Students across Shropshire are today receiving their A-level and many other vocational course results.
Shropshire Council has today congratulated all A-Level and BTEC students in Shropshire on their success and wished them all the best for the future.
The council says it appreciates that the past few years have been extremely challenging for Shropshire children and young people, given the continued ripple effect of the disruption to their education caused by the pandemic, but applaud their resilience and stamina to be able to sit public examinations again this year.
Councillor Kirstie Hurst-Knight, Cabinet Member for Children and Education said:
“I would like to congratulate and pay tribute to the hard work and determination of all our pupils who have sat exams this year.
“We know a lot of hard work goes into studying for these exams and I hope everyone has achieved the results they need to support them in their future plans.
“It’s fantastic to see our post-16 pupils achieving their potential and going on to their chosen career paths. After a few tough years, it’s great to see some normality returning to education and to examinations.
“I would also like to thank all those who have supported our hard-working students this last year – to the teachers and their school and college staff, including our virtual school who support our looked after students, all who have shown incredible dedication to ensure young people are prepared for their next steps in the world.
“For anyone who did not get the results they expected, please contact your school or college who will be able to provide advice and talk through the many opportunities that are available.
“We wish all students receiving their results today the very best for the future.”
Telford and Wrekin
Students in Telford and Wrekin have received their A level results today (Thursday, 17 August).
In Telford and Wrekin a large number of students in the borough have passed their A level and other equivalent qualifications such as BTECs and T level, a credit to the hard work undertaken by students and staff.
Councillor Eileen Callear (Lab), Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Visitor Economy said:
“Well done to every one of our students in Telford and Wrekin who have worked so hard towards this day and huge congratulations to all students who have achieved academic and vocational qualifications.”
“Good luck and best wishes to all these young people as they take the next step towards further education or work.
“I also want to acknowledge the efforts and dedication of all those who have helped them succeed, including parents and carers, school staff, governors.
“Anyone who needs information, advice and guidance on career and future planning can contact our council’s free to use FutureFocus service.”
Shrewsbury Colleges Group Principal hails achievements
Shrewsbury Colleges Group Principal, James Staniforth has hailed the achievements and resilience of the Class of 2023 as the results for A Levels and many vocational courses have been issued today, Thursday 17 August 2023.
The college has announced:
– 97% Overall pass rate across all college courses
– 45% A*/A/B grades at A Levels
– 78 students achieved AAA or better in their A Levels
– 192 students achieved DDD (Triple Distinction) or better on Extended Diploma Courses
Fifteen students achieved 3 A* or better and a total of 41 students achieved at least 2 A* grades and a grade A.
Speaking as the results were revealed to the students, James Staniforth, said: “I am extremely proud of the results that our students have achieved. This year has seen the return to the marking standards from the pre-pandemic period for A Levels. This has meant a stricter criterion for grading compared to the past two years. Nevertheless, our students have individually and collectively excelled.
“Many of these students have seen key parts of their education significantly disrupted due to the pandemic with their GCSE preparations particularly affected. This has meant that many of our students were sitting formal exams for the first time this summer. Our teaching and support staff have worked tirelessly to ensure that our students have been ready for these year-end assessments.
“We’ve seen notable results from this year’s A Level students. 78 students have achieved AAA or better. 45% of student grades were A/A/B high grades and 70% were A-C grades. Consequently, the overwhelming majority of students have secured their first-choice university place.’
“We have also seen some fantastic results across our vocational courses. Many of these courses contain challenging exams as well as ongoing assessments and we’re delighted that 82 students achieved the highest possible grade of DDD, the equivalent of three grade A at A Level, and 192 achieved DDD (Triple Distinction) or better.
He continued; “While we have highlighted some of our higher achievers in this year, I know that all of our students have worked very hard over their time with the college and will be a success in whatever path they take after college. Our students have shown great determination throughout their time with the college, and we wish them all the best fortune for the future with their next stage in life. We will continue to be here for them.”
Support staff are available at the Welsh Bridge campus for A Level students with bookable ‘drop-in’ discussion sessions. The sessions can be booked by emailing the college on results@shrewsbury.ac.uk. Alternatively, students can come to the Welsh Bridge Campus for a drop-in service. The ‘drop-in’ sessions are available from 9am – 4.00pm.
Telford College celebrates strong set of results
Telford College saw 100% pass rates in several subject areas including media studies and religious studies, and increased high grades on last year in areas such as physics, history, chemistry and business.
Pass rates were also up on last year in subject areas such as biology, English language, English literature and history, while pass rates among the college’s adult A level students outperformed the national average.
The gap in high grade achievement and pass rates between Telford College students living in deprived and non-deprived areas also significantly narrowed – bucking the national trend.
The college also recorded a rise in distinction grades for many of its BTEC vocational courses, including business, engineering, and music.
“Despite a national drive to push grades back down to pre-Covid levels, our students have once again showcased their dedication, hard work, and the benefits of our unique approach to education,” said Holly Davies, head of academic studies.
“We are immensely proud of each and every one of them. Their achievements are a testament to their resilience, dedication, and the supportive environment we’ve cultivated here on campus.”
Among the students receiving their results today was Samantha Diederichs, who is looking to do a fine arts degree. She studied fine art, photography, and media studies and said: “I feel Telford College has given me more opportunities within art.”
Michael Ball, who studied A levels in maths, physics and biology, said he had worked hard for his grades. “I decided I wanted to study maths at university, after I visited a careers fair at the college and spoke to various universities.”
Impressive results for Wrekin College
Shropshire’s Wrekin College was today celebrating a “highly impressive” set of A level and BTEC results with almost three-quarters of grades at C and above – an increase on pre-pandemic levels.
Several of the most gifted pupils have secured places at some of the country’s prestigious universities such as Oxford, Durham, and King’s College London while many more will be heading to Russell Group destinations to take on highly competitive degrees including Veterinary Medicine, Mathematics and Politics.
Other pupils have secured coveted apprenticeships at globally renowned corporate names in finance and other sectors.
Head Girl Hope Brown achieved two A* grades in English Literature and History and an A grade in Spanish. She has a place at the University of Bristol to read English and Spanish.
Head Boy Hugo Negron-Jennings achieved three A grades in Religious Studies, Politics and History and an A* in his Extended Project Qualification. He will be going off to Durham University to study Theology and Religion.
A fifth of all grades achieved by the Upper Sixth were at A or A* grade – which is generally in line with the number the school achieved in 2019.
Deputy Head (Academic) Mr Ben Smith said today this was a particularly significant achievement given the impact of grade deflation on this year’s results nationally with a return to pre-pandemic grade boundaries.
“Our Upper Sixth students have achieved a highly impressive set of A Level and BTEC results this year which reflects both their dedication and commitment to achieving their potential through working in partnership with our talented teaching staff,” added Mr. Smith.
“There have been some outstanding performances with several students achieving either an A or an A* grade in each of the subjects they study. Despite not having the opportunity to sit public examinations at GCSE owing to the disruption caused by the pandemic, several of our most gifted students have won places to study at some of the country’s most prestigious universities.
Almost half of all grades achieved were at Grade B or above and the percentage of passes overall was identical to 2019.
“As a non-selective school, combined with the fact that the courses we offer in the Sixth Form are also non-selective, the scale of this achievement is brought into focus.
“It is heartening to see that, despite the introduction of centre and teacher-assessed grading over the last few years and the other mitigations put into place by examination boards to counteract the impact of the pandemic, neither Wrekinians nor their teachers have in any sense been lulled into a false sense of security. Nor is there any sign that standards have been eroded.
“Attainment in the Sixth Form remains at least on par with 2019 and is, in some cases, better. As a community Wrekin is committed to building resilience and determination alongside securing good grades so our pupils are open to opportunities and feel confident when faced with what might seem like difficult challenges.”
Results success for Ellesmere College students
Students at Shropshire’s Ellesmere College are celebrating their A-level results today with an overall pass rate of 98% with some outstanding performances and securing places at top universities across the UK and overseas.
The good news follows on from the excellent results achieved by students who completed the IB Diploma course and BTEC Diploma.
The 2023 results saw 66% of IB students achieving 30 or more points, the gold standard for the IB Diploma and the top performing student this year, Iris Grigoras from Bucharest achieved an impressive 44 points out of a maximum of 45 which equates to four A*s and one A grade at A-level and places her in the top 1% of IB students worldwide. She will be taking up her place at the University of Miami, USA to study Law.
The BTEC Diploma results continue to impress with students celebrating another year of 100% pass results that included several Distinctions (A* at A-level).
Another student off to study in the USA includes BTEC Diploma students, Jemimah Choi from Gresford, Wrexham who secured distinction/merit in her diploma and a tennis scholarship in Ohio to study Global Sports and Culture.
The BTEC top performer of the year with three star distinctions (equivalent to three A* at A-level) Tom Boggemann from Diemen, Netherlands is staying closer with his place at Surrey to read Psychology.
Places have been secured at universities that cover the length and breadth of the UK and around the world.
Aditi Chezhian from Chirk, is both a talented tennis player, representing Wales and a high achieving academic, securing three A* grades in Biology, Maths and Chemistry to secure her place at Girton College, Cambridge to read Medicine.
Anna Farrow from Rugby, managed to combine an outstanding swimming career with outstanding A-level results including four A* grades in Chemistry, Maths, Further Maths and Economics to secure a place at Bath to read Chemistry and continue her swimming career.
Tessa O’Brien from Llangollen, achieved an impressive set of four A-level grades A*, A, A and B in Art and Design, Maths, Chemistry and Physics securing her place at Durham to read Chemistry.
Carmen Kilgannon from Ellesmere, is also off to Durham University having secured A*, A and an A in Religious Studies, History and Politics and will read Religion, Society and Culture.
Alex Norris from Ellesmere, secured three A’s in Maths, Further Maths and Physics and a B in Chemistry to read Computer Science at Exeter.
Lili Harvey Hemming, also from Ellesmere, secured A’s in Biology and Psychology and a B in Chemistry to secure her place at University of Surrey to read Veterinary Medicine and Science.
Molly Fry from Whitchurch, achieved A’s in Latin and Music and a B in Spanish and will be reading Classics at the University of Birmingham.
Naomi McGuire from Fleet, achieved A, A, and a B in History, Biology and Chemistry and will read History at the University of Glasgow.
Staff said Naomi is a student who has effectively combined her sport with her academic commitments as a member of the Ellesmere College swimming academy.
Archie Neaves, another outstanding swimmer at the Ellesmere College swimming academy has managed his training regime and is academic work successfully securing A* in Geography alongside two B grades in Economic and History and will be taking up Geography at Swansea University.
Brendan Wignall, Headmaster at Ellesmere College said: “It is a pleasure to see how well pupils have achieved and they are commended for their positive approach to the examination experience, having had the GCSEs interrupted by the pandemic.
“These results are a testament to their hard work and determination, to the diligence of their teachers and the constant support of parents.
“These pleasing A-level results follow the excellent results in July for IB Diploma and BTEC. The breadth of courses and destinations that our students move onto is particularly pleasing to see as an outworking of being a school with a global focus and in keeping with our high-performance learning (HPL) philosophy.”
Students at Moreton Hall celebrate results
Students at Moreton Hall are celebrating today with a stellar year of A Level results which have confounded press predictions of a downward trend and with A* grades actually increased from last year and double those of 2019.
For a cohort whose GCSE years were dominated by the covid pandemic and whose GCSE results were decided by Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGS), it is especially gratifying to see their first experience of public examinations rewarded with such fantastic results. 75% of students will now be packing their bags for their first choice of university, many of them to the most competitive Russell Group universities
Amongst the many success stories, head girl Tarryn Stanhope’s 4 A*s at A level and an A* EPQ secured her place to study Economics at Durham University. International student, Madina Karimli’s 3 A* have confirmed her Biomedical aspirations. Hannah Andrews who arrived at Moreton Hall in year 1 and Connie Richardson who joined Moreton Hall for her A Levels are both also off to Durham, each with an impressive array of A*, As and EPQ success.
With Moreton Hall’s Next Steps Careers team supporting each student in finding the right course for their individual interests and strengths, the girls are set to study a diverse range of courses including International Relations and Politics, Maths, Chemistry, Nursing, History, English Literature, Archeology, Occupational Therapy and Education.
Remarking on today’s success, Moreton Hall Principal Michael Brewer said:
“These results are a superb reflection of the diligence and determination with which our students and their teachers have approached their A Level studies over the past two years.
“It would have been easy to be distracted by gloomy media coverage of the dramatic fall in grades expected this year but, with true Moreton spirit, our girls have blazed a confident trail to grades that exceed not only national averages but also improve in several key ways upon the grades received in 2019.
“The whole school community is delighted by, and proud of, the successes of the class of 2023, and we cannot wait to see what they achieve as they go out into the world.”
Oswestry School surpasses national trend
Oswestry School pupils are celebrating their A Level results today, with the school achieving a pass rate of 98.9% and higher overall attainment when compared with pre-pandemic levels of 2019.
Following years of Covid-19 related disruption, the national trend this year has seen A Level results back in line with the attainment levels of 2019. Oswestry School in Shropshire is thrilled to have bucked this trend, with over 11% more A*-A grades than in 2019- making it just under one third of all grades awarded in this top bracket- and over 82% of grades at A*-C, significantly higher than the national average of 75.4%”
Due to the cancelling of all Public Examinations in 2021 when this year group was due to sit their GCSEs, this year’s A Levels were the very first Public Examinations they had sat. The school is therefore particularly proud of this year’s A Level results in light of the significant adversity overcome by their pupils during the pandemic.
The Headmaster of Oswestry School, Peter Middleton, commented: “We are incredibly proud of our pupils, a close-knit group of individuals who have supported and encouraged one another through the opportunities and challenges of their final year. Their hard work alongside the dedicated support of their teachers has led to some terrific results, and I extend my hearty congratulations to them all.
“As a non-selective school, we passionately believe in the potential of all pupils, and I’m delighted to see the Class of 2023 achieving their own personal bests across a wide range of subjects and courses. We wish them well as they embark upon new chapters and know that they are well prepared to thrive and flourish in that next stage.”
A number of pupils achieved an impressive clean sweep of all A* and A grades, including Ukrainian pupil Rustam Toshov who was rewarded for his hard work and positivity with four A Levels in the top A*/A bracket. Pupils also secured places at top Russell Group universities including UCL, Bristol and Bath.
Head Girl Pippa Evans gained a place to study Criminology at the University of Exeter, Head Boy Eric Johnson received an unconditional offer to study Politics and International Relations at Aberystwyth University, whilst Senior Prefect Josh Counter achieved two A*s and an A and goes on to study Mechanical Engineering at the University of Bath.
Lois Birchall, who is from Meifod, Powys achieved all A grades and goes on to study Architecture at the University of Sheffield.
Celebrations at Newport Girls’ High School
Newport Girls’ High School (NGHS) is celebrating twice as many top A* grades when compared to the last pre-Covid cohort. This summer sees a national return to pre-Covid grading and, in all, 20% of results at NGHS were graded A* (10% in 2019).
Mr Michael Scott, Headteacher at Newport Girls’ High School paid tribute to the class of 2023’s successes: “It has been a very anxious wait for our students, not helped by news stories detailing a shortage of places in clearing and the grading decrease from Covid exam years.
“We are thrilled to see so many students achieve their potential. Today lots of students leave NGHS with the grades they need for university including a pleasing number to Oxbridge and Russell Group institutions.”
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