Private School News

2009 Prize Winners at MPW Cambridge

Outstanding overall achievement
Ina Metko won the prize for outstanding overall achievement. Ina joined MPW from Ismail Qemali School in Albania to follow a two-year A level course in Politics, Law, Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Economics. She achieved AAAA at A level, including maximum marks in six Mathematics units, five Law units and four Politics units, and an A grade in AS level Economics. Ina won a place to read Law at the London School of Economics.

Best performance by a student going on to study Medicine
Sharan Jaisinghani and Yanmin Xu share the prize for the best performance by a student going on to study Medicine. Sharan transferred to MPW from Ipswich School at the end of Year 12. He took an A2 course in Biology and one-year, self-contained A level courses in Chemistry and Geography, achieving grades AAA. Sharan won a place to read Medicine at Newcastle University. Yanmin joined MPW from the National Junior College in Singapore to follow a one-year A level course in Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics. She achieved grades AAA and won a place to read Medicine at The University of Sheffield.

Best performance by an A level retake student
Asha Akram and Harriet Scriven share the prize for the best performance by an A level retake student. Asha joined MPW from Skegness Grammar School, where she had achieved ABC in Psychology, Biology and Chemistry. She retook Biology on a September to January course and Chemistry over a year, gaining grades AA. Following a Gap Year Asha plans to read Medicine at university. Harriet joined MPW from Oundle School, where she had achieved BBB in Economics, English Literature and History. She retook English and History on a September to January course, gaining grades AA and winning a place to read Ancient History at University College, London.

Best performance by a student studying A-levels in one year
Harry Kim and Jules Leclair share the prize for the best performance by a student studying A levels in one year. Harry joined MPW from Queen’s College, Taunton to follow a one-year A level course in Economics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Further Mathematics, achieving grades AAAA. Harry won a place to read Business Management at King’s College, London. Jules joined MPW from Millfield School to follow a one-year A level courses in Chemistry, Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Physics, achieving grades AAAA. Jules won a place to read Mathematics at University College, London.

Best performance by a student studying A-levels over two years
Helen Yin and Yelzhan Zhangarin share the prize for the best performance by a student studying A levels over two years. Helen joined MPW from No.14 High School in Hangzhou, China to follow a two-year course. She achieved grades AAA in Chemistry, Mathematics and Further Mathematics at A level and also gained grades AAA in AS level Accounting, Economics and Physics. Of the twenty seven unit exams she sat Helen gained maximum marks in nineteen of them. Helen won a place to read Chemistry at Imperial College, London. Yelzhan joined MPW from Republican Specialised Physical and Mathematical Secondary School for Gifted Children in Kazakhstan to follow a two-year A level course in Chemistry, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics and Russian. He gained grades AAAAA, including Mathematics a year early, and received a commendation from Edexcel for being amongst the top ten highest scoring candidates in Russian in the national entry. Yelzhan won a place to read Civil Engineering at Imperial College, London.

Andrew Lewin Memorial Prize for the best performance by a lower-sixth student
Peter Liu won the Andrew Lewin Memorial Prize for the best performance by a lower sixth student. Peter joined MPW from Shanghai Shixi Middle School in China and achieved grade A in A level Mathematics and grades AAA in AS level Chemistry, Economics and Physics. He has now gone on to A2 study in Chemistry, Further Mathematics and Physics and is applying to read Engineering at university.

Best performance by an upper sixth student
Shezad Akram and Celeste Haywood share the prize for the best performance by an upper sixth student.
Shezad transferred to MPW from Skegness Grammar School at the end of Year 12. He followed an A2 course in Politics, English Language and History, achieving grades AAA and winning a place to read Law at the University of Southampton. Celeste transferred to MPW from Long Road Sixth Form College at the end of Year 12 to follow an A2 course in English Literature, Philosophy and Religious Studies. She achieved grades AAA, including maximum marks in all of her Religious Studies units. Celeste won a place to read English Studies and Theology at The University of Nottingham.

Best value-added performance between GCSE and A level
Cyndi Xin wins the prize for the best value-added performance between GCSE and A level. Cyndi joined the sixth form at MPW with modest GCSE grades of ABCCC. She achieved at A level grades AAA in Chemistry, Mathematics and Further Mathematics and won a place to read Mathematics with Management Studies at University College, London.

Best performance by a GCSE student
Victoria Fell won the prize for the best performance by a GCSE student. Victoria joined MPW to follow a two-year GCSE programme. She achieved ten A*s and one B at GCSE level and also gained grade A in AS level English Language.

Belles of the Academic Ball

Another bumper crop of A Level results has been awarded to St Francis’ College girls this year.
83.7% of results were at A /B grade, with 59.6% of the examinations taken achieving grade A. Possibly the most remarkable statistic is that almost 40% of the Upper Sixth girls achieved 3, 4 or 5 straight A Grades.

“This year’s results are outstanding”, remarked the Headmistress, Mrs Dorothy MacGinty. “It is testament to the diligence and determination of every individual girl. We are not a highly selective school, but we offer excellent teaching staff and small classes, affording the opportunity to nurture the individual’s potential.

14% of our Upper Sixth have gained places at ‘Oxbridge’, which is one of the highest percentages in the country. I am proud of all of the girls who have worked hard and gained places at their first choice university.”

NOTTINGHAM HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS EXCEL IN EXAMS

Nottingham High School has an excellent reputation for delivering outstanding results at GCSE and A Level and this year has been no exception.

At A Level, for the first time a 100% pass rate was achieved, with over 82% of the grades being A or B. 43 boys got three A grades or better. Of those, 11 got four As, five got five As and one boy – Ted Pynegar – got six As! Ted is now set to continue his academic studies at Cambridge University, where he is going to study Natural Sciences.

Likewise at GCSE a 100% pass rate was also achieved with 30% of the boys gaining at least 10 A* and A grades. Pupil Kyle Lam, 16 gained 12 A* grades while fellow pupils Jethro Waldron, 16, Marcus Burton, 16, and Michael White, 16, all gained 11A* and A grades.

In addition to its outstanding academic performance, the High School has also produced many sporting success stories. Alex Monk, 16, who gained 8A* and 2As in his GCSEs and is now staying on to study his A Levels at the school, is a member of Derby County’s youth squad, and he will be combining his lessons with training sessions at the club.

Headmaster, Kevin Fear said “I am thrilled with our superb A Level and GCSE results. They are richly deserved and are very much a result of the partnership between the boys, their parents and our dedicated staff. I would like to congratulate them all.”

St Mary’s Girls Shatter Outdated Stereotypes

St Mary’s students have again disproved the old stereotype that boys outperform girls in Maths and Science. From a group of 22 A-level students testing in Maths and Further Maths this year, 18 Grade As were achieved. Separate Science results were also strong, with 80 per cent of all GCSE marks A* or A. 89 per cent of Biology marks, 84 per cent of Chemistry marks and 66 per cent of Physics marks were A*- A.

Charlotte Avery, St Mary’s Headmistress, said: “Our strong marks in Maths and Science prove that gender stereotypes are not only insulting, but just plain rubbish. Girls do very well in these subjects if they are given proper resources and support.”

The Maths and Science marks complemented St Mary’s strong overall A-level and GCSE results again this year, with A being the most common grade achieved. 100 percent of GCSE students attained 5 or more A*- C grades, with 22 per cent of the year group achieving 10 or more A*- A grades and 36 per cent achieving 9 or more A*- A grades. At A-level, 93 per cent of grades were A – C, with 48 per cent of all A2 grades being Grade A.

Impressive GCSE and A-level results reflect St Mary’s ongoing commitment to ensure that every girl reaches her full potential.

To learn more about what St Mary’s can offer your daughter, book your place for the 10 October Opening Morning or 22 October Sixth Form Information Evening online at www.stmaryscambridge.co.uk or call 01223 353253.

SMILES ALL ROUND AS HALF OF ALL GRADES AT A LEVEL ARE STRAIGHT As

The girls at Newcastle Church High have great cause to celebrate today as a phenomenal 50 per cent of all marks achieved are A grades, which is double the national average.

The award winning Newcastle school has even more reason to celebrate this year as three quarters (75 per cent) of the results gained are A&B grades and 88 per cent of the grades are A-C passes.

Amongst this year’s science success stories is Aimi Thompson, 18, of Jesmond, who has achieved four A grades in chemistry, maths, physics and music and is going to take up her place at Imperial College London to study physics.

Aimi said: “I cannot wait to move to London and meet so many new people. Today marks the beginning of a new and very exciting chapter of my life and I couldn’t be happier.”

Francesca Henzell, 18, of Heaton, has gained four A grades, despite breaking her leg just before going on study leave.

Francesca achieved outstanding grades in biology, chemistry, maths and physics and has been offered an intensively competitive place at Edinburgh University to study veterinary science.

Francesca said: “I am stunned with my results as I didn’t expect to get four A’s and all of my friends have done exceptionally well too.

“I am sad to be leaving Church High but excited for the future as it has been my dream to study veterinary science at university.”

Straight A student Rachel Hunter of Gosforth, added: “I am just so thrilled – I couldn’t have hoped for better results. My A’s in religious studies, politics and economics mean that I can go on to study law at Nottingham University so today really has made my dreams come true.

“The only sad part is that I have to say goodbye to Church High. I have made some fantastic friends throughout my schooling and the staff have been so supportive, it really is like one big family.”

Joy Gatenby, head at Newcastle Church High School, said: “I am thrilled at this year’s outstanding results! With 50% of all grades achieved being A grades, we have doubled the national average and furthermore, one third of our A Level students each achieved 3 or more grade As.

“The majority of the 18 straight A students are going on to take much coveted places at several of the UK’s most prestigious universities to study courses with a clear career path.

“At Church High we know that academic excellence is essential but we also equip all our girls to succeed in life, university and the world of work, whatever their strengths.

“Our impressive results are testament to the commitment and hard work of the students, combined with the high level of motivation and support provided by their teachers.

“This year, the girls have excelled across a wide range of subjects and I congratulate them for their well deserved success and wish them the best of luck for the bright future ahead of them.”

For further information about Church High School you can log onto their website at www.churchhigh.com or call them on 0191 281 4306

Full Marks at A Level at Polam Hall School

Polam Hall students celebrated outstanding A level results with a number of students achieving multiple A grades and the school once again having a 100% pass rate.

Lucy Downes gained 5 A grades including a perfect score (300/300) in her A level Physics. Lucy intends to study Astro or Particle Physics at University and plans to spend part of her Gap year at the CERN Institute in Geneva. Lucy also achieved 2 A grades at AS level.

Equally impressive was Lucinda Thompson who gained 5 A’s and whose Geography result was a stunning 600/600. Lucinda is going to read Environmental Science at Southampton University.

Completing the perfect scores were Eunice Chan, with 100% in A level Mathematics, and Suzie Millar who gained 100% in her AS level English Literature examination.

One hundred percent was the overall A level pass rate, with over 40% of all papers awarded an A grade. Catherine Hannigan, Gemma Harvey and Amy Luckett join Eunice, Lucy & Lucinda in celebrating a full set of A grades.

Headmistress Marie Green said, “These results reflect the dedication and hard work of staff and students. I am delighted with the success of these conscientious young people and wish them well as they go on to pursue courses in everything from Advertising to Zoology. They deserve their fine results and I am sure will go on to great things.”

Celebrations underway as the class of 2009 record best ever A level results!

Celebrations are well under way at Christ College Brecon, whose pupils have this year achieved the best A level results ever recorded at the school. Over 75% of all grades were A or B, representing a 2% improvement on last year’s results.

All Oxbridge bound
Eleven candidates achieved straight A grades in 3 or more subjects and these outstanding results mean that Christ College leavers are now set to head off to a range of top universities, including Oxford, Cambridge, Exeter, Durham and York, to study a range of subjects from Engineering to Oriental Languages and from Politics to Marine Biology.

Four pupils, including local pupils Tom Blackburn and Josh Gaskell from Brecon, gained the grades required by either Oxford or Cambridge, heading off to study Engineering, English, Philosophy and Theology.

Other local pupils who did exceptionally well in achieving straight A grades were Ben Evans from Cradoc, Tiggy Llewellyn from Tefeitha near Brecon, Emily Sullivan from Cantref near Brecon and Joshua Spencer from Trawscoed near Brecon. Joshua stayed up late into the night to obtain his results as he is currently on a Gap Year, working at Christ’s College, Christchurch in New Zealand.

David Evershed from Aberystwyth, who joined Christ College Sixth Form in September 2007 from Penglais Comprehensive, also achieved 3 A grade passes.

Ben and his mum celebrate
As in previous years, the Maths and Science departments performed particularly strongly, with 80 per cent of all entries in Maths and Science graded A or B. In Maths and Further Maths, 15 out of the 18 examination entries achieved grade As.

The school’s science results are particularly pleasing in the light of the continuing and worrying trend nationally away from scientific subjects at A level and degree level.

Earlier this year, Christ College opened the new £1.5 million state-of-the-art Hubert Jones Science Centre in memory of a former pupil who left the school a multi-million pound bequest. In addition to awarding a range of science scholarships and bursaries, Christ College will be awarding the prestigious Penn Science Scholarship, sponsored by Penn Pharmaceuticals in Tredegar, to a new Sixth Form pupil this September.

Head Emma Taylor is delighted with the results.
Other groups producing remarkable results were pupils in Art and Photography, where 96 per cent of grades were at A or B level, and Religious Studies where 90 per cent of pupils achieved A or B grades.

Head, Emma Taylor, expressed delight at these results. She said: “It is wonderful to be celebrating excellent results and record-breaking statistics, but these are not just numbers, they are the final key to open the door to universities and futures for some very worthy and delightful young people, whose qualities and skills go way beyond what can be measured in the examination room. They also represent a fitting reward for the exceptional work of the pupils themselves and of the talented and committed teaching staff at Christ College.”

She added: “I share the scepticism expressed by many in the educational profession about statistics and league tables; what counts is that each pupil has been encouraged, challenged and nurtured to allow them to find their interests and fulfil their potential. I am proud of each and every one of them; I know they will enjoy a well-earned party now that the results are in their hands.”

Photo: Tiggy, David, Emily and Ben all celebrate straight As!

CELEBRATING A LEVEL SUCCESS AT QUEENSWOOD

With over 85% of A level grades at A or B, once again Queenswood girls are celebrating their superb achievements; 94% of grades were at an impressive A-C grade. For the seventh consecutive year, the overall pass rate was 100% and 18 out of 47 candidates achieved three A grades or more in their subjects. Amazingly, four girls gained 18 subjects at grade A between them.

The school offers over 20 subjects at A level and performance has been excellent in all areas. The Sciences, Mathematics and Economics and Business Studies are popular choices and results continue to be very strong in these subjects and this year English and History have produced 100% at A and B grades. The girls are going on to university to read a huge range of subjects including Aeronautical Engineering, Music and Sound Recording, Medicine, Philosophy and Economics and Law.

Celebrating with the girls, Mrs Pauline Edgar (Principal), said: “We are delighted that the girls have produced such wonderful results. The girls work hard and these results reflect the team work between the girls and their teachers. The results confirm Queenswood’s position as an outstanding school. We wish the girls well for the future.”

Well done everyone!

A Level Congratulations at Malvern St James! 99.5% pass rate and 82.8% A-B grades

Malvern St James is celebrating another year of excellent examination results. As one of the top 25 independent girls’ schools in the country, the School is delighted with its recent success at A and AS Level.
Girls achieved 99.5% pass rate with 82.8% achieving A-B grades. Nearly 40% of the Year 13 girls achieved 3 or more ‘A’ grades, 64.2% of all grades were grade ‘A’.

Headmistress, Mrs Rosalind Hayes said, “We are extremely proud of the dedication, hard work and commitment of all of the girls and the staff. We are delighted by every individual success and are particularly proud that more than 64% of all grades gained this year are grade ‘A’.
The success of our girls, particularly in Mathematics and the Sciences, continues to maintain the high standards of previous years. 95% of the girls who took Mathematics achieved a Grade A. Traditionally these subjects have been dominated by boys and these results are a clear indicator of how girls excel in an environment where they are not limited by stereotypes or gender based assumptions.
Congratulations to all girls and staff on their success in achieving a very well deserved set of results.”

Another 100% Year for A level results at Peterborough High School

Students and staff at Peterborough High School are celebrating achieving a 100% pass rate at A Level for the second successive year.

As well as this excellent headline figure, 59% of all the grades were at A or B, narrowly beating last year’s figure of 58% and putting smiles on many faces.

Shani Osborne in particular will be extremely pleased with her three As and one B, especially given that she has succeeded in some of the toughest subjects: Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology. She will now be in an excellent position to move on as planned to study Chemistry at university.

Jessica Levin will also be very pleased with her straight three As to add to her A and B at AS Level; Head Girl, Julia Dixon and Olivia Chalmers, both gained two As and a B and additional AS grades.

Today has also seen the release of the AS Level results taken by pupils in Year 12 and again it’s smiles all round. Just under a third of all grades here were at A (32.1%) and 55% were at A or B; the best scores the School has achieved since AS Level examinations were introduced in 2000.

Headmaster, Adrian Meadows, is naturally delighted with the results and praised the hard work of the students and staff: “To have a second successive year with a 100% pass rate is more evidence that the individual attention our small teaching groups provide and the excellent learning strategies that we put in place get the best out of our girls. We do not shy away from offering traditional, possibly more challenging subjects and to keep achieving these very high standards is wonderful for all concerned. Well done to all our girls.”

LANCING COLLEGE A LEVEL RESULTS Another year of outstanding results

·85.3% of A Levels taken have been graded A or B, further reinforcing Lancing’s reputation for consistent high achievement.

·Lancing’s average of A-B grades for the last six years is 83.4%.

·For the sixth year running, Lancing’s percentage of A-B grades is above 80%.

·40.1% of all candidates achieved at least 3 A grades.

·18 candidates achieved at least 4 A grades, and three achieved 5 A grades.

·209 A grades have been achieved out of the 367 A Levels that were sat by 107 pupils. This represents 56.9% of the A levels taken.

Lancing College has again produced excellent A Level results, with high grades across the board, notably in a wide range of the more challenging subjects.

“I congratulate our A Level students, who have studied diligently to attain excellent grades. These achievements will enable them to embark with confidence on their future paths.

At Lancing, we take a holistic view of each pupil’s education with a curriculum that enables all students to fulfil their individual potential. Academic studies are of primary importance, but outside the classroom they are encouraged to develop many other skills and talents. This has culminated in exciting results, with many pupils gaining places at top universities whilst pursuing activities such as sport, music and drama to the highest levels.”

Jonathan Gillespie, Head Master of Lancing College

Mount St Mary’s celebrates record-breaking A-level results

Hardworking pupils, dedicated staff and supportive parents at Mount St Mary’s are celebrating after the Derbyshire College recorded outstanding A-level results.

Mount St Mary’s, at Spinkhill, achieved a record-breaking 100 per cent pass rate with 30 per cent of students graded A.

The Head Boy and Deputy Head Boy were among the top performers at Mount St Mary’s, which has exceeded the national average pass rate of 97.5 per cent and 26.7 per cent awarded A grades.

Deputy Head Boy Rahul Ravi, from Ashgate, Chesterfield, achieved four As in Accountancy, Biology, Chemistry and Maths and will go on to study Economics and Maths at Bristol University.

Rahul said: “I am so happy to have got these grades after all the hard work and revision over the last two years and it is fantastic that I have got the place at Bristol University. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my family and teachers at the Mount.

“My ultimate ambition after university is to buy Arsenal Football Club so hopefully I can put my Economics and Maths skills to good use!”

Adam Gaskell, from Nether Handley, who is Head Boy and captain of the school’s rugby team, recorded three As in Business Studies, English and Music.

Adam, who is interested in studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics, has just returned from a work placement at a law firm in Hong Kong and will now take a gap year before applying to Oxford.

Science queen Chloe Howard from Holmesfield, Dronfield, is heading to University College London to study natural sciences after earning four As in Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Physics.

Some of the school’s other success stories include this year’s Head Girl Lucy Potts, from Firbeck near Worksop, who achieved As in English and Geography and a B in Philosophy.

Tom Ward, from Killamarsh recorded As in Biology, Chemistry and a B in Religious Studies and is off to study Medicine at Queen Mary in London, while Sarah Philips, from Anston, Sheffield, achieved As in French and Spanish and a B in Philosophy. She is going to study Languages at Newcastle University.

Laurence McKell, head teacher at Mount St Mary’s, said: “These truly outstanding results are a testament to the talent and dedication of our pupils, but also our incredibly hard working staff and the pupils’ parents who have played an important part in supporting the students. They should all be hugely proud of their achievements.

“At the heart of Mount St Mary’s is a mission to develop well rounded young men and women, and these results reflect our ethos to support pupils not just academically, but spiritually, physically and emotionally, so they leave school ready to face whatever challenges and opportunities lie ahead.”

Bearwood College: A-Level Results 2009

Bearwood College is delighted to congratulate its Upper Sixth Form students on their strong 2009 A/Level results, yet another improvement on the results of the previous year.

Bearwood College saw a strongly improved performance in the A/Level results for A-B grades at 69% (2008 – 48%; 2007 – 44%), and for A-C grades at 84% (2008 – 80%; 2007 – 76%).

The A-E grade pass rate was 99%, two points up on last year. The average score per candidate at Bearwood College is 347 UCAS points, equivalent to grades AAB or BBBc, and 71 points above last year’s score. The top personal score was 540 points, the best ever individual score for the College.

Commenting on this year’s results, the Headmaster, Mr Stephen Aiano, said: “These tremendous results are evidence of the long-term academic progress at Bearwood College. All the Upper Sixth Form students and teaching staff, under the academic leadership of George Penlington, Academic Deputy, have put in a great deal of effort and commitment over the last two years to achieve these impressive A-Level results.”

For Bearwood’s Academic Deputy George Penlington, seeing individuals who have been nurtured through the College exceed their academic expectations is the one of the greatest rewards a teacher can receive. “The culmination of every Sixth Form pupil’s development at Bearwood is reflected in their A-level results; our aim is to ensure that each individual is given both the academic and psychological support to fulfill their greatest potential. We are very pleased with the ‘value added’ improvement. On average, every candidate achieved 105 points beyond their UCAS expectation. This is equivalent to each student achieving a grade and a half above predictions for each subject.”

For a local pupil, Tom Bell-Williamson from Wokingham his 440 UCAS points has secured him a place at Manchester to study Business. ‘I can’t believe that the day has finally arrived and that I have the points to study at my first choice University. I am so excited and relieved!”

Bearwood College’s top-scoring A-Level candidates, Kemal Atayev, said: “I am so pleased with these results – it’s been brilliant. They confirm my place to read Business and Accounting at the University of Birmingham.” Kemal, who was a boarder in Blake House, gained an impressive 540 UCAS points.

Sixth Formers are provided with 360 degree support throughout their A/Level studies at Bearwood. In addition to committed subject teachers, academic progress is closely monitored by the Key Stage 5 Coordinator and the Academic Deputy. Pastoral needs are cared for by a dedicated Tutor as well as by a Houseparent. The advice of the in-house careers service is supplemented by the resources of Futurewise, the Independent Schools Careers Organisation. Small class sizes guarantee individual attention and the Sierra Club, is a purpose-built Sixth Form centre facility designed to promote independent study as well as offer a social space for relaxation. These elements contribute to the strength of Bearwood’s unique support system which can make all the difference to pupils managing the pressures of A/Level study. Whilst ensuring academic issues are thoroughly addressed, Bearwood also helps prepare well-rounded individuals, ready for university and life beyond.

Marist Students A Level Success

Marist Senior School – students receive 7% rise in A grades based on previous year.

Students from the Marist Senior School received excellent A Level results again this year, with students achieving a 7% rise in A grades.

Although students opened envelopes with some trepidation, nerves soon turned to excitement and parents, friends and teachers were eager to offer congratulations on the excellent results achieved. Wallace Martin Kerr achieved A grades in all four of her subject areas of Economics, English Literature, History and Latin. Wallace achieved 598 marks out of a possible 600 marks for History. Wallace will go on to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics at The University of Oxford. Rebecca Brown achieved A grades in all four of her subject areas of Biology, Chemistry, French and Mathematics. Rebecca will now study Medicine at Imperial College, London. Laura Fox, and Giuseppina Magistro each achieved A grades in 3 subjects in addition to A grades in their AS subjects. Laura will study Land Economy at The University of Cambridge and Giuseppina will study Economics at The University of Exeter. Katie Horbury, Nasreen Hussain and Charlotte Luxton were also very high achievers with A grades in three subjects each. Laura Fox and Amy Jewitt Harris also produced full marks in A level Economics and Art respectively.

Further AS Level high achievers in Year 12 were Stephanie Charbine, Madeleine Gale, Roisin Kirby, Bianca Luxton, Georgina Ingham and Kayla Spitzer who all achieved grade A in four AS subjects each. Madeleine Gale also achieved full marks in both English and Latin AS. Alexandra Kyjak-Lane achieved full marks in one History module.

Karl McCloskey, Headteacher, said: “Results day is always an exciting occasion at the Marist. Every student deserves our utmost congratulations, they have all studied very hard to achieve their excellent results. The Marist Sixth Form environment provides a good balance of challenge and support for our students to enable them to achieve the best possible results.”

NON-SELECTIVE SCHOOL’S SOLID PERFORMANCE IN A-LEVELS

Despite growing numbers of students opting for the International Baccalaureate Diploma at Rossall School, Fleetwood, the independent school returned a solid performance in this year’s A-level results with a percentage pass rate of 91% A-E grades and a 6% rise in A-B grades to 63%, a rise which is significant given the school’s non-selective policy, which means that students of all abilities are allowed to sit the examinations of their choice.

Forty nine sixth form students sat a total of 23 subjects in this year’s examinations with the remaining sixth form population opting for International Baccalaureate in which the school excelled with a number of students amongst the highest points achievers worldwide.

Among the straight ‘A’ students this year was outgoing school captain, James Cross of Stanley Park, Blackpool who took three subjects – English Literature, Geography and History, and achieved the top pass rate in each, which means he is now on his way to study English at Oxford University. Also among the ‘A’ grades with four top passes was Garstang student, Toby Ma, who joined Rossall in 1994. His father Ken is owner, manager of Garstang’s prominent town centre Chinese eaterie the Ken Ma Restaurant. He is “delighted” that Toby will now achieve his ambition to study medicine at Sheffield University. Toby gained his straight ‘A’s’ in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics.

Rossall teacher’s son, Alex Alonso of Thornton will head for York University and an English degree course following his three A’s in Chemistry, English Literature and Mathematics, and a ‘B’ in Further Mathematics. Mum, Sharon, who teaches Spanish at the School is overjoyed by his results. She said: “Alex has put in a tremendous amount of work, as have all students, so to see him get such high marks is very rewarding.”

Thornton student, Charlotte Armstrong, 18, has double reason to celebrate today, with two A grades in English Literature and Music and a B in religious studies paving the way for her acceptance by Durham University, where she’ll study music in an attempt to emulate her cousin, Jane Wilkinson, also a former Rossall pupil, who is now one of Britain’s up and coming operatic sopranos. However, she won’t take up her place at Durham until next year, because she is also one of only 35 UK students to have gained a scholarship to a top independent school in America through the English Speaking Union, and in September she’ll take a place at the prestigious Tabor Academy in Massachusetts.

Commenting on this year’s performance, Rossall’s senior mistress, Jean Briggs said: “Although our pass rate overall was similar to last year it is particularly encouraging to see that we have more students achieving higher grades, as illustrated by our 6% increase in A-B grades, taking us to 63%.

“As a non-selective school we believe that even those pupils with weaker academic backgrounds should be given every opportunity possible, and our improvement in the A-B grades is proof that our policy is successful for the school and more importantly, for the pupils. Some students have achieved beyond their expectations.

The full results are:
Five Passes: L MAMANI
N TRAN

Four Passes: A ALONSO
Z BAI
L CHU
K LAM
S LEE
S LU
T MA
M NGUYEN
F PARKER
J SHUI
A SUN
J XU

Three Passes: H ANDERSON
C ARMSTRONG
H BENNETT
J CATER
S CHELTON
J CROSS
K DAVIES
R DOCHERTY
F FAN
X FU
L GILLESPIE
S HARDIE
H INGLE
T KENYON
S SALNIKOV
J THOMPSON
T TSUI
P TUNG
M WONG
J YU

Two Passes: M CHEN
T CHEN
J CHEN
S HUANG
W WANG
B WU
A ZOU

One Pass: L LARK
J LIAO
P EISSEN
F MEUER
T NGUYEN

International Baccalaureate Diploma Passes
In addition to A-levels, 32 students studied for the prestigious International Baccalaureate Diploma in Rossall School Sixth Form. Many candidates passed with scores above the international average, increasing the School’s pass rate by 10% to 84.38%, which takes it above the world average.

Rossall is one of a select number of school’s in the UK with lengthy experience in IB. The school’s dedicated IB department has been working with Diploma students for twelve years and the school’s experience is reflected in the performance of its IB graduates, many of whom will now go on to study at some of the top universities in the UK and overseas.

The School’s top scoring student, Isabell Mencher from Stuttgart, Germany, achieved 44 from a possible maximum points total of 45 for six subjects (the maximum number of subjects permissible), but also added an extra seven points by passing a seventh subject, Spanish, which regrettably won’t be counted in her total. She is joined in the high pass grades by local student, 18-year-old, Sam Ireland of Bispham (42 points) and local golfing sensation, Jenna Birch, also 18, of Larkholme (33 points). Anh Vu, a Vietnamese boarder at the school achieved the school’s second highest total with 43 points. Last year, there was not one recorded pass in the world with a full 45 points and only 0.03% of all students achieved 44 points. There were similar percentage passes for 43 and 42 points totals. .

Another Successful Year for Wycliffe’s Sixth Form Students

Among another great set of results for Wycliffe A level pupils this year were those of the six students who achieved all A grades. Included in this figure were Jeremy Fletcher of Eastcombe, Stroud with 4 As, and four others who achieved 3 A grades. These were Susie Jackson from Slimbridge, Dursley’s Ellie Chubb, James Norbury of Chalford, Stroud and
Head Boy Callum Wood from Carterton, Oxford who will be taking his place at Brasenose College, Oxford to study Economics and Management.

When he arrives at Oxford, Callum will be the first person from his family to attend university.

The college saw its overall pass rate again exceed 98% and there were 100% pass rates in 27 of the 30 subjects offered.

Head Margie Burnet Ward said, “Improving academic standards and rigour at Wycliffe have
produced another very pleasing set of results. These are a testimony to the dedication of staff and commitment of our students. As well as those who achieved so many very high grades are those whose lower grades are still for them a huge achievement against what might have been expected and I want to congratulate all equally for their achievements.”
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Haileybury pupils achieve 54% A grades

Haileybury’s A Level pupils have produced excellent results this year, with 54,1% achieving A grades, up from 49,7% last year. The number of A-B grades for A Levels and the International Baccalaureate is 81%.
The percentage of A grades marks Haileybury’s best year yet and are increasing sharply each year. The 2007 total of A grades was 42.2%, and 37.6% for 2006.
Two pupils, Rupert Flint Cahan (K) and James Turing (E), achieved four As and an A grade at AS Level, while another seven pupils achieved four As. They are: Amy Gandon (H), Charles Richards (Th), Tim Stoten (K), Daniele Guerrieri (L), Danna He (Alb), Clementine Reed (H) and Herbert Swaniker (Th).
In total, 28 out of 94 candidates achieved 3 As or better.
In addition, more than 60% of the Higher Level grades obtained in this year’s International Baccalaureate results were the prestigious 6 or 7, while 65% of Standard Level scores were also at those top grades.
The Average Points Score, at 35.3, although slightly below the last year’s level of 35.9, is ahead of the average for the years 2005 – 2007. The average UCAS point score per A Level and IB pupil is 390.
Haileybury’s incoming Master, Joe Davies, says: “We are thrilled with these results, especially the percentage of A grades attained. Taking into account the excellent IB results which were announced in July, as well as the stability in the number of pupils and of boarders, there is clear evidence that Haileybury is continuing to strengthen in every way.”

MORE A LEVEL RECORDS AT BISHOP’S STORTFORD COLLEGE

For the seventh consecutive year, new A level records have been set at Bishop’s Stortford College.

64% of A levels were awarded an A grade, a new high point.
88% were awarded A or B and 98% were awarded an A, B or C, both statistics matching last year’s record figures.
Once again, the pass rate was 100%.

Top performer was James Hutchings from Dunmow, with five A grades, closely followed by the following eight pupils on 4 A grades: Harriet Robinson from Newport, Patrick Tsitsaros from Saffron Walden, Maria Duvidzon from Russia, Matthew Tang from Hong Kong and, from Bishop’s Stortford, Jorge Alexander, Tom Castro, Michael Dabbs and Stephanie-Howard Smith.
Altogether thirty six students (40%) gained three or more A grades.

Headmaster John Trotman, congratulating the whole year group, spoke of the outstanding performance being the icing on the cake of a marvellous year. ‘Many pupils, not just the ones with A grades, deserve enormous credit for the progress they have made and the inspiring way in which they have set about achieving their potential.’

‘Over recent years we have established ourselves as one of the country’s top co-educational schools and I am confident that all pupils in the College will be further inspired by this achievement,’ he said.

‘Excellent A levels have given our pupils access to places at many of the best universities in the country once again. We are delighted.’

Achieving their goals

Tears of joy were the order of the day as Farnborough Hill girls opened their A level results. The hard working students were delighted to have achieved their goals and are looking forward to university life. The results were outstanding: 84% of the grades achieved were A or B grades with 93% of all grades at C or above. Bucking the trend for girls, nearly three quarters of the year group took Maths and/or Sciences and these results were particularly strong with nearly 90% of grades at A or B.

Among the top achievers were 10 girls with straight A grades, including (pictured with Head of Science, Sue Macey, l to r): Jenny Orchard (Economics at Warwick University), Laura Amatt (History at Royal Holloway), Caroline Haines (Music (Composition) at The Royal Northern College of Music), Sue Macey, Joanna Belcher (Medicine at University College London), Sarah Wonham (Archaeology & Ancient History at St John’s College, Oxford), Hannah Dennis (Veterinary Science at The Royal Veterinary College) and Marina Daoud (Dentistry at King’s College, London). Also going to Cambridge this year are Vinaya Srirangam Nadhamuni, (Medicine at Girton College) and Rebecca Overton (Latin and Greek at Selwyn College).

Headmistress, Mrs Sarah Buckle said “We are delighted with this set of outstanding results. The girls have not only worked very hard but they have been a credit to the school in so many other ways too, not least raising large sums of money for charity during their Upper Sixth RAG week. Credit must also go to the dedicated and talented teaching staff at Farnborough Hill who always go the extra mile to inspire and support their students”.

Record year for RGSAO A Level students

RGSAO A Level students were celebrating today, as news of their excellent results came through from the examination boards. The overall RGSAO pass rate (grades A-E) was 99.8%, with 77.2% of subjects taken scoring A and B grades. 89.6% of the subjects taken were graded A, B or C. The percentage of A and B grades is the highest ever achieved by either RGS, AO or RGSAO.

No fewer than 40 candidates achieved at least three A grades at A Level, with many gaining four or five A grades, facts which suggest that most RGSAO leavers should get places at their first-choice universities. Early indications are that all nine RGSAO students who have conditional offers from Oxford or Cambridge Universities this year have got the grades they require.

Headmaster Andy Rattue was very pleased with the results: “I am delighted that the hard work of our students has been rewarded, and that they can proceed with confidence to university. These results are also a tribute to the professionalism and dedication of the RGSAO teaching staff, whose attention to detail has helped our students pick their way through the A level minefield.”

“We read a lot about dumbing down in the national press, and the way in which, nationally, teenagers are avoiding ‘difficult’ subjects. It’s worth pointing out that some of our strongest results are consistently in subjects such as Modern Languages, Chemistry, Mathematics and Latin, though our candidates have also done very well in less traditional subjects such as Politics and Textiles. We also need to see academic results in the context of everything else our students are involved in, such as sport, drama, music, expeditions and charity fundraising. It’s been a great pleasure to see these young men and women keep life in perspective.”