curry or a Chinese instead, your Christmas dinner is a chance to gather round with your loved ones and enjoy one of the heartiest meals you’ll likely have all year.
However, some shocking new figures have revealed that half of Manchester residents have no clue how to even cook a Christmas dinner.
Through a major study by the UK’s leading electrical retailer, AO.com, it was revealed that the majority of our city’s residents are “losing confidence” in preparing even the simplest of British dishes – with a traditional roast or Christmas dinner being one of them.
A new survey has revealed that half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner / Credit: Freepik | GoodFon
As part of its new campaign to get Brits back into the kitchen, AO found that just 57% of respondents reckon they would be able to make a roast dinner, 52% could whip up a classic shepherd’s pie, 58% could cook bangers and mash, merely 61% could prepare a full English breakfast, and again, only 57% could tackle fish and chips.
Classic desserts are clearly a struggle for us Mancs too, according to the survey, as only 19% of respondents said they’d feel confident cooking a Christmas pudding.
The survey also found that nationwide, it was Gen Z – those between the age of 16 and 27 – that are the least confident in their ability to cook great British classics, while on the other end of the spectrum, Baby Boomers are the most capable, proving that culinary confidence increases with age.
Our region’s residents are apparently ‘losing confidence’ at cooking simple British classics / Credit: Freepik
Commenting on the results, Jay Lockton, oven expert at AO.com, said: “Kitchens should be a place of creativity and joy, but our data shows that a lot of people in Manchester are losing confidence in preparing even the simplest of British dishes.
“Based on our findings, many younger people may be opting for convenience foods or takeaways due to their busy schedules and the perception that cooking from scratch is time-consuming or difficult.
Emily Sergeant -
26th January 2022 
