BEXLEY: Students across the borough have stars in their eyes

Top student at Bexleyheath School, Chris Manser, gained three A* and one B grade in maths, physics, chemistry and biology and is off to Warwick University to study physics.

Fellow student Veronika Chapman gained one A*, two As and two Cs and secured her place at art college.

They were two of 80 students at the Woolwich Road, Bexleyheath, school who secured a 97 per cent pass rate, 24 per cent of them passes at A or B grades.

At Townley Grammar School in Townley Road, Bexleyheath, 11 per cent of passes were at the new A* grade and the overall pass rate for the 219 students was 99.4 per cent across the 716 exams taken.

Twenty-two per cent of passes were at A grade and 35 per cent were Bs.

Daisy Archer achieved four A* and one A, while Daisy Luff and Mital Dodhia gained three A* and one A.

Overall 29 students achieved all A* or A grades and three pupils, Teddy Mears, Jessica Thornton and Daisy Luff, secured their Oxbridge places.

Headteacher Desmond Deehan said: “We are immensely proud of the achievements of our students.

“They have worked extremely hard and thoroughly deserve their success.

I know they are appreciative of the dedicated staff who have worked tirelessly to make today a rewarding one for their students.”

He added: “It is particularly pleasing to know that the majority of our Year 13 students have secured their chosen places at university, despite the increasing pressure on places this year.

“I am confident that they will continue to build on these achievements and wish them well for the future.”

Records were broken at The Business Academy Bexley in Yarnton Road, Thamesmead, this year.

A grades soared from just 10 per cent last year to 32 per cent of passes.

Top student was Temitope Ogunrekun who gained As in maths and economics and B in physics.

He has taken deferred entry to University College London to study electronic and electrical engineering.

And Annie Lorraine is off to Canterbury Christ Church to study applied criminology, after achieving an A grade, two Bs and a C.

Headteacher Guy Nichols said almost all students who had applied secured their university places.

He added: “The number of students achieving A and B grades this year has almost doubled, which is very pleasing indeed.

“It’s incredibly tough at the moment. Up to six students are chasing every university place available through the clearing system and some of our students are amongst them.

“I wish them all the very best in securing a place.

He added: “However we also have a number of students who didn’t get the exact grades they required, but have still been accepted by the university of their choice, which is very heartening.”

Chairman of governors Tim Garnham added, “I am thrilled that The Academy’s results have increased again this year.

“We are dedicated to sustaining the steady improvement that has been made year on year.

“On behalf of the governors I would like to thanks the staff and particularly the students for their hard work and dedication.”

Of the 583 exams taken at Beths Grammar School in Hartford Road, Bexley Village 45 were passed at the new A* grade.

Among its 182 A level students, the pass rate was 99.1 per cent.

One student, Mousa Abdulahad achieved four A* grades in biology, chemistry, maths and further Maths and hopes to study medicine following a gap year.

Chris Meehan gained three * grades in biology, further maths and physics and two A grades in chemistry and maths and will go Downing College, Cambridge to read natural sciences.

Sixteen other students achieved at least three A* or A grades, including Reece Jackson Jones who will study natural sciences at Queen’s College, Cambridge.

In addition, Alex Morgan achieved one A* and three A, Viv Paranjape three A* and one A, Dan Barclay two A* and two As and Tux Manduna one A* and three As.

Headteacher, James Skinner said he was very pleased with this year’s results and delighted that so many students had managed to achieve an A*.

He congratulated all the students on their excellent achievement and wished them in their chosen careers.

At Trinity School in Woolwich Road, Belvedere, they were enjoying a 100 per cent pass rate, with 65 per cent of passes at A* to C grades.

Four pupils achieved the new A* grade: Molly Sheath, Tabitha Flether and Rebecca Thomas in textiles and Harriette Philpot in dance.

Star pupils were Tabitha Fletcher, one A* and two Cs; Charlotte Gent, one A, a B and a D; Tayla Igbenabor, two Bs and one C; Rebecca Janes, two Bs and a C; Stephanie Matti, two Bs and a C; Mabel Okpara, two Bs and a D; Hariette Philpot, A*, two Bs and a D; Yasmine Pieri, two Bs and two Cs; Nicholas Pope an A, two Bs and a C; Molly Sheath A*, two As and a C and Rebecca Thomas, an A*, one B and two Cs.

Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School in Hurst Road, Sidcup, its 172 pupils enjoyed a 98.7 per cent pass rate over their 528 exams.

Star pupils were Claire Chivers who gained three A* grades and one A and Esther Callaghan who achieved three A* grades and one B.

Headteacher at Welling School, in Elsa Road, Welling, Diane Khanna congratulated all the pupils, parents and staff on this year’s results.

There was a 100 per cent pass rate, among its 40 A level students with a 30 per cent pass rate at A* to B grades in the 105 exams taken, and 63 per cent at A* to C grades.

The majority of pupils also got their university places.

Top achievers were Tara Costello with one A* and two Bs; Layla Fay, one A*, a B and a C; Rebecca Hammond, one A, two Bs and a C; Callum Jackson, one A* and one B; Jordan Kidman, one A*, a B and a C; Jake Saunders, an A, a B and two Cs; Hannah Davies, two As and Kirsty Mansfield, a B and two Cs.

Head of Sixth Form Emily Beer said: “The results are simply outstanding.”

Bexley Grammar School pupils took more than 800 A levels between them achieving 64.2 per cent of passes at grades A* to B and 12.3 per cent at A*.

The overall pass rate among the 210 students at the Danson Lane, Welling, school was 100 per cent.

Samantha Johnson is off to Trinity College, Cambridge, after gaining four A* passes.

Two other students, Daisy Taylor who gained two A*, one A and one B grades and David MacDougal who gained the maximum 45 score on the International Baccalaureate, achieved places at Oxford.

Headteacher John Welsh said: “I am delighted most of our Year 13 students have gained places at their chosen universities.

“This year group have worked very hard and they thoroughly deserve their success.”

For Blackfen School in Blackfen Road, Blackfen, there was a pass rate of 98 per cent with 32 per cent of passes gained at A* to B grades.

Headteacher Matthew Brown said there had been a further improvement on last year’s results.

He added: “We are justly proud of the achievement of our students in Year 13.

“The grades achieved are a passport to higher education and future careers.

“The results have been achieved following a great deal of hard work by students, staff and parents.”

Top results came from Catherine Addy, one A* and two Bs; Natalie Adkins, one A*, one A, a B and a C; Kelly Lawrence, one A*, an A and a B; Olivia O’Connell, three As; Heidi Higgins, two As and a B; Claire Harmer, two As and a B; Luke Gilles, two As and a B; James Jackaman, two As and two Bs; Robyn Crowther, one A and two Bs; Alex Long, one A and two Bs; Harriet Powell, one A and two Bs; Gurpreet Dhesi, an A, a B and a C; Ayse Efir, one A, two Bs and a C; Daisy Fuller, one A, a B and a C; Kirsty Read, one A, a B and a C;Richard Taylor, one A, a B and a C; Sherrie Young, one A, a B and a C; Lauren Cope, three Bs; Chloe Marriott, three Bs; Tululushi Patel, three Bs and Laura Teall, three Bs.

Students and staff at Christ the King College ( St Mary’s)in Chislehurst Road, Sidcup, are also celebrating their examination results.

Its 120 A level students achieved a pass rate of 97 per cent, with 100 students off to to university next month.

Highlights included Elvis Kongolo, one A*, an A and two Bs and off to Southampton University to read areronautical studies; Precious Igharo, three As and a place at City University to study optometry; Christopher Simpson, one A*, a A and a B who will study law at Kent University and Nkem Afodum, an A* and two Bs with a place to study economics at Nottingham Trent University.

College principal, Dr Jane Overbury, said: "We are very proud of the hard work and dedication of our students.

“We would like to congratulate them and wish them success as they progress on to university.

“Their success demonstrates the huge talent and ambition of young people in this part of the south east and pays testament to the hard work and commitment of all our staff."

Enjoying a 93 per cent pass rate, most students at Erith School in Avenue Road, Erith, achieved their target grades to guarantee their university places.

Top students were Peter Soar and Gavin Wong.

Gavin achieved three As in maths, law and ICT and a C in applied business studies and will be going to Royal Holloway University to study economics.

Peter gained an A in English and three Bs in maths, law and ICT and will read maths at at Greenwich University.

The pair said they were “ both looking forward to the independence of university life and not put off by the huge debts they were about to run up”.

They said they felt “ their enhanced, future earnings after qualification would make their student loans affordable”.

But some of their friends have their backs on a university education and are seriously considering job opportunities, saying their generation of students is facing stiff competition for places along with huge cuts in higher education over the next three or so years.

Headteacher Julie Turner said she was delighted with this year’s results, which showed a two per cent improvement on 2009.

She added: “We are very proud of our students’ magnificent efforts and we recognise the team work between home, school and the individual student, that went into securing them.

"These are tough times for students and the going can only get tougher. Hopefully, next year’s Year 13 will sit up and take note in good time ."

The school's other high achievers included: Sarah Kearsey, double A and two Cs; Jennifer Diamond, double A, a C and a D; Pele Hearne, double A and a B; Gavin Patmore, double A and a B; Shaun Crooks, one A and two Bs; Christopher Ellis, two Bs, a C and an E; Sophie Mahon, one A and two Bs; Gary Nightingale, double A and a C and Charlotte Vowles, double A and a C.

Overall, Bexley achieved an overall pass rate of more than 99 per cent, against a national average of 97.7 per cent.

And every school and college offering A levels saw a rise in results this year.

The number of students achieving the higher grades has also risen.

Bexley Council leader, Councillor Teresa O'Neill said: "I am delighted by the results coming in, especially among the borough's non-selective schools.

"It goes to show that all young people educated in all Bexley schools can achieve the highest of examination results, thanks to their hard work and that of their teachers and parents.

"I would like to congratulate them all for keeping Bexley schools among the very best in the country."

She added: "It is also reassuring to hear that so many of the students receiving their results have already secured places in universities, alternative further education establishments, jobs and apprenticeships."