THE ANXIOUS wait is over for A Level students across Rugby borough as those all important results dropped into inboxes this morning (Thursday).
Others picked up their results the more traditional way by collecting envelopes from their schools.
And it was set to be a challenging year for students with a return to pre-pandemic grading, accompanied by warnings from the Secretary of State for Education that grades could be lower than last year.
It was also the first time this particular year group had sat public examinations as GCSEs were cancelled in 2021.
Here are the results as they come in:
Lawrence Sheriff School, Rugby
At Lawrence Sheriff students achieved well above national results.
Twenty students achieved three or more A*/A grades in all their exams. Over 60 per cent of students achieved at least one A*/A, with nearly three quarters of all entries achieving A*-B grades.
The overwhelming majority of students secured places at their first choice of university, with five students being awarded places at Oxford and Cambridge, along with a growing number of students who are moving on to apprenticeship schemes.
Headteacher Teresa Mpofu said, “These are only the headline figures, and we are more interested in the progress each student has made from their own starting point. Seeing the smiles and happy faces on our students as they picked up their results is what today is about.
“I am immensely grateful to all staff at school who provide outstanding teaching and support to our students. As always, we are incredibly proud of our students and are delighted with their achievements.”
Ashlawn School, Rugby
Students at Ashlawn School are off to some of the country’s top universities after securing excellent A Level results.
Among those celebrating were twin brothers David and Rhys West, who both chose to study the same subjects at A-Level – Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Engineering. After securing four A*s, two Distinction*s and two As between them, they are both heading to university in September, which will be the first time that the brothers have spent time apart.
Georgia Black achieved A* in Psychology, A* in PE and A in Biology, in order to confirm her place at Loughborough University to read Sports Science.
And Hannah Bowers is going to Nottingham University to begin a four-year course in Chemical Engineering with Environmental Engineering, after achieving A*, A, A in Maths, Physics and Chemistry.
Principal Paul Brockwell said: “My congratulations go to all of the students receiving their exam results today. It has been fantastic to see so many talented, hard-working, young people celebrating their achievements and looking forward to the exciting future that awaits them.
“It is important, however, that we don’t forget that this is actually the first formal set of externally assessed exams that the vast majority of these students have completed, so their achievements are all the more amazing.”
Bilton School, Rugby
There were some outstanding achievements at Bilton School.
Sam Coles achieved A,A,A , Sean Falconbridge an A, Dist*,Dist, Amy Twizel A, Dist*,B, Ben Stokes Dist*,Dist*,B, twins Jenny and Kirstie Asker achieved two As, a B and 2 Cs and are both going to Birmingham Uninversity and Jake Rawdon overcame health adversities to achieve an A, Dist., C.
Headteacher Tim Chambers said ‘Our Year 13s produced a fantastic set of results and have achieved great outcomes. We have students going on to a variety of universities across the country from Liverpool to Leicester and from Birmingham to Bristol. We also have students moving onto apprenticeships ranging from paramedic to engineering and cyber security.
“We are confident that our outcomes will continue to drive Bilton and its students forwards as one of the leading Warwickshire schools for post 16 studies underlining that Bilton School has an outstanding provision which reflects the needs of its diverse learners. Well done to everyone involved.”
Princethorpe College, Rugby
At Princethorpe College students are celebrating a strong set of A-level results.
In one of the college’s strongest years to date, 70 per cent of all grades were A*- B, with more than a third A*- A.
Seventeen high-flyers achieved three or more A* or A grades.
Headmaster Grove du Toit, said, “This was the first set of public examinations these students have taken, after their GCSEs were cancelled because of the COVID pandemic. Our young people have coped with disruption to their learning and faced uncertainty and pressure throughout their critical examination years.
“We are delighted with the results, that reflect the hard work and perseverance of this year group. It has been an extremely demanding time for them all, but happily the overwhelming majority have been accepted onto the various next pathways of their choice. These include university, apprenticeships, and gap year programmes.
“We congratulate them on their well-deserved success and wish them all the very best for the future.”
Rugby High School
At Rugby High School students are celebrating one of the best years of grades the school has ever achieved. Over 45 per cent of grades awarded were an A* – A grade.
Headteacher Mark Grady said: “We are elated with these results. It proves that RHS is absolutely the place where you can rely on getting the very best grades and support to ensure you can make successful next steps in life.
“This is a testament to the incredible work of our staff, and of course, the dedication and commitment of our students and families, working in partnership with us to gain the very best outcomes. We could not be happier.
“I’m sure our students have read the doom-laden news stories about fewer top grades and fewer university places, and that is horrible to read when waiting for your results. But I am so pleased to say that the 2023 cohort have been prepared brilliantly, and have achieved incredibly highly. We are so proud of their efforts, and wish them every success in their next steps. The vast majority of our students have gained their first choice of a university place.”
Warwickshire College Group
WCG received A-Level, BTEC and City and Guilds qualification results for learners across its six colleges.
Staff and students at Rugby College and Leamington College have been celebrating their A-Level results. BTEC results were also received at both colleges as well as at Moreton Morrell, Warwick Trident, Pershore and Evesham colleges.
A-Level students saw significant success in English Literature and Business – with a 100 per cent pass achieved in these subjects.
While the pass rate for psychology, sociology and criminology was more than 90 per cent.
A third of all BTEC students achieved the top-grade, triple Distinction, with more than half the students gaining the top grades in animal management and equine.
More than one-third of students also gained triple Distinction of above in agriculture and construction.
The college group has also celebrated a 100 per cent completion rate for Level 3 City and Guilds Technical qualifications, with qualifications including plumbing, beauty therapy and floristry.
James Stacey, Head of A-Levels at WCG, said: “We would like to congratulate all of our students on their A-Level results this year – they are the results of two years of hard work and dedication.
These A-Level qualifications will provide a springboard for the next stage in their development, whether that is Higher Education, apprenticeships or employment.”
