Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Pupils all smiles after hours of graft
District’s schools achieve outstanding results in spite introduction of tougher exam regime
A-level students across the country bagged some of the best results seen in years – and the trend was no different across the Canterbury district and Faversham.
Many schools achieved their best ever grades, despite the introduction of tougher exams that depressed grades in several popular subjects.
At Barton Court Grammar School an impressive 12% of pupils achieved at least two As and a B.
Among them was star student Jessica Grynfeld, whose two A* and two As have secured her a place to study English literature at Cambridge.
Head of school Mr Ian Macaulay said: “These results will help to transform the lives of our students and allow them to attend some of the most prestigious universities in the UK and overseas.
“I congratulate them for their excellent efforts, and also thank the staff for their hard work over the last two years.”
A third of all pupils achieved at least one A or A* at Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys.
Among them was Charutha Senaratne, who bagged three A*s in the sciences to add to another he secured in maths last year.
The 18-year-old, who begins studying medicine at University of Nottingham next month, said: “It was all about putting the effort in and really making sure I tried my best.”
Also receiving straight A*s were Sean Gilmore, Louis Glanfield, Cal Hewitt, Naomi Miall, Corinne Stollery and Laura Hone.
Elliott French, 18, was one of 43 pupils to achieve straight As, meaning he can pursue his dream of becoming a vet, studying at the prestigious Royal Veterinary College at Kings Cross in London.
“I like working with animals and this is something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time,” he said.
The Girls’ Langton is celebrating its exams results after forging closer links with the boys’ school.
Newly appointed head of school Angela Scully said: “We are delighted by another very strong set of A-level results.
“Students will be moving on to study at a range of very good universities, including at Oxbridge and Russell Group and Ivy League universities.
“I would like to congratulate the whole cohort, and the dedicated staff who taught them, on their success, and thank them for the contribution they made to the school.”
The Canterbury Academy, which has by far the city’s largest sixth form, is also pleased with its results.
Head of sixth form Steve Hadlow said: “All individual successes are to be valued. Different students have different abilities and aptitudes and will achieve different things. Congratulations to them all.”
St Anselm’s School head teacher Mike Walters said 57% of pupils achieved a grade B or higher.
“This is another excellent set of results achieved by the pupils at St Anselm’s,” he said.
“The pupils and the staff at the school have worked very hard and we are very proud of them.”
An impressive results haul at Kent College saw all students gain places at their chosen universities, with almost 80% of grades at A* to B.
Alice Scharmeli and Robbie Whittaker are both off to Oxford – Alice to study medicine and Robbie history – while Emily Insanally will next month start an economics degree at Cambridge.
Executive head master Dr David Lamper said: “I am delighted with the very high levels of academic achievement shown by the students who took examinations this summer.
“They have been excellent ambassadors of Kent College and they deserve every success.”
St Edmund’s School achieved its best results in five years, with a 98% pass rate. Many pupils have won places at elite universities, including Imperial College, Warwick and Exeter.
School head Louise MoelwynHughes said: “This is particularly pleasing given the national context of tougher new specifications in 13 subjects.
“Many congratulations to our pupils and their teachers on all they have achieved.”
As Bran Stark in fantasy epic Game of Thrones, Isaac Hempstead-wright has wowed fans the world over with his acting talents. But the 18-year-old is also a whizz in the classroom, achieving straight As at Faversham’s Queen Elizabeth’s School.
He managed to juggle his studies with filming for the hit show’s seventh season, but was not among those to collect his results at the school on Thursday.
Many made the trip, though, including twins Chris and Iona Carter – who had cause for double celebration ahead of their 18th birthday the following day.
Chris, who bagged two As and an A*, will study geology at Imperial College London.
“I put tons of effort and hours into revising – I couldn’t be happier right now,” he said.
The school’s top achievers were Jacob Stewart, with three A*s and a B, and Todd Winn, who achieved two A*s and two As.
Head teacher David Anderson said: “Our outgoing sixth form have always been a hard-working group, who not only performed well academically but have also contributed tremendously to the life of the school over their two years.”
Elsewhere in the town, the Abbey School achieved its most successful results to date, with 40% of pupils now going on to higher education.
Amy Thrower, with three A*s and a C, and Katie-ann Carley, with three-and-a-half A*s, were top performers, while the number of pupils achieving an A or better rose from 37 to 50.
School head Catrin Woodend said: “We are delighted that the results are so positive and again an upward trend from last year.”
The Community College Whitstable celebrated its best ever results across its A-level, ASlevel and Btec courses.
Standards at the school continue to improve after a tumultuous two years, which saw former head teacher Helena SullivanTighe leave under a dark cloud.
Vocational courses continue to be a real strength at the college, with an average grade of a distinction being achieved by pupils across all subjects.
New head teacher Ana Gibson is pleased with the results and especially pleased that Hasita Haider will be the first in her family to attend university, having achieved a distinction* in all of her chosen subjects.
Hasita has accepted a place at the University of Kent to study cultural studies and social anthropology.
Logan Dean-edwards is also blazing a trail to the University of Kent to study computer science, while Chantelle Lloyd will take on an apprenticeship in business.
Along the coast at Herne Bay High School, half of all pupils achieved grades A* to C ,with a 100% pass rate in maths and English.
The sports college also secured a 100% pass rate in Btec sports, with all pupils achieving a distinction.
Many students will be off to university in September, including to Aberystwyth, Chichester, Falmouth, Leicester, London, Nottingham Trent, Roehampton and Southampton.