Pass rates break records

STUDENTS across East Sussex were yesterday celebrating A-level results which followed the national trend of improved pass rates.

Sussex Downs College was one centre which saw record A-level results. Students at the college's Lewes 6th Form Centre achieved a pass rate of more that 95 per cent, the highest ever for the fourth year in succession, with a fraction under 70 per cent achieving grades A C.

With 724 A-level entries over a wide range of subjects, a 100 per cent pass rate was recorded by 60 per cent of subjects examined and no subject pass rate was lower than 83 per cent.

Behind these figures there were many outstanding individual and subject performances.

Daniel Edwards achieved 'outstanding' grades in his two Cambridge University entrance papers in mathematics, in addition to his five grades A at A-Level and AS-Level.

Eighteen students at Lewes achieved AAA, or above, as part of their results and nine of these achieved AAAA or above.

More than 50 students achieved ABC or better and many students achieved extra AS levels in their first year in addition to this year's results.

The first ever results for the new Vocational A-Level (Double Award AVCE), saw students at Lewes achieve an 88 per cent pass rate, across all nine subjects. The BTEC National Diploma pass rate is 90 per cent. The BTEC National Diploma in Public Services (Uniformed Services Advanced Course) achieved a 100 per cent pass rate with 14 candidates.

At Lewes Old Grammar School, AS candidates gained an 87.2 per cent pass rate at grades A to E while the full A-level rate was a tremendous 97.7 per cent.

'This generation has been the guinea pig year in terms of changes to curriculum throughout their secondary education,' said Kit Wood, deputy head of sixth form.

'These results are a credit to their hard work and perseverance.'

Excellent A-level results have been achieved at Seaford Head College and Tideway sixth form college, Newhaven.

At Seaford Head 99 per cent of students achieved at least one pass at A-level, 30.5 per cent students got As and Bs and 95.8 per cent gained A-E grades (national figure 90 per cent).

Robin Precey, headteacher said: 'I am delighted that the sixth form at Seaford Head Community College continues to enable students to realise their potential and go onto higher education or employment of their choice. Well done to all the students. Hard work, talent and effective teaching bring success.'

At Tideway School the pass rate was the highest in the last five years at just over 91 per cent and in two-thirds of subjects taken the pass rate was 100 per cent.

Adrian Money, headteacher, said: 'Tideway has a very small sixth form; 18 students took A-level this year. We are delighted with the success of our students this year at A-level, the result of hard work and commitment from both the students and their teachers.'

Uckfield students were celebrating yet another year of outstanding success when 98.7 per cent of sixth form pupils gained A-level passes.

More than 62 per cent of all Uckfield Community Technology College sixth form students gained grades A to C.

Five candidates gained straight A passes in all their subjects, with Matthew Bullivant gaining five straight As and Tom Silvey getting four straight As and an extra A at AS level. Both earned places at Cambridge University. Stephen Smith, Katherine Dobson and Simon Munday were the other three candidates who gained straight As.

Principal Craig Pamphilon said: 'Even at this early stage, we know that well over 75 per cent of our students have gained their first choice of place at university and are confident that all the others who wish to go to university will achieve places within the next few days.'

Heathfield Community College students achieved an impressive 97 per cent A-level pass rate with 71 per cent of all grades reaching the ABC standard.

Jonathan Chatfield, Alison Coleman, Harriet Doig, Thomas Golding, Leah Hunt, Hannah Lewis and Ella Macfadyen each achieved at least three A grades, which was a record for the college.

John Ditchburn achieved five straight As at AS level while Holly Douglas, Hannah Perry and Jennifer Skelton each obtained four As, with John and Holly both still awaiting their result in maths.