Doncaster celebrates A Level success

Sir Thomas Wharton Community College

100% of students gained at least one A Level pass and 94% of Year 13 graduates attained passes in two or more A Levels.

Mr Binks, Headteacher said: “We had a very busy morning in college supporting students in securing their University destinations through the UCAS system. Several were successful in upgrading from their accepted unconditional offers to preferred alternative degrees as a result of better than expected results.

“Others secured Higher Level Apprenticeships, including Ffion Hatch and Shaunna Turner-Flynn who will take up much sought after apprenticeships with the NHS. The NHS will fund Shaunna’s degree as she trains as a Pathology Laboratory Assistant. A number of students have chosen this career route as an alternative to University this year.

“We have many students heading off to local Universities in Sheffield, Leeds, Hull, York and Lincoln whilst a few are heading further afield.

“Alex Nelder with two A*s, two As and a B is looking forward to his Chemical Engineering degree course at Sheffield University.

“Emily Simpson with one A* and three As had an anxious wait with family, friends and a Headteacher with everything crossed, to finally hear at 3pm she had secured her place at Corpus Christi College, Oxford to “study Chemistry. Emily is a true ambassador for our College; we are really proud of her and haven’t stopped smiling since the call finally came through!

“We are delighted for all our students and will miss them as they start the next stage of their lives. We hope they will all stay in touch and be part of our Alumni. Last year’s Head Boy, Danny Philips, having just achieved a ‘First’ in his first year Engineering degree at Sheffield came in to support his friends and said how much he had missed the supportive environment of Sir Thomas Wharton.”

Trinity Academy

Adam Osborne, head boy at Trinity Academy, in Thorne, is leading from the front after gaining an A* in psychology, Bs in biology and maths and a C in PE to read optometry at the University of Bradford.

Adam, 18, of Thorne, has been interested in optometry since getting a Saturday job at Boots Opticians.

He said: “I became really interested in it after discovering how different glasses can improve performance in sport and how many health problems can be picked up through the eyes. You can make a difference as an optometrist by being able to spot any wider health issues.”

The overall pass rate at Trinity Academy was 97 per cent with 41 per cent of all grades being a B or better. Almost 20 per cent of all grades were A* or A.

The top performing subject areas at the academy were qualifications including economics, law, maths, psychology and art.

This year’s A level students were the first cohort to spend two full years in the academy’s new £1.2m sixth form centre which was designed to help boost the achievements and aspirations of young people from Thorne, Moorends and the surrounding area.

The top performing girl was Rhianne Davis, who gained two A*s in sociology and psychology, a B in law AS level, an A in the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and a C in religious education.

Dancer Eve Butler, of Thorne, who was appointed as the academy’s first student community liaison leader when she joined the sixth form, gained an A* in maths, a B in law, As in applied business and the EPQ and a C in further maths. Eve, who is hearing impaired, combined her studies with 15 hours of dance training each week.

Other top performers were Jennifer Standeven with A* in psychology, an A in sociology and a C in biology; talented artist Simeon Scott with an A* in art, an A in product design and a double merit in BTEC sport; and Janet Adelowokan with two As in chemistry and maths and a B in biology.

The two-storey Sixth Form Centre, which has capacity for 400 students, has an open plan ground floor comprising a study area with personal computers with internet access and social space. There are three

classrooms with state-of- the-art touch screen projectors on the first floor, a further large open plan area for silent study with individual PCs, space for group sessions and a UCAS library.

Hall Cross

Doncaster’s biggest sixth form, Hall Cross, which has 500 six formers, reported its best ever results in the exams.

Vice Principal, Simon Swain, said: “It has been our best results ever.

“I think we have recruited some excellent teachers in the last few years.

“Pupils working hard has been fundamental, and the school has also created the ethos to make that happen.”

The school was rated B- for its average points score, which represents a total of between 210 and 240.

Its academic A Levels average points score was rated 215, or C+, and its applied A Levels scored 240, a B rating.

A total of 20 per cent of students received at least one A* grade. Just over 75 per cent of the school’s grades were at A* to C, and 99.6 per cent of students achieved a pass grade.

Meanwhile pupils at McAuley Catholic High School were praised for their outstanding results.

Mr Shenton, head of sixth form said: “Today is the culmination of two years of hard work and dedication by both the staff and students of the school. They all deserve the success that they are enjoying today that ensures progression to university or the world of employment.

“We are extremely pleased that the vast majority of our university applicants have secured places at their preferred choice of university including some of the world’s leading institutions such as Oxbridge, the Royal Northern College of Music and the US Ivy League.

“Students applying for competitive courses have also been successful in gaining places on courses such as Veterinerary Medicine, Law and Medicine. We are also delighted with our Year 12 students’ AS results which have improved despite the significant changes brought about by challenging curriculum reforms such as the decoupling of AS/A2 and new specifications.

“Congratulations to all of our students and we wish them every happiness and success for the future.”

Ridgewood School.