A-level excitement gets Elmbridge jumping (From Your Local Guardian)

A-level excitement gets Elmbridge jumping

5:33pm Thursday 16th August 2012 in Elmbridge By Laura Proto

Students across the borough were celebrating today after finding out their hard work had paid off when they received their A-level results.

Brooklands College Weybridge campus achieved a 100 per cent pass rate in 13 subjects at A2 level, including psychology, sociology, law and further maths.

Pass rates at the college were up 12 to 15 per cent on last year’s results.

Mary Herbert, director of campus for Weybridge, said: “We have really committed staff who really want to help the students to do their best. The staff are amazing and so are the students. So much hard work has been done by them into getting these results.”

Laura Gillhepsy, who achieved two A*s and one A, will be studying law at the University of York in September, after completing the AS and A2 courses in just one year.

Laura said: “I needed three As to get in to uni so I hoped for that but I’m really pleased that I got the two A*s.”

Catherine Fairfield, who got one A*, two As and a B, said: “I’m really pleased with my results. I didn’t expect to get any A*s at all so I was hoping for just As.”

Rydens Enterprise School Sixth Form College achieved a 100% A-Level past rate for the first time this year, and nearly three quarters of grades were A* - C. 

Lauren Rammell achieved one A* and two As and managed to secure herself a place at the renowned Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts.

She said: “I didn’t think I would get one A let alone three! I’m really surprised. I’m going to a drama school which you don’t need A-levels to get in to, but I know I always have something to fall back on now.”

Charlotte Hope gained one A and two Bs and got in to Roehampton University, although she is now on the hunt for something different after getting higher grades than expected.

Mario Scannella, assistant principal of post 16 studies, said: “These results, along with the comments made in the recent Ofsted report demonstrate how embedded our commitment is to ensuring all our post -16 students achieve their potential here at RES sixth form college.”

St George’s College also excelled with 52 per cent of A-level grades at A* and A. Seven students from the sixth form have gained places at Oxbridge, while two will study at Yale.

In total, 19 students gained four or five A-levels with 33 students achieving three As or better. 

Alex Christie achieved three A* grades and will go on to read medicine at Bristol University.

He said: “I was really shocked at first. I didn’t expect to get A*s but I was hoping to get 3 As. I found out online before I came into the school this morning so ran around a lot when I found out.”

Will Percival also achieved A-level success with two A*s and one A.

He said: “I was quite confident because I knew that I had given it my all. Yesterday I really started to think about it so I had a bit of a sleepless night. I felt a sense of relief when I opened the envelope because I knew that all my hard work had paid off.”

Esher College also achieved top results, with a 98.9 per cent pass rate at A-level, with 54.1 per cent of grades A* - B. All of the college’s results were significantly higher than the national average.

Lucy Knowles, who achieved four A* grades, said: “I am very surprised and extremely happy with my results and am very grateful for all the support my teachers have given me throughout my time at Esher College.”

An impressive 84 students achieved three or more A-levels at A* or A grade, including five students who achieved three or four A* grades.

Fourteen students at Heathside School and Sixth Form Centre gained three or more A-levels at A* and A grades, with the school’s overall pass rate at 99.2 per cent.

Principal Anne Cullum said: “These are excellent results and are a reflection of the hard work of our students and the support that our parents have given to them in the past two years.”