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A-levels | News


Successful students receive straight As at Oakwood Park Grammar


Dual success for girls from Invicta Grammar School, which also raised more than £43,000 for charity


Students make the grade MANY youngsters across Maidstone have been celebrated their strong A-level results.


Pupils at The Malling School, East Malling, achieved record A-level re- sults, with the pupil average rising by more than two grades. With three times more entries for


A-levels than last year, more pupils than ever are graduating, with 93% of pupils securing their first-choice university place. Principal Carl Roberts,whojoined


the school in the same year as the current Year 13 students, noted that in June the school’s sixth form was graded “good” by Ofsted and these results take it a step closer to “out- standing”. He added: “Congratula- tions to Year 13 for achieving such fantastic results. We are proud of your hard work and wish you all the best at university and in your future careers.” The number of students at Holmesdale Technology College, Snodland, achieving the top grades rose this year, with 98% earning three or more A-levels, and those getting the top two grades rising to 55%. More than half will go on to university after securing their first choice places. Top performers included Ben Mc- Cutcheon, with two A*s. Principal Julia Campbell was de- lighted with the hard work put in by both students and staff. She added: “Their onward journeys have been secured and these positive next steps arewell deserved.” Aylesford Sports College recorded record-breakingA-level re- sults. An impressive 97% of grades were at A*-E and nearly 50% of pupils achieved an A*-B. Top performer Katie Wakely


earned anA* in English literature, an A in sociology and a B in applied business. She plans to continue her studies in law at university. Head Charlie Guthrie said: “I am


so proud of the remarkable achieve- ments of our students.” Results from Maidstone Gram-


mar School were better than last year, with just under 60% of all A- level entries graded A*-B and nearly one in three grades at A* or A.


Twenty-five students achieved at least threeA grades or better, while 14 gained twoA*s or better and nine achieved three A*s or better. Top scholars were Sam Coward,


with four A*s and William Grace, with four A*s and top grades in all three Step exams for entry to Cam- bridge for mathematics. Thiswas the first time any MGS student had gained top grades in all three Step papers. The school also achieved its best AS-level results yet. At Maidstone Grammar School


for Girls, 98.9% of pupils achieved five A*-Cs including English and maths. Sixty-nine per cent of pupils scored five or moreA*/As, with 60% of grades either As or A*s. At Invicta Grammar School,Vin-


tersPark, students achieved 69%A*- B grades, alongside raising more than £43,000 for charity. Head Julie Derrick said: “The stu-


dents have achieved 200 A* and A grades and from our 160 students, 100% achievedA*-E grades,90%A*- Cs, with 12% A* grades.” The number of students achieving


an A*-B grade in two or more sub- jects rose from 21.7% to 42.5%. Lisa Phipps earned a place to


study veterinary science at Edin- burgh as did Kate Boniface at the Royal Veterinary College and Beth Rose at Bristol; Charlotte Summers will go on to study medicine in Birmingham and Katie Driver, the


STUDENTS have been alarmed to learn that MidKent College in Maid- stone is abandoning A-level courses. The decision affects 175 young-


sters who were about to start their A-level studies this month. Second-year students part-way


through their A-level courses at the Tonbridge Road college will not be affected. The college says the decision fol-


lows a review of its curriculum in the face of fewer resources and na- tional policy changes, which put


same subject in Bristol. Kiera Doughty, with five A*s, will


study mathematics at Cambridge; Lauren Satchwell, five A* and As, management, Bath; Lisa Phipps, five A* and As, veterinary medicine, Ed- inburgh; Mercedes Brown, four A* and As, physics with astrophysics, Bath; Felicity Murray, four A* and As, psychology, Bath. Head girl Katie Driver will study medicine at Bristol after gaining four A*/As. Valley Park School had a record


set of results, with its 80 Year 13 stu- dents achieving a 57% pass rate at the topAand A* grades and 87% at A*-C.


Fourteen gainedAandA* in three


or more subjects. High performers were Briony Everest, Ayesha Cooper, Poppy Harris, Rojina Giri, James Kiell, Titas Kuprys, Zoe Noble, Emily Nurden, Nelson Rai, Mitchell Ranger, Sam Read, Harry Simpson, Danielle Spry and Kim Warren. At St Simon Stock Catholic School, students notched up a 100% pass rate in their A-level and voca- tional examinations, with 92% achieving two or more A-levels and 43% the top A*-B grades. This is a rise of almost 10% on the previous year. The highest performing students


were Sarah Pattinson and Clara Sen- ior, followed by GraceTashie-Lewis, Lara Epsley, Mikaela D’Souza,


College ends A-level courses


more emphasis on colleges to meet the needs of the jobs market and contribute to the government’s goal of providing three million ap- prenticeships. College principal Simon Cook said


advice sessions and liaisons with schools and other education providers had provided an alterna- tive training path for all those who had contacted the college. Although term has started, the college advises students to get in touch if they still need help.


Matthew Brown, Domas Dregva and Daniel Ellesmere. Head Brendan Wall said: “The highest achieving students gained grades equal to our best in 2013 and will be attending the top Russell Group.” A third of sixth-formers at Oak-


wood Park Grammar School achieved A*-A grades. Rabey Chowdhury will take his


place at Cambridge, studying natu- ral sciences, after gaining three A*s and an A. James Handy, Nelson Talukder,


Ivan Pilfold and Andrew Collins all gained two A*s and two As. James and Ivan will do mathematics at Warwick University, while Nelson will study physics at Imperial Col- lege, London. Great Britain fencer Simon Dacey managed to combine the rigours of training with his studies and after achieving four As will be taking a gap year prior to studying chemistry or biochemistry at a university in London.After hisA-level results and a rigorous selection process, Nelson Sinclair Strong has been awarded a scholarship at the RoyalAcademy of Music in London. Maplesden Noakes School re-


ported “outstanding results”, show- ing “year-on-year improvement” in its results. Michaela Porter earned two A*s


and an A, securing a place at War- wick University; Jordhan State earned a Distinction*, twoA grades and a place at the University of Sur- rey.


Students at Sutton Valence School celebrated some excellent re- sults, with 17% gaining As or A*s. For the second year, the A*-B pass


rate was 70%, despite Ofqual limit- ing grade inflation by reducing the number of A grades awarded since 2010. Every candidate passed their exams, with 86% gaining A*-Cs. The independent school had 44% achieving the top ABB results re- quired by the UK’s leading research universities (the Russell Group).


Malling September 2015 15


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