News | A-level results


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The wait for results is over for these students from Maplesden Noakes (left) and Maidstone Girls’ Grammar School A-level success for Kent pupils


STUDENTS from across the area have been celebrating the fruits of their labours after taking delivery of their A-level results.


They compare well with the na-


tional picture, which shows a small decline (0.1%) in those achieving the highest A*/A grades (25.9%) but a record 409,000 accepted for univer- sity (up 3%). The number of A-levels taken this


year rose to more than 850,000, with 13,415 more female entrants.Also in- creasingwas the number sitting core subjects, with maths entries up 20% since 2010 and English and biology equally popular. While there was a sharp rise in students studying com- puting, fewer sat music, German, design and technology and French. Every student passed at Invicta Grammar School for Girls, earning some 150A*/A grades – 10.5% at the highest level. Head Julie Derrick noted the ris-


ing number (25.4%) achieving anA*- Bgrade, providing more with access to university. Lara Hebdon, Felicity March and Anastasia Nicholl-Pier- son are off to Cambridge, Plymouth and Leeds to study medicine, den- tistry and veterinary science. Head girl Georgia Wells gained


five A*/A grades and will study physiotherapy at Birmingham. Other notable achievers were: Catherine Lincoln, Harriet Turner and GeorgiaWells (five A*s and an A); Lara Hebdon (four A*s); Grace Carol and Sophie Aujard (four A*s and an A) and Amber-Louise Tree and TomWei (three A*s and anA). Invicta’s extended project qualifi-


cation saw 36 pupils earn A*/As. Mrs Derrick said: “Our students


have yet again risen to the challenge of combining their own academic achievement and raising nearly £48,000 for charity.” At Maplesden Noakes, students


achieved a 100% pass rate in bothA- level and BTEC exams, with 45% in the top A*-B grades and 70% A*-C. Head Jane Prideaux said the re-


sults reflected the dedication of staff and students to achieve the best, with particular praise to: Dan Williams (three As, two Bs); Kim


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Head Julie Derrick with some of the successful students from Invicta Girls Grammar School


Walsh (two As, a B, two Cs); Megan Bicknell (BTEC sport double distinc- tion; two Cs and a B) and Sharonjit Hayre (two As, a B and a C). All are going to university. Onein five sixth-formers achieved straight A*/A grades at Sutton Va- lence School. Over the last few years, the school


has shown consistent improvement, with 42% of entries this year taking the top marks (A*-A), and 13% A*. Across the cohort, 67% received


A*-B grades, producing a pass rate of 99%, with high achievers includ- ing: Emil Evans (three A*s and a place at Cambridge to read history) and Saskia Roestenburg (three A*, reading theatre in Bristol) and Fred- die Parker (three A*s, reading psy- chology at Bath). Head Bruce Grindlay praised the school’s ability to improve the out- comes of all students, placing it in the top10%of schools nationally this year for “adding academic value”. Future Schools’ Trust, which has


sites at Cornwallis and New Line Learning Academies, had 131 sixth- formers taking A-levels, and 62% achieved an A*-C grade. Cornwallis notched up 32.4% A*-


B grades, while at New Line Learn- ing 76.9% of students achieved distinction* to merit inBTECqualifi- cations.


Students leading the celebrations included deputy head girl Zoe Het- herington and deputy head boy Ben Hartnell. Zoe achieved a double dis- tinction* in business, a distinction* in travel, an A* in psychology, a B in


Maidstone South September 2016


English, and C in government and politics, while Ben is heading to Ox- ford Brooks University to study law. Sian Killington got A*s in sociol-


ogy and her extended project, as well as Bs in media and psychology. BTEC successes went to: Abdul Khattak andAlfy Knox, both receiv- ing two distinction* grades and a B. Tamana Hasani also received two distinction*s; Holly Priestley, a dis- tinction* in performing arts, business and travel, and Bradley Claytor a place at the University for the Cre- ativeArts after getting three A*s-C. Will Pemberton, who oversees the


sixth form, said: “Our students, staff and parents have worked incredibly hard, and these results illustrate their dedication and commitment.” At Simon Stock Catholic School,


95% of Year 13 students achieved at least twoAlevels and more than half were A*-B. Notable successeswere: Eva Mal-


pass (three A*s); Jack Barnes, Thomas Bourne, Martin Burstow, Abigail Clarke,AndrewCoatsworth, George Craven, Holly Davey, Amy Dowd, LouiseGoswell,Anna Harri- son, Helena Sampayo, Ethan Wheeler and Clare Woodward (AAB or better). Principal Brendan Wall said: “These results are exceptional for a comprehensive school.” Maidstone Grammar School for


Girls witnessed an increase in stu- dents achieving the top grades. Of the 174 students taking the


exam, 30% got A*/A, with 66%A*-B, and an overall pass rate of 90%.


Lucy V earned straight A* grades


and is planning to go to Exeter Uni- versity to study economics. Nine students achieved at least two A*s, including Madeleine B and Chloe F (threeAs and anA*). Madeleine will read maths and Chloe computer sci- ence. At Oakwood Park Grammar,a


third of all students achievedA*/As. Thirteen gained three or four


A*/As. ThomasWard (two A*s and an A) will study maths at St Peter’s College, Oxford, and head boy Christopher Johnson (A* and two As) will go to St Edmund’s Hall, Ox- ford, to study politics, philosophy and economics. Robert Crawford (A* and two As) will read history at Trinity College, Cambridge. Studying maths at St Andrew’s


will be Gwilym Old (A* and three As); Mitchel Shephard, Joseph Hilder and Daniel Harris (two A*s and an A) will study at Bath, bio- medical sciences at York and com- puter science at Southampton; and Jack Slater (A* and twoAs) at Exeter. Thomas Collins (three As) is hoping to study chemical engineering. Success in the arts and humanities subjects also figured strongly. Head girl Alice Churchill (three As) will study theology at Exeter. James Samuel, Stanley Draper and Charlie Catmull (three As) will take up places at Russell Group universities to study history, geography and dig- ital production. A record 57% of Valley Park School students earned A/A* grades, with 87% an A*-C pass. Notable performances came from:


Daniel Greenhead (three As), Lucy Kitney (two A*s and a B), Mathew Porter (an A*, twoAs and aB), Craig Barden (three A*s and two As), Al- isha Bell (three A*s and an A), Is- abelle O’Nion (two A*s and a B), Amy Reed (two A*s and a C), Lau- ren Apperley, Shanon Rupacha and Jack Cutler (two A*s and anA), Ellie Harber-Russell and Katie Haylor (three A*s) and Natalie Hatfull (three A*s and anA).


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