Education

School head hails exams success

Students and staff at Shaftesbury School have been celebrating excellent exam results – and among best-ever individual progress.

The school saw record levels of achievement across A-levels and BTECs with the number of students achieving A*- D grades increasing compared to last year’s Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs). All Drama students achieved A*-A, and nearly two-thirds of Chemistry and Maths students A*-A.

Youngsters achieved good results despite not sitting formal GCSE exams and with much of their studies completed in lockdown.

Headteacher Donna London-Hill said “We are delighted with today’s results! It has been a tough few years for students, and their hard work, in partnership with our dedicated staff, has helped secure these excellent outcomes. I am incredibly proud of what all our students have achieved and wish them good luck with their next steps.”

Assistant headteacher and head of sixth-form Michael Motteram added: “These results are testament to the dedication of the students and the school staff, along with the care given by their families. I would like to thank all those that have played a key role in supporting and shaping this cohort and the outcomes they have received today are truly a ‘team effort’.”

Students are heading to a range of destinations, including Russell Group universities, apprenticeships, local colleges and employment. The following students achieved outstanding results:

The waiting is over for happy youngsters at Shaftesbury School after receiving their exam

Results in hand: The Gryphon School headteacher Nicki Edwards said students succeeded in their exams despite the challenges posed by the last three years because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Megan Tubb – five A*; Aron Walter – four A* and A, Cambridge University to study Maths with Physics; Abi Strookman – three A*, University of Exeter, Clinical Psychology; Isobel Field – three A*, University of Warwick, Psychology; Rosie Jackson – three A* and A, Cardiff University, History; Paige Salisbury – two A*, two A, Nottingham University, Veterinary Medicine; Molly Cotton – two A*, two A, Newcastle University, Philosophy; Alex Green – four A, University of Bath, Accounting & Finance; Ryan Green – four A, St George’s London, Biomedical Science; Jacob Message – four A, Leeds University, Natural Science; Hana Wong – two A*, A, B, Leeds University, Nutrition; Caitlin Daly – Distinction*, Distinction, Distinction, selfemployment; Florence Mak – two Distinction*, Merit, Sheffield Hallam, International Tourism Management; Kieran Maskell – Distinction*, Distinction, Merit, Bournemouth University, Sport and Exercise Science; Alex Howe – RSSI Laboratory Technician Apprenticeship.

Youngsters rise to the challenge

Students at The Gryphon Sixth Form in Sherborne are celebrating after receiving fantastic exam results.

The proportion of students achieving A*-B increased compared to last year when students received Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs).

Headteacher Nicki Edwards said: “We are incredibly proud of all our students today. This year group has never sat formal examinations before, having had their GCSE year disrupted by the start of the pandemic, so to see them succeed despite the challenges of the last three years is brilliant”.

Students saw success across the wide range of subjects offered at The Gryphon, with an impressive 37 per cent of 3D design students achieving an A*, resulting in four students going on to university to study Architecture, a testament to the school’s 3D Art department. Cameron Hancock achieved three A grades and said he was ‘very pleased with his results’. He is now heading to the University of Bath to study Architecture.

Lucy Jones (four A*) is heading to Oxford to study Classics and Spanish, Bella Whitmore also received four A* grades and is going to study Law at Oxford, and Katie Copp (three A*, A) is heading to Cambridge to study History with Russian.

Molly McKenzie is going to the University of Birmingham to study Medicine, Jessica Chiu will study Medicine at the University of Bristol, and Beth Linscott will pursue Medical Microbiology, also at Bristol. Beth said: “I’m shocked and happy, and very relieved the wait is over. I’m really excited about going to university.”

Students have secured university places to study a wide range of subjects. Esme Eaton (two A*, A) said she was ‘pleasantly surprised with her grades’ and is now heading to the University of Birmingham to study Music.

Oliver Barrett (three A*, A) said his fantastic results ‘hadn’t sunk in, and are better than expected’. He will now study Ecology and Conservation at the University of Exeter.

Sophie Garcia (two A*, A) said ‘I never thought I’d achieve this’ – she will now study Sports Science at Loughborough University. Aidan Hoggan (four A*) said ‘the results are great, and better than expected. I wasn’t nervous until last night, but I’m now really happy’. He will now head to LSE to study Economics.

Not all students choose to follow the university route and this year has seen Gryphon students offered apprenticeship opportunities including with the NHS, JP Morgan and as a chef at The Newt in Somerset.

Education

Students score top marks in exams

Yeovil College and Yeovil College’s Kingston Sixth Form Centre scored top results again, despite the national downturn in A-level results.

The Covid-19 pandemic meant it was the first time A-level students had sat a national examination and that they had to contend with a disrupted period of teaching and learning.

A significantly increased student cohort saw more college students sit three A-levels and an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) this year than ever before – in fact, more than double the number than in 2018/19, the last fully examined year before the pandemic.

Students studying A-levels achieved a 100 per cent or 99 per cent pass rate for the seventh consecutive year.

English, Economics, Law, Photography and Art and Design achieved a 100 per cent attainment rate for A*-C grades, while 50 per cent of the student cohort achieved A*-B grades in Art, Business, Chemistry, Economics, English Language, English Literature, Environmental Science, Geography, History, Law, Mathematics, Photography and Psychology.

More than one-third of entries achieved A*-A high grades, and 40 per cent of students achieved at least one A grade.The following subjects achieved a 100 per cent pass rate: Art & Design, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Economics, English Literature, English Language, Environmental Science, Geography, History, Law, Mathematics, Photography, Physics, Psychology and Sociology.

Highest-performing students raised the bar against the national average with 83 per cent of college A-level students achieving A*-C grades.

Exam results compared to 2018/19 saw a significant improvement, particularly with high grades, and twice as many students doing A-levels. There was a 16 per cent increase in A*-A grades, a 17 per cent improvement in A*-B grades and a nine per cent increase in A*-C grades.

Mark Bolton, chief executive and principal at Yeovil College, said: “We are delighted to formally congratulate our students, who have yet again impressed us with their relentless drive and ambition to achieve the very highest grades in both A-level and vocational subjects.

“Our students have been consistently brilliant in applying themselves throughout this year and in completing their studies with care and precision, which has now provided them with the results they rightly deserve. Their achievements are all the more commendable given the disruption to their education since March 2020 – they are a remarkable generation with the resilience to make a great impact in the world.”

Most Yeovil College students have also secured their first choice destination and university choices, including prestigious Russell Group universities, which will enable them to pursue their chosen careers.

Local and partner universities have also been favoured this year, helping to retain the next generation of academic talent and future workers within the South-West.

Ashley MacLauchlan, formerly of Westfield Academy, achieved A*, A*, A* and A in Maths, Chemistry, Biology and Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and secured a place at the University of Oxford where he will study Medicine.

Ashley said: “I have loved life at Yeovil College and have met many friends, who will be friends for life. I have enjoyed the benefit of the new Health, Education and Science Centre, which has made a positive impact on my teaching and learning.”

Yeovil College students in happy mood after receiving their exam results.