Sixth form students at Axminster, Colyton and Woodroffe chalk up another set of outstanding results

PUPILS across the Axe Valley and West Dorset are celebrating some outstanding A level results today

At the Axe Valley Community College there was a 100 per cent pass rate in grades A-E and students at the top end performed particularly well, with the number achieving A*-A grades well above target.

The A-C rate was 65 per cent, an improvement of 17 per cent while the average point score per student was 266, up from 211 last year - under the UCAS point system.

The highest performing A Level students were Benni Durias (A*AB), Elena Brake (A*AB), Laura Gould (A*AB), Polly Budden (AAB), Charlie Sweetland (AAB), Natalie Callaghan (ABB) and Josie Bruton (BBB).

The highest performing vocational students included Distinctions for Alice Forino, Bryony Garrett, Emma Pickett and Chrissy Squire and Sam Turner Tom Vincent Nathan Womersley each gaining a Distinction and Merit.

Headteacher Martin Smith told The Herald the 2011 A Level results were “encouraging in many areas”.

He said: “We are delighted with the results. Our pass rate was 100 per cent with a significant improvement in the A to C pass rate up to 65 per cent. Many students have performed superbly and we are very proud of their achievements.

“Our most able students achieved more A*s to B grades than we had predicted and many of these students are going to top universities. Special mention must be paid to our Maths Department who achieved a 100% A* to B pass rate. Our vocational courses, usually offered to less academic students, achieved truly excellent results and again many of these students are set to continue their studies in Higher Education.

“We now see our strategies for student academic improvement achieving end results and these strategies will enable future year groups to perform even better.

“We would like to wish our Year 13 leavers good luck for the future, whether that be at university, training or employment.

“I would like to thank all of the Axe Valley staff for their tremendous hard work in supporting Year 13.”

STUDENTS at Colyton Grammar are celebrating another great year with over half of them achieving at least one A level at the top A* grade. Some 72 per cent of all grades this summer were A or A* with 33 per cent of awards at A*.

There were many notable achievements with Sam Mortimer (Ottery St.Mary) and Tom Oldfield (Exmouth) achieving a stunning five A* grades each and an A* in the Extended Project Qualification. Sam plans to study mathematics and philosophy at Oxford while Tom is off to Cambridge to study mathematics.

Headteacher, Paul Evans said: “This has been a challenging year for students competing to secure a place at university before the increase in tuition fees.

“Students should be proud of exceptionally good results across the board this summer. For some, competing for places has been more of a challenge than usual but we expect the vast majority to secure a place at university this autumn. We’ve maintained last year’s record of sixteen going to Oxbridge and nine reading medicine.”

STUDENTS at The Woodroffe School, Lyme Regis, have again achieved excellent results at A Level, with most attaining or exceeding their target grades.

The overall pass rate in grades A*- E was once again 99 per cent , while the percentage of grades A*/A was a really impressive 25 per cent, with 45 per cent of students gaining an A*, an A or a B.

Headteacher Dr Richard Steward, said: “As ever, this is a very impressive set of results and I am delighted that so many of our students have done so well. I am particularly pleased that the vast majority have secured places at the universities of their choice, despite the very worrying picture nationally.

“A-Level students work incredibly hard nowadays and, though it is fashionable to assume that standards have declined, the amount of work sixth formers now have to do has made gaining qualifications at this level in many ways much harder that it used to be.

“Students now have to take modules throughout the year, as well as examinations at the end of the course, and they also have to complete some very demanding coursework assignments. They also tend to take four AS levels and then go on to take three A Levels, with some tackling additional qualifications like the Extended Project, Critical Thinking or General Studies. The hard work of A-Levels students should not, therefore, be underestimated, nor should we forget the added pressures caused by the demands of the university system and the increasing competition for places.

Amongst the Woodroffe’s outstanding individual performers were: Steven Bailey achieved two A*s, an A and a B, Chris Brown gained four A grades, Jake Sawer gained three A grades and an A* in his Extended Project, Will Francis gained an A*, two As and a B, Karen Hayball achieved three A grades, Beth Jones gained an A*, an A and a C at A-Level plus a starred distinction in Level 3 BTEC Art, Jenny Clarke gained an A*, an A and two Bs, James Bond and Jonathan Caddy both achieved one A*, an A and a B, Robbie Fellingham gained an A*, an A and a C, James French gained two As and two Bs and Sophie Crafter achieve two As and a C.

Results were equally impressive at AS level, with Celia Cruwys-Finnigan and Robyn Lewis both gaining A* grades in their Extended Projects and two As and a B in their AS Levels, and Tom Clarke gained an A in his Extended Project, two As and a D.

*PICTURED ABOVE (left to right) are three of the top performers at Axe Valley College - Natalie Callaghan who is going on to read English Literature at Surrey University, Laura Gould who was delighted with her A* and AB grades and Polly Budden, who is also going to Surrey =University to read psychology. All three are 18 and live in Colyton. Picture Chris Carson