More Catholic schools celebrate outstanding A level results

Cardinal Wiseman students, Conventry

Following on from our first report today - See: Catholic schools achieve record A level results - Several more Catholic schools, from Coventry, Wirral and Colindale, have sent us details of their excellent A Level exam results. Congratulations to all the students and teachers!

Coventry: Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School

Sixth form students at Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School in Coventry are celebrating outstanding A Level results after returning to 2019 exam conditions.

The school reported 93 per cent A* to E grades and 99 per cent Distinction* to Pass in its 2023 results, with this year representing the first time many students have sat formal exams due to the pandemic.

Students were welcomed by their teachers to reflect on their successes, with specialist careers advisors on hand to provide support with their next steps.

Richard Kingshott, Head of Sixth Form at Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School, praised staff and students for their dedication and rising to the challenge of pre-Covid grading.

He said: "We are extremely proud of the way our students have handled themselves not just in recent months, but over the last two years to achieve these fantastic results.

"They have beaten every obstacle to progress to a variety of exciting opportunities, from degree apprenticeships in engineering to studying mathematics, physics or economics at a number of Russell Group universities.

"In celebrating their achievements, we commend the ambition and resilience shown by our students which, together with the commitment of our teaching staff, has been pivotal in their successes. We also recognise the unwavering support of parents, guardians, and the wider community without which these remarkable outcomes would not have been possible.

"We wish all students every success as they prepare for the next chapter in their lives, and look forward to hearing about their future achievements."

Donato Kohyrelon achieved an A* in Italian, A in Maths, and a B in Physics and will study Physics at the University of Warwick. He said: "I feel relieved, I've been studying so hard. It was really stressful and I was so focused on getting the results, not socialising and being fully committed, but it feels like it has paid off.

"I wanted to make the most of my time at school. From GCSEs it has been a big jump, I've only been in this country, in this school, since 2019. The teachers saw my potential and Mr Wheat and Mrs Williams have helped me throughout the last two years, and thanks to that I'm going to the place I want to be."

Madison Stafford, who achieved three As in Biology, Chemistry, and Maths and a B in History, will be studying Biomedical Science at the University of Warwick. She said: "I'm very excited and relieved that I've got into my first choice. It's been a challenge at times but I've enjoyed sixth form, and focussing more on specific subjects has been great. Some of the exams I had a good feeling about, but they all went well in the end so I'm really happy. The teachers in my subjects have all been amazing and I'm really grateful for their help."

Paul Tefera achieved a Distinction in IT, Distinction* in Business and B in Maths and will study Finance at the University of Leicester. He said: "It was a really good experience and I enjoyed my subjects. I feel glad that I've completed this chapter and I'm looking forward to the next challenge."

Keagan Tidman, who achieved an A* in Maths, B in Physics and C in Chemistry, said: "I was a little bit nervous, but when I saw the A* I was really happy. I was pretty relaxed on the day of the exam and the revision clearly paid off.

"It was a lot harder than year 11, and it's gone very quickly. The support I've had has been brilliant and I'm really looking forward to studying Maths and Physics at Coventry University."

The school is making final preparations before reopening its renovated sixth form centre, which will be open to students from September 2023.

LINK: Cardinal Wiseman Sixth Form - https://cardinalwiseman.coventry.sch.uk

Wirral: St John Plessington Catholic College

Sixth form students from St John Plessington Catholic College were thrilled to return to college today to collect their long-awaited A-level and BTEC results.

Based in Bebington, Wirral, St John Plessington Catholic College is part of the Holy Family Catholic Multi Academy Trust.

The class of 2023 excelled, with 71% of grades being A* - C or equivalent. 95% of grades were A* - E or equivalent.

Many students will be heading to university after 75% of the current cohort applied and have all been accepted.

This includes Tiffany Smith who will be studying law and philosophy at the University of Liverpool after achieving A, distinction*, distinction*.

Priscilla Fatokun received grades of A*, A, A, and will be attending the University of Warwick to study computer science.

Off to the University of Leeds to study sustainability & environmental management, is Rory Alldis who attained A, A, distinction.

Another student, Keira Brady-Jones, has secured a place at Loughborough University through the Elite Athlete Programme, and she will continue to strive towards representing Great Britain in athletics.

Heading to London to start initial training is Kyle Farley, who will be preparing for his degree-apprenticeship with Unilever in September after achieving A*, A, B in maths, physics and biology.

Other students from St John Plessington are going on to exciting employment and apprenticeship opportunities.

This year, following the pandemic, A-level exams were sat under normal conditions for the second time and students have had to deal with the shift back to pre-pandemic arrangements and grading systems.

Mrs Alison Lock, the director of sixth form, said: "I am delighted with the results that our St John Plessington Sixth Form students have achieved. These results are a testament to their work and effort from over the past couple of years. Despite the disruption caused by the pandemic, our students have continued to work incredibly hard and adapt well to the challenges that they have faced. They are a fantastic group, and it is a pleasure to celebrate everything that they have achieved today. I wish them the best of luck for the future."

Headteacher of St John Plessington Catholic College, Mr Peadar McLoughlin, commented: "We are all so proud of the success of our Year 13 students. As they go on into the world of work and university, we are wishing them good luck in all that they do.

LINK: St John Plesslington School - www.stjohnplessington.com/

Barnet: St James' Catholic High School

St James' Catholic High School, in Colindale, is delighted to announce the outstanding Post-16 results achieved by its students this academic year 2022-2023. These results stand as a testament to the dedication and concerted efforts exhibited by the students, who have gone above and beyond to attain remarkable outcomes.

Throughout the academic year, St. James' students have worked extremely hard, supported and guided by a group of experienced and dedicated teachers. Their efforts have truly paid off, culminating in outstanding achievements that reflect the determination to succeed.

Headteacher, Anthony Elull said: "I'm really pleased with our results, our top grades at A Level match those achieved last year, which were our best ever. This is despite the reported reduction in the number of top grades awarded this year.

Our vocational results have continued to improve and again are the best achieved historically, with over half of pupils achieving the top Distinction, or Distinction*.

St James' students secured an amazing 26.2% of A*- A grades, 56.7% of A*- B grades, 86.6% of A*- C grades, and 98.8% of A*- E grades. St James' Sixth Form has achieved remarkable results, well done to all pupils and staff. Consequently, 25% of students from St James' have secured their places at Russell Group universities, including one pupil choosing Cambridge University.

Congratulations to all the students at St James' for achieving these outstanding results."

Nicole said: "I'm relieved and so pleased to get these incredible results. It was a challenging experience taking these exams, not having sat formal GCSE exams during the pandemic. I've worked so hard to achieve my A*AA. I'm excited to take up my place at Cambridge University to study Architecture."

Patryk said: "I'm so happy with my results, A*AA. All my hard work has paid off. I've received amazing support and encouragement from my teachers here at St James', especially Mr Ponsonby, Head of Year 13. I'm off to Leeds University to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics."

Head of Sixth Form, Mr Alex Aldridge commented: "What a year it has been! We are so proud of all our pupils who have completed their Post-16 study at St James'. All have worked so hard to live out our school mission statement and have truly been a symbol of living their life to the full. These results are a testament to their hard work and dedication. We wish all our pupils the very best in their next stage of education, work and life. They know that there will always be a place for them to come back to, as they are as much a part of our community now, as they were when they joined us. Lastly, to all our pupils who have left us this year, please take heed of this quote from Mother Theresa of Calcutta: "We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love." God Bless you all."

Guided by the mission statement: "I have come that they may have life and have it to the full" (John 10:10), St James Catholic High School remains committed to fostering holistic development among its students, so they can reach their full potential, have integrity as a person and have a strong personal vision for adult life.

St James' is a mixed, voluntary aided Catholic Secondary School in Colindale for pupils aged 11-18.

LINK: St James Catholic High School - www.st-james.barnet.sch.uk/