A-level students celebrate success

For the second year running students were able to find out online whether they had got the necessary passes to enable them to go to university.

But most students were expected to follow tradition and wait until they could find out their results directly from their school.

Already there are early indications most schools have improved their A and B grade pass rates again - with some schools achieving 25 per cent of passes at A grade.

This year record numbers of students took academic and vocational A-level courses and 96 per cent of students gained passes, an increase of one per cent on 2006.

Among those general figures there were a number of individual success stories at schools around Rotherham, as a result of their hard work and commitment.

Brinsworth Comprehensive has achieved a pass rate of 99 per cent while Maltby and Wath Comprehensives both achieved 97 per cent pass rates.

Individual successes include Lynsey Abbot at Wickersley who achieved five As and one B and Matthew Lougher at Dinnington who achieved five As.

Brinsworth student Stephen Logan achieved 4 As; John Sidda ,another Dinnington student, received four As and one B; Andrew Nye also at Dinnington, achieved four As and one C; Claudia Dalle Fratte, Natalie Frith and Abigail Page, all Wickersley students, all achieved four As and one B.

Coun Amy Rushforth, Cabinet Member for Lifelong Learning, said: "We pass on our congratulations to those students who have achieved excellent results again this year.

"I hope that everyone will recognise the hard work of students, parents and carers, teachers and staff in achieving these successes."

But Rotherham Council is urging students not to be too downhearted if they haven't got the results they expected..

"The main advice to students is whatever the outcome their future is still bright. If they don't get the grades they expect there is a large amount of support available," said a council spokesman.

Education experts were today already calling for a sweeping review of the exam system which will enable universities to single out exceptional students.

Since 1990 the number of papers awarded an A grade has more than doubled - with some experts claiming the exam is now too easy.

With A-level results expected to improve for the 26th year in a row there is said to be growing support for rival qualifications such as the International Baccalaureate (BL).

*See The Star next Tuesday for all the schools' A-level results*