Excellent A level results for schools in Lancaster and Morecambe district

Pupils and staff at Carnforth High School are thrilled to be celebrating the best post 16 results in the history of the school.

Headteacher Mrs Victoria Michael, said: “The students have worked extremely hard and it has been a pleasure to see many of them arrive to collect their results having already accepted their university places for September.

The students have achieved a 100 per cent pass rate at A2 and a very impressive average grade of Distinction * for all vocational subjects.

“Sixty-seven per cent of students received A*-B in A Level Maths and 50 per cent A*- B in A Level English.

“In addition, 78 per cent of Business Studies students achieved a Distinction * overall.

“We are justifiably delighted with their success.

Central Lancaster High School is once again celebrating achieving top grades in A Level and BTEC Level 3 across the curriculum in: art and design, business, IT, all performing arts (music, dance, drama and production), health and social care, sport and public services.

English and maths had 100 per cent pass rates.

Once again all students applying to university have been successful.

Nyomie Kuta said: “I am so pleased with my results, I am now going on to Leeds Beckett to study Law”.

Pirooz Kashefi-Attwood with the highest UCAS points said: “I am truly thankful for all the help I received, I would not have got into Lancaster without it.”

Georgia Clements said; “CLHS has helped me through the challenging transition to A Levels and now guided me to the university of my choice. Thank you for the past seven years.”

Maryam Mohammed going to study Ethics at Manchester said: “Although the past two years have been very difficult, the outcome is amazing. I cannot thank the staff enough.”

Jake Taylor with the year’s highest total point score said: “Through the help and support of the staff, I have achieved more than I ever thought I could.”

Caroline Noone said: “I am so happy with my results and my place at uni; I definitely would not have been able to do it without the help and support.”

Gareth Johnstone, Head of Sixth Form, said: “I am so proud of all our students and the success of this sixth form; they are great ambassadors for the school and the district.

“These wonderful young people are the next generation of our society’s leaders.”

Central Lancaster students have also been successful in gaining a variety of employment, including apprenticeships and other local firms.

The school said the results showed how it has extended provision to cater for all students at all levels of ability in keeping with its ethos through to age 19.

Students who would have never considered further study at university level have now secured their places.

The results reflected a high level of ‘value added’ to students, meaning every student had a successful platform for higher education or their chosen employment routes.

The school added it was continually upgrading its facilities and resources and through working with partner schools in the North Lancashire Learning Partnership, students were now moving successfully on to the next stage of their future. The school thanked all for their significant contribution and wished everyone continued success in the future.

At Our Lady’s Catholic College, headeacher Mr Brendan Conboy said that he was absolutely thrilled with the A level results obtained by the Class of 2015.

The pass rate at GCE A level was 99 per cent, 50 per cent of which were grades A*-B. Over 50 per cent of vocational grades were Distinction*.

He said: “It is so gratifying to see the hard work and dedication of these talented students rewarded – we congratulate them, their families, and their teachers.

We are delighted that the vast majority of students secured their first choice of university.

“We wish them every joy and success in their university courses or chosen careers.

At Lancaster Royal Grammar School, almost half of all subject entries for the 153 Upper Sixth students were awarded A or A* grades, and almost three-quarters of all exams received grade B or above.

Lower Sixth students have also received some of the school’s best ever AS results, including over 44 per cent A grades.

Amongst exceptional individual performances, 26 students gained two or more A* grades (or the equivalent in the Cambridge Pre-U), including three students who gained four A* grades.

Head Dr Chris Pyle said: “Congratulations to Sixth Form students from Lancaster Royal Grammar School who have achieved outstanding results in their A-level examinations this year.

“These excellent results reflect our Sixth Formers’ ambition and hard work.

“We are very proud of every single one of our students.

“They have worked hard to gain the grades that will take them onto the next stage of their futures.

“I am particularly delighted that so many of our students have achieved places on their first choice of very competitive university courses and on some high-quality business apprenticeships.

“Many congratulations to all our leavers. Thanks are also due to the work of LRGS staff for their exceptional teaching and support.”

Full results here

At Lancaster Girls’ Grammar School, 74% of the grades were at A*-B with 18.5 per cent of results at the very highest grade of A*.

As well as achieving impressive A level grades, many students also enhanced their studies with the Extended Project Qualification and a wide range of other experiences including the Duke of Edinburgh Silver and Gold Awards.

Mrs Jackie Cahalin, headteacher, said: “Many congratulations to our Year 13 students for their excellent A level results, which reflect their commitment to learning and focused hard work.

“I would like to thank the Year 13 students for all they have contributed to school life and to wish them well as they prepare for the next stage of their lives.

“Thank you also to the parents for all their support and encouragement of their daughters and to the LGGS staff for ensuring that so many students have achieved their university offers.

“There were some particularly outstanding performances from students studying mathematics and sciences. Over 60 students studied A level maths, our most popular A level with 81 per cent of the grades at a very pleasing A*-B.

“The school’s highest achievers included Alice Ashworth who gained five A* grades and one A, Charlotte Xu five A* grades as well as Hazel Browne, Rachel Harrison, Rowan Fenelon, Helen Ockenden and Hannah Munby who all gained four A* grades.”

Morecambe Community High School headteacher, Mr John McNaughton, said: “I am really pleased with the success of students both at AS and A2.

“It was a very positive morning witnessing most students achieve a university place or a prestigious apprenticeship.

“The staff and students deserve their successes because it reflects serious hard work in and out of school.”

One hundred per cent of Heysham High School students returned a pass rate at A level this summer with 97 per cent gaining at least two A levels and once again almost half of its students gaining at least one A*-B grade or equivalent.

Those going off to university secured an average equivalent to three A level B grades and are off to study at Leeds, Liverpool and Newcastle and more locally at Lancaster University, Uclan and Cumbria.

They will be undertaking a vast variety of courses including computer science, English literature, broadcast journalism, chemistry, electronic engineering and photography.

The remaining students have secured apprenticeships (including three at EDF), gained employment or are taking up further education offers.

Some have arranged a gap year, with one student planning to volunteer in Nepal.

Head of Sixth Form, Helen Fitzwilliam, said: “Our mission is to prepare and inspire students for the next part of their lives and they have done themselves proud.

“Some students have exceeded their own expectations and are now going through clearing to access better courses.”

Headteacher, John Shannon, said: “Twelve months ago we invested heavily to transform the Sixth Form learning environment and it is already paying dividends.

“We are delighted with these results and students and staff should be congratulated for their determination to succeed, and parents thanked for their continuous support in ensuring their child is successful.”

Ripley St Thomas CofE Academy principal, Liz Nicholls, congratulated all students on their “excellent” A level results this year.

She said: “It’s great to know that all their hard work has paid off handsomely and they can look forward with confidence to the future.

“The results on the whole have increased this year despite tougher exams with 56 per cent of all grades awarded at A*-B.

“The large number of students holding university places have been able to take them up including those with offers from Oxford and Cambridge.

“Well done to Rachel Maddox on achieving five A*s and one A, to Hannah Charman on achieving four A*s and one A and to Aicha Whittaker on achieving three A*s and one A.

“We wish all our students well.”

Giggleswick School, Settle, is celebrating its best A-level results since 2011, with a 100 per cent pass rate, a 75 per cent increase in students achieving A*s and three students on their way to Oxford University next month.

Headmaster Mr Mark Turnbull said: “These results are testament to the hard work and commitment of this year group, their teachers and support staff, who really have gone the extra mile.

“A* to B grades have increased by nine per cent this year and with average UCAS points of 319, translating to an A and 2Bs across the year group, there is a fantastic choice of leading university options open to our students.

As well as our two scientists and an aspiring engineer with Oxbridge entries confirmed, we congratulate in particular our Theatre Studies students, all of whom passed with A* to B grades, with half of the group achieving A*s.

“We are also delighted to see four of our talented young musicians ready to take up offers to pursue their music studies at university.

“Other successes include the crop of 17 A levels, including 10 A*s, achieved by five of our students who moved to Giggleswick in 2013 following the closure of Casterton School in Cumbria.

“Giggleswick is proud of its reputation for nurturing such a broad range of talents and success among its pupils and we are delighted to see this truly reflected in both the impressive results and destinations of our A level students this year.”

Full results here

Students at Dallam School, Milnthorpe, are celebrating excellent A Level and world-ranking International Baccalaureate Examinations results.

Pass rates met and exceeded national and world averages for both sets of results, and students and staff were delighted with the outcomes.

Headteacher William Bancroft said: “We are very pleased with the performance of all our students.

“Well over half of our entries have achieved A* to B grades which is a significant improvement.

“All the students are to be congratulated for their hard work and determination.

“Strong performances were put in by Ellen Sandford who is going on to study engineering at Manchester, Harriet Wareham who is going to Nottingham to read Chemical Engineering, Vittoria Forliti (English Literature at Cambridge), George Henderson (Sports Science at Loughborough) and Callum Leavey-Wilson (Political Science at Birmingham).

“The results also include all BTEC Outdoor Education students gaining the highest possible result for a second year.

“At AS Level, students put in a similarly strong performance and several Year 11 students gained A grades in their early entry for AS mathematics.

“Dallam’s International Baccalaureate results were outstanding.

“The outcomes in Art have received a Good Schools Guide award for excellence and Anna Tranter was awarded a maximum of 45 points, one of only 160 students to do this worldwide. Anna plans to study Law in London.”

Sixth Form students excelled once again at Settle College marking another year of excellent academic results and personal achievements.

Fifty four per cent of students achieved the top grades of A*, A and B with a 99 per cent A*-E pass rate. The percentage of students achieving the top grades has improved by 20 per cent in the past two years.

The majority of exam entries were in the A Level facilitating subjects but as an inclusive comprehensive Sixth Form, performance was also strong in vocational subjects.

Mathematics and the sciences represented over one in four of all entries with 80 per cent of students achieving A*/A in chemistry, 57 per cent in mathematics and 75 per cent in physics.

It was also another outstanding year for students studying vocational subjects; out of 42 entries 64 per cent were the top grades of Distinction/Distinction*, the equivalent of A/A*.

Claire Squires, who achieved an A in biology, an A in chemistry and an A in mathematics, said, “It is a dream come true. I have spent the last two months doubting myself but I did it and I can’t believe I am going to be a doctor.”

Claire is going on to study Medicine at Bristol University.

Kate Beresford, who has just been awarded the Diana Award for her work raising funds for defibrillators for the local area, achieved an A in history, a B in psychology and a Distinction* in forensic science, and is going on to study criminology and forensic science at Northumbria University.

She said, ‘I am delighted with my excellent results that I have achieved whilst also fundraising for ‘bringing the heart into Settle’, a much needed cause in my area. Hard work pays off!’

Daniel Middleton, who achieved an A* in Maths and Physics and an A in Biology, and is going on to study Mechanical Engineering at Leeds University, said, ‘I am over the moon with my results.

“I can’t wait for the next few years at university’.

Principal Michele Costello said, ‘We want to congratulate all students receiving their results today and wish them every success in their future studies and careers.

“These results demonstrate the outstanding efforts of both students and staff and, yet again, the vast majority of students have achieved their first choice university places.

“We are also proud that our students contribute to the wider life of the school and the community. The skills they have learnt during their time at Settle College will be invaluable as they move on to new and exciting challenges ahead. “It is always a real pleasure to see such happy faces on results day.

“Our Year 12 students also achieved success and are well placed to produce excellent A2 results in summer 2016.

Full results here