Star performers celebrate A-level success

Despite talk of exam boards making it tougher to get the top grades, hard work by pupils at schools around the area paid off, with many now preparing to embark on their university careers.

Some received straight As or even A*s, others just the grades to get them to the universities of their choice. Schools around the Courier’s readership area identified some of their star pupils.

At Southam College, 45 per cent of students received grade B or better, a five per cent improvement on last year.

Among the school’s high fliers, Jo Whitty received three A* grades, Michelle Pang received two A*s, one A and one B, Beth Morris an A* and two A grades, Sam Baker received five A grades, while Michaela Byrne, Katy Hedge, Sophie Pittom all achieved three A grades.

Campion School received its best ever A-level results, with a 100 per cent pass rate, 85 per cent of grades at A* to C and 55 per cent of grades either an A* or an A.

Among three quarters of pupils going to university are Pav Sangha, who received two A*s and a B and will be studying at Warwick University, Alex Koziarowska, who received two A*s and an A and will be going to Aston University and Morgan Gore, whose A*, B and C grades earnt him a place at Sheffield Hallam University.

The school’s head boy Elliot Madge will be going to De Montfort University with his A*, A, A and C and head girl Morgan Gore will also be going to Sheffield Hallam with her A*, B and C grades.

Among a year group who achieved Princethorpe College’s best ever A-level results, Megan O’Gorman received four A*s and an A, outgoing head girl Ellie Eaton three A*s and Jack Collins three A*s.

In Warwick, more than 85 per cent of entries at King’s High School resulted in A*, A or B grades. More than half of all pupils received straight A* or A grades, three girls achieved four A* grades each and a further six girls gained three A* results.

The school’s outgoing head girl Laura Burnett achieved two A* and two A grades and is going on to read natural sciences at University College London.

It was a record-breaking year of success at Trinity School in Leamington, with 49 per cent of pupils achieving A* to B grades - an increase of six per cent compared to last year.

Notable achievers at the school were Matt Chamberlain, who gained two A*s and one A, Laura Ghiggino, who gained one A*, two As and one B, Amy Dietsch, who gained one A* and two As, Rosie Mack, who gained three As and one B, Sanjeev Dosanjh, who gained three A grades and Toby Dove, with his result of two A*s and one B.
New principal Chris Gabbett said: “We are very pleased to have a number of Oxbridge offers and many other students will, on the back of these efforts, get into their first choice of university. Congratulations to our year 13 and all of their teachers.”

Every single sixth former who sat A-level exams at Warwick School passed, while 86 per cent of all grades achieved were A* to B - an improvement on last year’s results.

The best results were achieved by Hugo Sun, who gained seven A* grades in Chinese, chemistry, physics, maths, further maths, additional further maths and economics. Hugo, whom headteacher Edward Halse has also singled out as a gifted musician, has gained an unconditional offer to read maths at Cambridge University.

Forty-seven of the boys in the year group gained three or more A* or A grades, while five gained five or more A* or As.

North Leamington School pupil David Tennyson was selected to study maths at Cambridge. He achieved four A*s in chemistry, mathematics, further mathematics and physics.

Other notable achievers at the school were Ellen Peacock with three As and a B, Eliza Bourner who achieved three As in English and a B, Louise Boeckmans, who got an A* and two As, Emma Sothcott with A* and two As, Victoria Edwards who got an A* two As, Cara Davison who achieved 3 As, Silas Haigh who got an A, two As and a B, Imogen Parker with two As and two Bs,

Samuel Ocock who achieved an A*, an A and a B, Hannah Wood with an A* and two As and Tom Wootton who achieved two As and a B.

Among many individual successes at The Kingsley School in Leamington was Claudia Bowen who can now take up a place at The Royal Veterinary College in London to study Veterinary Medicine after getting four A* grades.

Frankie Moss-Lawton from Stretton-on-Dunsmore was awarded A* across the board enabling her to go to Bristol University to study medicine.

Another high achiever was Alice Stevenson from Rugby who gained A* and two grade As to confirm her place at Edinburgh University to read Chemistry.

Korean student Hae Rym Chun spoke no English when she started at the school five years ago but she is now able to take up a place at The Chelsea School of Art and Design after being awarded an A* in Art and passing three other subjects.

Myton School pupils Alex Saad and Katherine Taylor both achieved four A*s and one A each.

Karim, Alex’s proud father, was there to give his son a congratulatory hug after he opened his results letter.

Among the school’s other outstanding pupils were Oscar Maynard, who got three A*s, Amy Isham, with two A*s and two As, Gareth Stewart, who achieved two A*s and two As, Adam Lytwyniw, with two A*s and two As, Tanya Basi, with two A*s and one A, Ruth Witham, who acheived two A*s and three Bs, Michelle Hennessy, who got two A*s and one B, Sophie Cuthbertson, with one A*, three As and one B , Jack Smailes with four As and Poppy Kelham with four As.

Warwickshire College student Nick McCann from Kenilworth gained an A* in sociology along with an A in media studies and a B in film studies.

With those results, the 18-year-old has secured himself a place at the University of the Arts in London to study film and TV production.

He said: “I don’t know what to say. I was not expecting such good grades.”

“Coming to Warwickshire College was the best decision I made in my life – it’s more relaxed than sixth form you get more freedom and you get more respect from your teachers.”

James Goatman, 20, from Leamington gained an A in film studies and Bs in philosophy and media studies.

James will also be going to the University of the Arts in London to study media and cultural Studies.

He added: “I feel pretty good. It’s been really brilliant here - it’s a massive step up from school.”

Jack Beckett from Leamington gained three As and will be going to the University of Sheffield to study History.

The 18-year-old also successfully applied for a week-long internship over the summer with Warwick and Leamington MP Chris White.

At Kenilworth School and Castle Sixth Form College 9.4 per cent of students received A*s and 86 per cent achieved grades A-C.

Kay Ellison got five A*s, Matthew McGladrigan and James Sturdy got three A*s and two As, and Ellie Strong, Jack Slater and Christopher Lewis got three A*s and one A.

Two Kenilworth boys studying at King Edward VI School in Stratford also did well. Dominik Kurzeja received three A*s and two As, while William Brown received four As.