WEST DORSET: A-level pupils reap rewards of hard work (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)

WEST DORSET: A-level pupils reap rewards of hard work

10:27am Wednesday 22nd August 2012 in News By Anne Bell

HEADTEACHERS were delighted with the performance of students in the joint sixth form with an overall pass rate of 98 per cent.

Sir John Colfox School headteacher Kay Taylor said: “I am really pleased that our students have performed so well.

“These top results are due to the hard work of the students and the high-quality teaching and support they receive at the Beaminster /Colfox sixth form.

“Most of our sixth form students have achieved the grades they needed and are off to begin exciting courses at university. “A few have chosen not to continue in education as they are concerned about the cost of university, which is a shame because further education would benefit them personally and financially in the long run.”

Head of sixth form at Beaminster, Richard Barnes, said: “I am really, really pleased.

“Today’s A-level system is hugely demanding, right from the start of Year 12.

“The results show how hard students have worked and the quality of the teaching and individual support which the combined sixth form provides.

“Those in Year 13 now leaving us are a talented group of young people.

“Their enthusiasm for securing grades that will allow them to access the next stage of their journey in education and employment has been infectious and we wish them every success for the future.

“The students have been a pleasure to work with.”

STUDENTS SET OUT FOR UNIVERSITY LIFE

ONCE again delighted students from the Beaminster and Colfox combined sixth form celebrated another successful year.

At Beaminster School James Varndell was delighted with his three As and an AS in further maths.

He will take up his place at Exeter University to study maths and perhaps fulfil his ambition to be a weather scientist.

Mini Warren will join him in Exeter after getting 2A*s and an A.

She will be studying English Literature.

Her friend Georgi Wills got an A and two Cs and has an unconditional offer to study art at Falmouth.

Holly Downing with her B,C,D is going to Glamorgan University to do new media.

A group of former Parrett and Axe Primary School youngsters were altogether celebrating their successes.

Ryan Tabner refused to open his results but Harry Clark with an A and 2Bs will be going to Southampton University to study psychology.

Matt Kingdon got two Bs and a C and will go to Plymouth University to do ocean science.

Erin Waters got two As and a B and will study pharmacology at UCL and Steve Boundy with an A and two Cs is going to Plymouth to study geography.

Gemma Smith will apply to university next year to study law having got an A and two Cs.

Ben Hawkins with two Bs and a C just missed out on a place to chemistry at Cardiff and George Skewes will go to Kingston to do chemistry.

Tom Jukies decided on Weymouth College for his art and design foundation course.

He got a B,C and D.

Charlie Tolley got an A* and two As and will do philosophy and politics at Exeter.

Rogan Murley got two As and A* and a B and will do computer science at Bristol.

He paid tribute to Beaminster School for the help they gave him to pull his grades up after his As levels.

Jack Marriage vowed he would do retakes and try again to get into veterinary college after getting an A and two Bs.

He said: “I have just always wanted to be a vet so I have just got to keep trying.”

None of the students going to university were put off by the increased level of fees.

Steve Boundy said: “I think of it as an investment to get a better job at the end.”

George Skewes, whose degree will take him four years, said: “My first year is cheaper but it takes so long to pay off it is not like a normal loan.”

If anything it is the parents who are more concerned.

lAt the Sir John Colfox School in Bridport there were plenty of smiles, some nervous anticipation and some students who didn’t want to open their results envelopes at all.

For Lucie Trollope a phone call to mum was the first task after opening her envelope to find she had achieved four A grades in her A-levels.

Lucie, 18, from Bridport, had been nervous about her grade in drama but was all smiles when she found she had straight As in drama at A and AS-level, media studies, and English literature.

“I was really nervous. It is such a relief,” said Lucie, who directed the school production of Annie while in the throes of the exam season.

“I am completely ecstatic.

“This is such a big deal for me. I phoned my mum and screamed for about five minutes.”

Now Lucie is taking a year out to go to Mexico and later hopes to go to drama school.

A pleased and relieved 18-year-old Rachel Andrews from Beaminster will soon be studying medical science at Birmingham University thanks to her two As and a B grade in maths, chemistry and biology.

And medicine is the eventual career choice for Grant Gibson who achieved three As and a B in his geography, biology, chemistry and physics A-levels.

“But I am not going to university, yet.

“I am having a gap year,” said Grant, 18, from Bridport.

He collected his results alongside friend Tom Lings, from Bridport, whose B and two D grades secured him his place at the University of the West of England in Bristol, studying science.

For David Huish, 18, a career in the UN or perhaps even a secret service translator would be the ideal path to follow after his course reading Russian and Spanish at Manchester.

David, from Bradpole, came away with two grade As in French and Spanish at A-level.

Toni Aplin is heading to Worcester to study adult nursing with her two Cs and a D in PE, philosophy and ethics and biology.

Her friend Lucy Ackerman is off to Cardiff Metropolitan to study events management after gaining three Cs in English, photography and media

EXAM ACHIEVERS

A-LEVEL SOME of the top grades at A-level included students: Rhys Thomas A* A* A; Mini Warren A* A* A; Charlie Tolley A*A A; Lucie Trolloppe AAA; James Varndell AAA; Grant Gibson AAAB; Sophia Sycamore A*AB and an A* in her Extended Project; Tom Howie AAB; Rogan Murley AAB and an A* in his Extended Project; Rachel Andrews AAB; Erin Waters AAB and Cimon Barnard A*AC.

AS-LEVEL At AS-level students also delighted with Emily Gould achieving AAAA; Will Haggerty AAAA; Ellie Gillis AAAB; Conor Hulbert AAAB and Florence Wright AAAB.

Jane Chapman AAAC; Christina James AABB; Daisy Crisp AABC; Ella Ratcliffe AABC; Oliver Hibbs AABD; Billie Stevens AABD; Danielle Donovan ABBB and Calum Hughes ABBB.