A-level Results Day 2022: Young people in Lancaster and Morecambe congratulated

Lancaster Royal Grammar School’s largest ever Sixth Form year group are celebrating record-breaking A-level results.

Students achieved the school’s highest ever proportion of A* and A grades (62.9 per cent), with more than three-quarters of all exams were graded B or above (76.9 per cent). Almost one third (32.8 per cent) of exams were awarded the very top A* grade, again exceeding previous records. Thirty-two students achieved at least three A* grades or the Pre-U equivalent.

This is the year group whose GCSE exams were cancelled in 2020, and whose Sixth Form years included restrictions and remote learning.

Headmaster Dr Chris Pyle said, “Our Sixth Formers deserve huge congratulations for the hard work that has gone into these fabulous results. We are very proud of every single one of them for their achievements.”

“Today is about celebrating the hard work of all our students who have achieved so much despite the challenges of the past two years. Some of them have come through difficult personal circumstances to achieve very impressive results. It is fabulous to see them gaining the recognition they deserve, which will open the doors to exciting opportunities ahead.”

“This wonderful group of students have set a great example of academic achievement, extra-curricular commitment and leadership within the school. We are delighted at their success.”

Lancaster Girls’ Grammar School head Jackie Cahalin has given congratulations to the school’s Year 13 students for their exceptional A-level results.

She said: “Over the last two-and-a-half years, along with other young people across the country, they have faced so many challenges. However, they have always impressed us with the way they have looked after each other, taken on board advice and remained committed to their academic studies.

“We are very happy to celebrate the achievements of all of our students. Some have faced ill health and done exceptionally well to complete their courses and gain their A-levels. The headline results for LGGS include an outstanding number of A* grades, with over a quarter of all grades at this level (26%). Over half of all grades were at A* and A (56%) and 80.5% of grades at A*-B.

“We remain as ever so impressed by the breadth of pathways LGGS students have had the confidence to pursue. We know that a number of very talented artistic and creative students will make their mark in their chosen field, whether that be fine art, dance teaching or fashion.

"Our science students have performed especially strongly and despite the extremely competitive environment for medicine-related courses have secured university places or placed themselves in a very strong positon to apply following a year’s work experience.

“Thank you to the committed and hardworking LGGS teachers for the part they have played in ensuring the students’ successes, our Sixth Form team who have provided first-class advice and guidance to help students throughout their A-level journey and of course all the LGGS parents for their continued support.

“Whether our students are heading off to university, starting an apprenticeship, entering the world of work or planning a gap year, we wish them all the very best and thank them again for always being such a wonderful year group.”

Heysham teenager Dominic Downs has won a place with a £6,000 a year scholarship to continue his studies at the Royal College of Music in London, where he will be studying piano and composition.

Dominic recently composed a fanfare to be performed for the Royal Family at Hampton Court Palace in June as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

He also performed a recital at Lancaster Priory as part of the Gaia event, and will be playing piano at the Vintage by the Sea festival in Morecambe on September 3.

Dominic – who has autism and ADHD - first appeared in the Lancaster Guardian in 2015 when he won a place at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester.

And he has now completed his A-levels – including an A in music – to gain his place at what has been labelled the world’s best conservatoire.

The college takes just 141 pupils a year, from all around the world.

Dominic said: “I am very excited and looking forward to it. It’s a hard college and industry to get into and I am really proud of myself.

"It’s amazing to think I will be studying there for the next four years.”

Dominic’s next aim is to get into the world-famous Juilliard School in New York to undertake a Masters in either piano or composition.

His mum Carolyn said: “He has had a lot of challenges to overcome. I think his success is really inspirational.”

Students from Morecambe Bay Academy and Ripley St Thomas CE Academy are celebrating a successful year of excellent A-level results.

Both academies improved on the number of high-level passes from the last comparable year in 2019.

This year’s A-levels were the first since 2019 to be assessed on exams, rather than teacher evaluation.

Both schools are part of The Bay Learning Trust community of schools, which also includes Carnforth High School and Central Lancaster High School.

At Ripley, 185 students received their results, with 27.5 per cent of grades achieved either an A* or A, up from 14 per cent in 2019.

Additionally, students at the school achieved a total of 57 A* grades this year, a rise from 13 in 2019.

For Lukas Walls, his four A*s in maths, further maths, physics and product design have helped secure his place to study physics at Durham University.

He said: "It's been a long hard wait for the results but we can all relax now and I can't wait to get to university. I know that sometimes there are negatives about the costs of studying nowadays but I feel it will be worth it all in the end."

Cambridge-bound Jasmine Austin will study veterinary medicine at Churchill College after receiving three A*s and one A in maths, further maths, chemistry and biology, plus an A* in her Extended Project Qualification.

She said: "It's an emotional time for everyone and here I am in my final Ripley photograph after so many Science Olympiads over the years."

Catherine Walmsley, principal at Ripley, said: “This cohort of Year 13 had a particularly disrupted time at GCSE due to Covid and therefore this summer was their first experience of sitting formal examinations.

“They have shown remarkable resilience and determination and they have worked incredibly hard. We are very proud of them and congratulate them on their very well-deserved A-level results.

“Additionally, I would like to thank the whole staff team at Ripley for working tirelessly to support pupils both academically and pastorally throughout their time in our Sixth Form and also our parents and carers for their ongoing involvement and support.

“We wish all our students the best for their futures, and we look forward to hearing how they get on in the years to come.”

At Morecambe Bay Academy, 78 pupils received their results, with an overall pass rate up from 2019’s results at 92 per cent, and a top rate pass level of 15 per cent A* or A grades achieved.

Principal Gavin Gomersall said: “We are delighted that, after two difficult years, the hard work of students and staff have been rewarded by another good set of results. “We are most proud of the outcomes, which for some pupils have been exceptional, allowing them to progress to their university of choice, apprenticeships or employment.

“Many pupils wishing to continue their academic studies at university have been successful in getting the required grades and will be taking up their offers at universities like Lancaster, Manchester, Durham and York.”

Our Lady’s Catholic College is pleased to report some outstanding achievements by its students in their A-levels and other level 3 qualifications this summer.

As well as all students succeeding despite the challenges the pandemic has presented, the school is particularly proud of the following students who have done exceptionally well: Adam Chel, Luke Clark, Ami Currie, Anna-Maria Hilton, Jakub Lewandowski and Maame Otoo.

Helen Seddon, the college’s headteacher, said: “We are immensely proud of all the work and achievements of our students, especially after such a difficult and disrupted GCSE and A-level experience.

"Our teachers have worked tirelessly to ensure students are all able to progress onto higher education or their other chosen career pathway with the overwhelming majority of our students having secured the university of their choice. We congratulate them all and wish them the best of luck for the future.”

High achieving pupils at Bay Leadership Academy are looking forward to pursuing their dream careers after receiving their A-level results.

There was a great deal to celebrate for Maddie Knowles, as she became the first member of her extended family to obtain A-levels and progress to higher education. Maddie attended an online business summer school at Lancaster University which inspired her to delve into the business sector, and also gained work experience in the local community in the care of younger children in school.

Maddie’s commitment to her studies means she has secured a place at UCLan to pursue her passion, studying international tourism and management. She said: “Receiving my grades this morning was a shock, I am speechless. I couldn't have completed the last two years without the teachers at Bay Leadership Academy.

“I am really looking forward to going to university and becoming an undergraduate student. All the disruption to my studies over the last two years has made me even prouder of the results I received.”

For Sian Andrews, her results mean she has achieved a lifelong dream to study history, which she will begin in September at York University. Alongside her studies, and in her role as the school’s Sixth Form representative, Sian has also helped to lead charity events and acted as a mentor to her peers.

She said: “This is the start of an adventure for me. It has been hard work, but it has all been worth it. To those sitting exams next year all I can say is try your hardest, do what you can control, and everything will work out OK. I want to say thank you for the endless support I have had from everyone around me.”

Principal Lee Waring said the pupils were shining examples of resilience during challenging circumstances.

“Our year 13 pupils have been dealt lots of challenges and have faced significant hurdles that sixth form pupils have never faced previously,” he said. “The fact our pupils have achieved their goals is testament to the work they have put in in the last few years, and the support they have received from our dedicated staff.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed seeing the faces of relief and happiness today and I wish all of our departing pupils the best of luck for whatever the future holds.

“Congratulations to all of them, and thank you to our staff and parents for doing their upmost to advance our young people’s futures.”

At Dallam School, head Rachael Williams said it had been a “trying time” for students and staff over the last two years.

She said: “Cumbrian schools are proud to serve our children, their families and the communities they come from. Over the last two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic this, for sustained periods, has been a trying time for both students and staff.

"The achievements of the students are all the more special given the challenges they faced while studying over the last two years. We congratulate them all on the manner in which they have coped in these quite extraordinary times.

“The majority of students will be pleased with their results and will have the keys to go onto to their anticipated destinations in September. Their results reflect their hard work, their dedication and the support they received from their teachers and families.

“The adaptations to the exam series this year have allowed for the students to take their exams in a manner as close to a normal year as possible. Whilst these changes were not always ideal, the students should be rightly proud of their grades and should in no way think they are diminished by the small number of changes they were afforded.

“It is only right that we recognise that the variability in how students and schools were affected by Covid-19 means that any meaningful comparison between schools is simply inappropriate. It is for this reason that we would caution against such comparisons and instead encourage everyone to focus on the success of our students and celebrate their achievements as individuals with their own story to tell.

“We congratulate all the young people on their achievements today and wish them all every success in the future.

“Our students, the children of our wonderful county and schools are also more than the sum of their grades and so today we want to celebrate the individuals who have shone for all sorts of reasons.”

Pleasing results were achieved by many including:

Eban Cole (A*, A*, B)

Benjamin Grecic (A*, A, A)

Angus Knight (A, A, A, A)

Lucy Rowe (A, A, A)

Maya Schofield (A, A, B)

Students in North Yorkshire received their A-level, BTEC and T-level results today after sitting their first formal exams since the Covid-19 pandemic.

For the past two years, summer exams have not taken place and instead, students have been awarded grades calculated by their teachers. Despite the disruption to education brought about by the pandemic, there is much to celebrate across North Yorkshire.

At Settle College in North Craven, headteacher Gareth Whitaker said: “This Year 13 have had to adapt to periods of online learning during Year 12 and didn’t have the experience of sitting formal GCSE exams, before taking A-levels in national exam conditions. They have had to be incredibly adaptable and resilient in responding to the national disruption the pandemic bought.

“I saw all the determination and hard work the students and all the staff were putting in and today has been testament to that.

“We’re overjoyed at how well the students have done. The number of students who got their first place was fantastic.”

Settle College is a rural secondary school in North Craven which has just 650 pupils and 80 students in its sixth form.

Head girl Louisa Bullock received a distinction star in her BTEC in Business, along with a C in psychology, D in biology and an A in her EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) for which she chose to research fast fashion and climate change. She will be going to her first choice university of Northumbria to study International Business Management.

She said: “This was the first time since I sat my SATs at 14 that I had sat formal exams. A-levels was a big step but I’m overjoyed at my results.”

Harry Wills will be going to Lancaster University to study particle physics and cosmology after getting an A* in maths; A* in chemistry; A in further maths and A in physics.

He said: “It feels great to get the results I wanted after all that hard work. It was a lot of work, but I would recommend to anyone taking on four A-levels to just keep working!”

Harry Murfin decided to study A-levels after being inspired by the subject of geography and will be pursuing his dream of studying physical geography at Northumbria University and hopefully pursue a career in meteorology. He received a distinction star in his IT BTEC; a merit in Business BTEC and a B in geography.

He said: “You have to cram a lot into two years, but I can’t believe it’s all over now.”

County Coun Jayne Rear, Lancashire County Council's cabinet member for education and skills, said: "I'd like to congratulate all our students for their hard work over the past two years, and thank the teaching staff who have supported them during these turbulent times.

"It is important to acknowledge that these young people are the first to sit formal exams since the start of the pandemic. They have shown tremendous resilience in the face of adversity, and should be incredibly proud of themselves, regardless of their A-level results.

"If you did not get the grades you wanted or expected, then please do not think all is lost. You do have options and there is help available.

"I wish our young people every success as they enter this next chapter in their lives, wherever that may be."

Advice and support are available for young people whose results aren't as hoped for. Young people are urged to contact the university or higher education provider they had planned to attend and discuss the options available to them.

Anyone who is not happy with their grades is advised to ask their school sixth form or college about their appeals process.

Students can also contact Talkzone, part of Lancashire County Council's youth services. Talkzone has trained advisers who can talk to students, in confidence, about their exam results and anything else that might be concerning them.

The service can be accessed by telephone, email, text and webtalk. It is available from 2pm to 10pm every day, including weekends and Bank Holidays.

Young people can call Talkzone on 0800 511 111, text on 07786 511 111 or email [email protected]

Alternatively, get in touch through the council's access webtalk services or via Facebook.