CELEBRATIONS were on the timetable for many Worcester students as the nervous wait for A-Level results came to an end.
Exam results were revealed with teenagers across the city discovering whether they had secured the grades they needed to progress to life at university.
This year saw students sit exams for the first time after the pandemic forced their GCSE’s to be scrapped in favour of predicted grades.
Students at Christopher Whitehead Language College and Sixth Form were among those to taste success on results day.
Like so many others, students were denied the opportunity to sit GCSE exams because of the pandemic, so their achievements are even more praiseworthy according to headteacher Neil Morris.
“This cohort were denied the opportunity to prove themselves in GCSE exams, instead having their grades crudely calculated by an algorithm, and have had to deal with the stresses of uncertainty around how they will be assessed at the end of their courses,” he said.
“To sit formal examinations for the first time at the end of year 13 makes their achievements even more praiseworthy.
Among the successes were students recording four straight A*s, three A*s while the school is also sending a student to the prestigious and incredibly competitive Dyson Institute of Engineering.
“This year’s grades are the result of the perseverance and dedication of both students and staff, and we wish all of our students the very best in their future pursuits,” Mr Morris added.
Worcester Sixth Form College saw an overall pass rate at grades A* to E with top performances from Daniel Espiritu, Emmanuel Adesola and Roch Mirski who each notched four A*s.
Proud principal Ed Senior, said: “Our students, like others across the country, have faced and overcome unprecedented challenges over the last two years to complete their studies and secure university places, apprenticeships or employment.
“As well as those students who have attained outstanding academic success, I am also proud of students who have achieved to their potential and it is to their credit that they have succeeded in the context of sitting their first external exams since Year 6.
“The results are also testament to the skill and dedication of our staff. In addition to academic support from their teachers, our students receive outstanding pastoral support from their tutors, careers advisers, and other members of staff which is a significant part of their overall success.”
A return to public exams for the first time since 2019 was on the timetable at RGS Worcester with almost every student achieving their chosen University place.
There were superb achievements at A Level with well over half of all grades at A* or A while in the BTECs on offer 85 per cent of all grades were the top Distinction* or Distinction and 100 per cent A to B Grades were achieved in the EPQ.
Headmaster John Pitt said: “Without the experience of sitting GCSEs, they have shown great resilience and achieved the high grades they need for the next stage of their lives.
“I would also like to congratulate their teachers who kept teaching them successfully through the pandemic and have prepared them so well.
“It is always a team effort here at RGS, and I know the students will appreciate the support and encouragement they have received during their time here.
“They have been so impressive as a year group and we all wish them the very best for the future as they look forward to the next exciting chapter of their lives.”
A record 53 students achieved three or more grades at A* or A at the King’s School with 26 per cent all of grades being recorded at A*
A* or A accounted for 54 per cent of the school’s results with 94 per of all grades at A* to C as 142 students took 458 A Levels.
In addition to A levels, the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) results were outstanding, with 63 per cent awarded A* grades, and 87 per cent A* to A, achieved by 38 students on a diverse range of questions.
Equivalent to half an A level, the EPQ allows students to undertake in-depth research in an area of personal interest, enabling them to stand out in their university applications and develop extra skills.
Headmaster Gareth Doodes praised the students for their ‘outstanding achievements’.
“These stellar results are a testament to the hard work and commitment of this year group. Our hybrid offering throughout the pandemic enabled pupils and teachers to work from home whilst isolating, ensuring continuity of learning,” he said.
“I will be forever grateful for the work of our teachers who, despite the challenges of Covid, have continued to deliver an exceptional standard of education.”
A total of 16 students received straight A*s, including Head of School Charlotte Morgan, who will read Medicine at Cambridge, Head of School Josh Richardson, who will read Mechanical with Automotive Engineering at Bath, Senior Scholar Luke Beever, who will study Engineering at Cambridge, and Tom Kingsford-Dowd, who will be heading to the University of Southampton to read Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Four students received confirmed places at Cambridge, five have offers to study medical or veterinary-related degrees, 21 engineering offers have been made along with full scholarships to Stanford and the University of Iowa in the USA.
