Local Schools Celebrate Record A Levels

Ealing sixth formers buck national trend

This year's A Level results are showing that local sixth formers are going against the national trend by recording improving results.

The largest Upper Sixth cohort in St. Benedict's school's history achieved a record 43.6% A*/A grades.

Twenty-five students achieved three or more grade As and thirty-eight students achieved at least 2As and a B.

Top performers included Jarrod Joshua, Joseph Kelly, and Head Girl Laura Makhoul all with 3A* and 1A and Grace Cowell, Bill Lansbury and Harry McAdam with 2A* and 2 A grades. All three Oxbridge students secured their places – Bill Lansbury and Laura Makhoul to Cambridge and Joseph Kelly to Oxford. Head Boy Alex Somerville also secured his place at Medical School in Nottingham University.

In addition seven students took the Extended Project Qualification, gaining one A*, four As and two Bs.

Headmaster Chris Cleugh was delighted with the results. “I would like to congratulate our students on a very high level of performance. We have exceeded our targets which were set ambitiously. This has been an outstanding year group, not only in terms of academic achievement, but also in the way they have involved themselves in the life of the School, in all its aspects. They have been excellent role models for the younger pupils and I wish them well in their further studies. I would also like to thank the staff at St Benedict’s for their hard work and dedication.”

The girls at St. Augustine's Priory also broke new records. 30 students were offered 28 Advanced Level courses this year over a range of academic subjects including Greek and Russian. A*-A grades were 34%. Nearly 50% of pupils achieved A*-B in 3 or more subjects. 90% of grades were A*-C, an increase of 5% on last year.

Girls have gained places on some of the most competitive and robust academic degrees programmes including Medicine, Veterinary Science and Mechanical Engineering at universities and colleges the length and breadth of the UK.

Sarah Raffray, headteacher at St Augustine’s, who joined the school a year ago, said: “I want to extend my thanks and congratulations to a truly exceptional group of young women who have truly enriched the life of our school with their unstinting commitment to leadership and extended contribution, and who have also achieved such a stunning set of examination results. Heartfelt thanks are also due to the parents and staff who have guided and supported the girls and who will, no doubt, be enjoying the celebrations taking place all over the Ealing. We are reminded on a daily basis how difficult it is to make your way in the current economic climate, but our students will be able to enter higher education and then employment secure in the knowledge that they are building on very firm foundations."

Cardinal Wiseman School also saw their best ever results at A Level with 29% of pupils achieving A* - A, 60% achieving A* - B and 86% getting A* - C grades.

Ealing, Hammersmith & West London College reported an increase of 1.4% in A* – A grades this year. It has seen an increase in its AS/A-Level proportion of A-B grades by 4.9%, with its popular subjects like Media Studies and Spanish enjoying a 100% pass rate. The College’s learner-centred strategy has also positively influenced the learning experience and performance of its A2/A-Level learners, with a 100% pass rate being reported for its English and ICT subjects, and a 98% pass rate enjoyed by its Psychology and Sociology courses.

The Principal, Paula Whittle, congratulated the College’s learners and lecturers on these encouraging results, stating: “I am proud of what we have achieved, working together with our learners to ensure we understand and address their needs, and removing all barriers to learning, inspiring them with an engaging, diverse curriculum. This is what our Learner First strategy is all about, and I will continue embedding learner focus in all our decision making”.

August 19, 2013