VIDEO: Steyning Grammar School A-levels

YET again, it was another set of outstanding examination results from Steyning Grammar School’s sixth form college students – a 99 per cent pass rate at A-level.
Jumping for joy at Steyning Grammar SchoolJumping for joy at Steyning Grammar School
Jumping for joy at Steyning Grammar School

More than 50 per cent achieved grades at A* to B at A-level and there was exceptional attainment in sciences and maths, bucking the national trend.

Head teacher Nick Wergan was delighted to announce another excellent set of A-level results this morning.

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“We are yet again immensely proud of our fantastic sixth form students whose hard work and determination has produced the outstanding outcomes they deserve - a pass rate of over 99 per cent from a cohort of 218 students for the second consecutive year is a measure of this success, with a quarter of our results at the highest A or A* level and 50 per cent at B grade or higher.

Jumping for joy at Steyning Grammar SchoolJumping for joy at Steyning Grammar School
Jumping for joy at Steyning Grammar School

“Given the national context of fluctuating results, and the changes to linear testing last year, it is incredibly pleasing to see our high standards again maintained. In 30 of our A-level subjects, the pass rate was 100 per cent.

“We congratulate our students on their deserved success, with so many doing significantly better than they needed for their entry qualifications or compared to target grades; alongside their efforts and resilience, the support given to them by our staff has been exceptional, and I thank colleagues for guiding and supporting our students to achieve their full potential.

“We are always grateful for the support of our parents and carers, and thank them too for working with us to enable our students to ‘be the best they can be’.

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“It is the way our students achieve that impresses us as much as the results themselves and our students will be a significant asset to the universities, apprenticeships and work placements they are now excitedly taking up. I am hugely confident of a world in their hands.

“We are impressed with the high achievements of our very academically-able students.”

Three students attained four A* grades - Frederick Lewis, who is progressing to the University of Bristol to read civil engineering, Yewande Ogunjimi, who will also study engineering at the University of Cambridge, and Mark Tolson, who takes up a place at the University of Exeter to follow a four-year degree course in physics with a year abroad.

Jamie Curtis, who attained two A* and two A grades will read chemical engineering at Imperial College. Arnau Devis, who gained an exceptional IB Diploma score of 40 points has secured a place at the University of Valencia to study medicine, and Holly Kool with a score of 39 points has been accepted by the University of Exeter to read English.

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Steyning also noted the exceptional achievement of students achieving three or more A*/A grades.

These include Phoebe Murphy-Dunn to read philosophy and literature at the University of Warwick, Victoria Pownall going to the University of Exeter to study a four-year course in English and French.

Exeter is also the destination for Lauren Ridley who with two A grades and one A* will study business and management with an industrial experience year.

Raquel Jesse proceeds to Kings’ College, London, to read philosophy, Owen Wells to the University of Bristol for mechanical engineering, Tom Shephard and Matthew Bickley will both be at the University of Surrey to study accounting and finance and international business management respectively. For Tom this degree course is sponsored by KPMG.

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Further science related courses are the progression routes for Tobias Brady with three A grades to study biochemistry at the University of Bath, Jodie Servante with two A* and one A grade studying biomedical science at the University of Sussex and Shona Redman with two A* and one A grade who will be at the University of Reading for zoology.

Head boy Jack Crossfield will embark on a degree course at the University of Bath in mechanical engineering. Head girl Holly Duckett will be at the University of Exeter to commence studies in English and drama.

In the context of continued change this year for the higher education sector, competition for places at the prestigious institutions including the Russell Group of Universities remains intense.

The success of our students places them in a very strong position to meet the terms of their higher education conditional offers, higher apprenticeships or employment with training entry requirements.

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Notable further successes have enabled high-flying students to meet these entry requirements, including Jessica Sayers who embarks on the highly competitive school leavers’ programme with Ernst and Young as a trainee associate in auditing and accountancy, Flori Pearcey on to a sponsored apprenticeship with Greene King, Emily Heffernan and Ashley Hall have both gained higher apprenticeships with local health and dental surgeries.

In further mathematics and mathematics, 30 students obtained an A* or A grade. The equivalent figures for chemistry and biology were both 14 students.

Elsewhere in the curriculum, there was a 100 per cent pass rate in the BTEC national diploma in sport with all grades at merit or distinction and in music practitioner, where again all grades were at merit or distinction, equating to A* to B grades. Exemplary results in art were attained with 15 entrants gaining A* or A grades, many of whom will be starting on art foundation courses at local colleges this September.

Steyning Grammar School sixth form college is currently the only state provider in West Sussex for the International Baccalaureate.

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Sally Randall, director of sixth form college, said: “Our fourth cohort achieved pleasing results with an average points score of 33, over three grades above this year’s worldwide average. They have embraced all aspects of the diploma, developing into ambitious learners.

“As one of only 38 eight state boarding schools in the UK, sixth form college boarders at Steyning demonstrated that they have already made a successful transition to independent learning and living with progression routes to UK and overseas universities with others taking up deferred places following gap year placements.

“There were also excellent performances in the AS examinations by our year 12 students, suggesting an equally promising group for next year’s A-level, BTEC national and music practitioner.”

At AS level, the following students attained four or more grades, all at A - Max Binkle, Amanda Chan, Isabel Green, Tom Halmos, Jamie Luxford, Jennifer Mason, Thomas Ranger, Ellen Winter.