Hard work pays off for Thame’s A level students

THE Headteacher of Lord Williams’s school in Thame has praised the school’s year 13 pupils who this morning received their A level results.

Lord Williams’s Year 13s celebrate passing their A level exams

David Wybron said: “Maintaining high standards is a challenge but our A level students have done just that again this year. A record number of 239 students sat A level examinations. Out of 675 entries the pass rate remained high at 98% with 44% of grades at A*, A or B level.

“It has been a great pleasure to watch them mature into such fine people over their school careers. Their successful results are borne out of their hard work and ability and the support of their teachers and support staff. I know there will be many well deserved family celebrations this week and I am sure these results will be a foundation for future achievements, in whatever areas they choose to venture.”

The following students achieved A* or A grades in 3 or more subjects: Frances Ballaster Harriss, Annabel Basford, Lette Batten-Turner, Jamie Blundell, Roos Bruggink, Joe Gedge, Katy Groves, Jo Haxworth, Caelan House, Chloe Hykin, Sadie Kempner, Eleanor MacDougall, Alex McKeand, James McManus, Michael Oatway, Christopher Stewart and Maja Wilkins.

Two students, James McManus and Frances Ballaster Harriss, are taking up their places at Cambridge University and Chloe Hykin takes up her place at Oxford University.

Kate Sheehan, Head of Sixth Form was also full of praise for the students, “It is time to celebrate the tremendous amount of hard work that has gone in to these results by students, their parents and staff at Lord Williams’s School. Our students feel relieved and happy to finally receive their results; they have made us immensely proud and I would like to wish them all the very best of luck with whatever they now go on to do.”

According to Oxfordshire County Council, the local education authority, early indications appear to show that county-wide results will be of a similar level to 2013, with around 93 per cent of students receiving two or more A-Levels at the pass rate – grades A* to E. Provisional data also suggests that around 43 per cent have achieved two or more A-Levels at grade A*-B. However, these estimates are based only on school and academy results and do not include results from colleges. Confirmed results are always published later in the year.

Nationally, 26% of pupils taking A levels received grade A or A* – down 0.3 percentage points
Overall pass rate 98% – down 0.1% from last year
A* passes 8.2% – up 0.6%
Boys achieving A*  – 8.5%, compared with 7.9% of girls

There were nationally, marginal falls in the proportion of entries in the A* to B grades. But the very highest A* grade has risen from 7.6% to 8.2%.

According to the BBC, it is 32 years since the pass rate last fell.