East Riding Schools build on five years of success as they celebrate improved A-level results

MANY East Riding schools are celebrating improved A-level results, building on the success of the past five years.

The East Riding's maintained school sixth forms increased their average point score per candidate by 5.4 per cent.

This means many of the region's 1,600 sixth formers have been able to secure the university or career of their choice.

East Riding Council's principal improvement adviser John Seaman said the results have built on continued improvement over the past five years.

He said: "We are particularly proud of the improvements in the A-level results for Bridlington, Hessle, Longcroft, Market Weighton, South Holderness, Woldgate and Withernsea schools, all of which improved their average point scores per candidate considerably this year.

"We are confident the majority of East Riding sixth formers, their families and teachers will be delighted with their results and they will successfully move to the further education, higher education or employment of their choice."

Beverley's Longcroft School has celebrated a record 19 A* grades, with ten students achieving straight A* to A grades.

Lottie Dodd's three A* grades secured her place at Oxford, while Eva Lawrence and Hassan Bassam will study at Cambridge.

Hassan, 18, will read maths thanks to an A* in maths, A* in further maths and an A in physics.

He said: "I was really scared because I missed one of my extra exams, so I was so happy to find out I'd still got in.

"I've pretty much been studying every day since February for these results, so I'm glad all my hard work paid off."

Andrew Camplejohn, 18, gained two A*s and an A in maths, chemistry and physics, securing a place at Durham to study medicine.

He said: "I was still in bed when I used my laptop to check my results and found out I'd got in to my first choice of uni, so that was pretty nice to wake up to."

Head teacher Ian O'Donnell said: "Longcroft's pass rate, which this year is 99 per cent, is consistently high and students and staff have worked together to secure impressive results."

South Holderness Technology College in Preston saw an improved points score per entry of 214 points.

Four students – Ryan McGruddy, Megan Sutton, Brogan Taylor and Charlotte Tomlinson – gained at least three A* or A grades. Ryan will read business and economics at Newcastle, Megan will study journalism at Sheffield, Brogan will take chemistry at Hull and Charlotte is to study history at Leeds.

Head teacher Martin Cooper said: "These are very pleasing results.

"There has been a very high uptake of places at university and we wish all students every success in their future courses and careers."

Hessle's best-ever results saw 64 per cent of students secure university places, including Rosie Johnston, who will be studying dentistry at Newcastle after gaining two As and a B.

Rosie said: "I thought I had missed my grades as I panicked a bit during the exams but my teachers and friends were fantastic and very supportive."

Improved performance at Withernsea saw the pass rate increase to 90 per cent, with 26 per cent of results at grades A* to B and 51 per cent at A* to C.

Head teacher Richard Williman said: 'We are very pleased as a school to see the improvement in student results."

The joint sixth form for Beverley Grammar School and Beverley High School had a 99 per cent pass rate, with 52 per cent achieving A* to B grades. Twenty-two students had three or more grade As or better.

Rebecca Pearson and Peter Ma are celebrating 4 A* grades at the joint sixth, where 29 per cent of results were A* or A grades.

Sophie Collins will study French at Oxford and the majority of her schoolmates also clinched their preferred universities.

Beverley High School head teacher Sharon Japp said: "We are really pleased. They are outstanding results."

Graeme Hodson, head teacher of Beverley Grammar, said: "Most of our students seem to have got what they needed – we have had more tears of joy than despair."

At South Hunsley School, half of all grades were at A* to B. On average, the Melton academy's students achieved four A-levels.

Beth Pullen got an A* in biology and A in maths and chemistry to study medicine at Hull York Medical School.

She said: "I am so happy with my results. It was the best moment of my life logging into UCAS and finding out I had got in."

Wolfreton School's A* to B pass rate held at 38 per cent, with an overall pass rate of 97 per cent.

Pupils celebrating include Amy Stamp, who will be studying veterinary science at Nottingham after achieving 2.5 A*s and three As.

Jennifer Czapla will read history at York thanks to three A*s and Matthew Foster will study English and French law at King's College, London, after gaining 2.5 A*s, one A and one B.

At Driffield School, a fifth of all grades awarded at A* or A and nearly half at A* to B. Acting head teacher Simon Jones said: "As ever, there were some superb individual performances."