Waiting over as A Level students get their results

THE waiting is over as A Level students across Warrington collected their results today.

Students and staff at Lymm High School are celebrating another excellent set of A’ level results.

Headteacher, Gwyn Williams said: “The overall picture is one of another set of really strong results. When Ofsted visited us earlier in the year, they said that our A’ level students make some of the best rates of progress in the whole country and the early indications are that these progress rates have risen even further, which is something we are especially proud of.

Once again, we have seen very high numbers of students achieving the top grades and the numbers who are now able to go off to the universities of their choice look to be fantastic. There are a lot of very happy people around school today and it’s just lovely to see.”

57% of all A’ level grades were at A*-B and 84% A*-C. The overall pass rate was over 99%.

Twenty students secured straight A* or A grades, including eight students who gained at least two coveted A* grades. These were: William Caldwell, William Catlow, Rory Foster, Joseph Hassall, Pip Hyde, Hannah Leighton-Jones, Ellen Thomas and Matthew Warren.

Hannah and Will Catlow are now heading off to study at Oxford and Cambridge respectively.

The school also had plenty of success in vocational courses with well over half of grades awarded being at Distinction or Distinction* level and a 100% pass rate. These included particularly impressive performances by Abigail Dickinson, Ruby Kelly, Jack Stride and Alex Perry who all gained three Distinction* or A* A’ level grades.

Head of Sixth Form, Mrs Hayley Jennings, said: “I have been on maternity leave for much of the year and want to thank Tony Scott for doing such a good job in my absence. Results days are always a bit frantic while we work so hard to ensure every single student gets the university place that they want, but it has been a really positive morning and I am absolutely delighted for all these incredible young people and the success they’ve had. I’ll be sad to see them go but am so pleased that so many of them are now able to follow the path they had set their sights on.”

Lymm students Libby Richardson and Hannah Leighton Jones congratulating each other on their results.

Lymm students William Catlow, A*A*A*, Studying Law at Cambridge University. Ellen Thomas, A*A*A*, Studying Medicine.

AT Birchwood College students were celebrating their best ever A-level and BTEC results.

Headteacher, Moira Bryan, said “The results reflect the hard work from all of our students and the support given by teachers and parents. We are very proud of them all.

“Well done to all students at Birchwood College on obtaining their places at university and on advanced apprenticeship programmes. ”

Head of College, Chris Burrows, said “It is pleasing to see that all of the students’ hard work has paid off, and that they have fantastic opportunities ahead of them. We wish them all success!

“Congratulations to our Music students who all achieved Double Distinction*, the highest grades possible, in their Level 3 BTEC Music Diploma course. Three of the students are going on to study at the Royal Northern College of Music in September which is an outstanding achievement. No wonder Birchwood has such a fantastic reputation for the Performing Arts!”

Well done to the Warrington Wolves scholarship students who have been studying at Birchwood College for the last two years. They have all passed their Level 3 qualifications and have now completed their education programme at the College. We wish them lots of luck in the future!

Meanwhile there were also “Fantastic results” for Birchwood College Acting students where results were 100% Distinction*, the top grade possible, in the Level 3 BTEC Acting course. Good luck to all of the students who are continuing in this field.

Once again, Health & Social Care students at Birchwood College have performed at the highest level. All the BTEC Sub. Diploma and Diploma students have achieved on or above their target grades. Many of them are now going on to study nursing or social care courses at universities around the country.

Meanwhile 100% of A-level Geography, Maths and PE students at the college achieved the top grades of A*-C.

Birchwood College students celebrate their best ever results

MEANWHILE students at Priestley College have bucked the national trend with an increasing pass rate and a greater number of high grades than in 2017.

Nationally the overall pass rate decreased to 97.6% whereas at Priestley the figure rose to 98.1%. In 35 subjects 100% of students passed with the A* to C rate rising from 65.2% to 69.4%.

Principal Matthew Grant said that, in part, the improved pass rate was due to Priestley continuing to offer students the chance to take AS exams at the end of their first year at Priestley.

“Obviously the results are mainly down to the hard work and dedication of both students and staff, but by allowing students to take AS exams we give them the chance to be more selective about the subjects they study in year two,” he said.

“This year at A-Level we have recorded some of our best ever results with many students achieving three or more A* or A grades. More than 100 have secured a triple Distinction Star or Distinction in Extended Diplomas, which is exceptional.”

More than 600 students collected their A-Level results at Priestley – more than everywhere else in Warrington combined.

Together they raised the A* to B pass rate at Priestley from 35.6% in 2017 to 38.2%.

Priestley’s STEM and Language students impressed as did those in other traditional subjects such as Classics, English, History and Economics.

Art and Design and Performing Arts delivered outstanding results across the board.

Among those celebrating was triple A* student Will Twist who is planning to study Medicine after a year of work experience in hospitals, surgeries and care homes.

“I have a passion for Chemistry and Biology and how they work together,” said the former Bridgewater High School pupil.

“People are always going to need doctors and I like the idea of being able to help people.”

Another Bridgewater pupil, Josh Thompson, is heading to the University of Manchester to study Architecture while Eleanor Ward is heading to Lancaster to focus on Creative Writing and Film Studies.

Also hitting the high notes was Yi Chen Hock who combined A-Levels in Music, Electronics, Further Maths and Physics and the result was three A*s and one A.

In a sign that Priestley students met theirs – and their prospective universities’ expectations – only 12 out of more than 600 students had to go through Clearing and that figure was expected to fall further by the end of the day.

Matthew added: “I congratulate all of our students and staff who have worked hard to deliver such a fantastic set of results in what has clearly been a most challenging year of change nationally.”