After weeks of fretting students from across Basingstoke were celebrating after picking up their long-awaited A Level results on Thursday.
Pouring rain didn't stop students rushing to Queen Mary's College (QMC) to collect their results, with the college also celebrating an overall A Level pass rate of 99 per cent. Nervous faces soon turned to happy ones with hugs and tears of joy present on a number of cheeks.
One of those celebrating was high achiever Enya Cooney, 18, from Hatch Warren, who gained four A*’s in biology, chemistry, maths and psychology.
She said: “I’m so pleased. I’ve secured my place at University College London to study medicine. I’m really excited about starting my degree but I’ve had a fantastic time at QMC and am sad to be leaving – it’s been the best part of my education so far. It’s a really friendly college, and the teaching and support you receive is superb, I’ve had a great two years here.”
Chris Griffin, 22, had to drop out of college five years ago when his father was made redundant, and entered full time work with insurance company A-Quote. After being made redundant himself, he made the decision to return to the college and funded himself by working 40 hours a week stacking shelves at Asda.
After gaining an A in maths, a B in economics and a C in further maths at AS Level, he will be going to Nottingham University in the autumn to study mechanical engineering. He said: "There were a few times I felt I was hitting the wall of how much I could do. It's been fantastic, the teachers have been really helpful and understanding."
Overall results increased by one per cent from last year, and are now 1.2 per cent above the national average. This summer, a total of 72 per cent of all A Level exams sat at QMC were graded A* to C, and 20 per cent were graded A* to A. The AS Level pass rate at QMC rose by five per cent on last year’s pass rate, to 90 per cent.
College principal Stephen Sheedy said: “This year’s results are, once again, fantastic. Our students gain excellent results year-on-year due to a combination of hard work and excellence in teaching and support. Our students have access to fantastic facilities and resources, a wide range of support services, and the opportunity to be challenged and to learn new skills through our enrichment programme.
"Students at QMC are here because they want to learn and staff at the college work with students to ensure they get the most out of their time with us and reach their full potential, which is reflected in our exam results."
Students from Basingstoke College of Technology (BCoT) were also celebrating after achieving a 100 per cent pass rate with 73 per cent achieving grades A and B. BTEC National students achieved a 97 per cent pass rate.
Deputy principal Beverley Smith said the results were a testament to the college’s commitment to high academic standards. Ms Smith said: “At BCoT we offer a number of routes to university and employment – so our Level 3 results are critical to student success in these areas. This year’s results demonstrate continued improvement and also reflect the quality of our teaching and the strength of our industry links.”
