Hundreds of pupils in Suffolk will be receiving their A-level results today under the new ‘triple lock’ system - so how have Ipswich and Felixstowe schools done?
This results day will be like no other before as marks have been decided on mock exam results and predicted grades, as well as standardisation measures.
We will be bringing you news throughout the day from schools in the Ipswich and Felixstowe area on a live feed as the results roll in.
St Joseph’s College, Ipswich
Pupils studying at St Joseph’s College in Ipswich have received excellent results today as the sixth form has reported 33% of grades are A* to A, 62% are A* to B and 86% are A* to C.
Principal Danielle Clarke said: “Students at St Joseph’s College represent a cross-section of academic abilities and other talents.
“The impressive results achieved reflect the students’ hard work, the unstinting support of families and the outstanding preparation provided by our staff.
“Whilst we did everything we could to support all our students and maintain our sense of community, there was sadness that our Upper Sixth students would miss out on some of those rites of passage that make St Jo’s such a special place: the leavers’ assembly, the ball, the final farewells.
“These outstanding results compensate to an extent and we are all delighted to share in the many success stories. “
Deputy principal Sacha Cinnamond added that while overwhelmingly the results have been good from a ‘strong cohort’, there are still a small number of students who will be appealing and the college will be supporting them throughout the process.
Kesgrave High School, Ipswich
The school is not releasing their A-level results today, however did take to social media to praise the efforts of their pupils.
They tweeted: “We are immensely proud of our students and the commitment they showed to their courses.
“In such unprecedented times we wish them every success in their future studies at university, apprenticeships and careers. They are a talented group of young people and deserve every success.”
Ipswich School
The overall picture for the majority of the 99 pupils at Ipswich School is excellent as results reveal 50% of students received A* to A grades.
A further 79% of pupils achieved A* to B grades, 95% A* to C and nearly 100% got A* to E.
Nicholas Weaver, headmaster at the school, said: “The overall picture for Ipswich School A Level results is excellent and reflects the school’s consistently outstanding academic performance.
“This is one of our strongest cohorts of students, and I am so proud of everything they have achieved. Over half of the results were graded A*-A and 29 students received at least three A grades.”
Twins Rohan and Rahul Sagu each won a place to study medicine at university, with Rohan going to Leicester and Rahul to Birmingham after achieving five A grades and one A* between them.
Seven students will be headed to Oxbridge universities to study a variety of subjects including Maths, Economics, Modern and Medieval Languages, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Science and Political Science, and Theology.
Ben Cliff, head of sixth form added: “It is lovely to see our Year 13 leavers back in school this morning, for us to support them on this very important day.
“We are celebrating with the majority and making sure that we also focus on helping those students who have been disappointed in this unique year.”
Felixstowe Academy
The school has recorded an improvement in their A-level results this year, reporting an “outstanding” set of grades.
Emma Wilson-Downes, headteacher, said: “Students have worked incredibly hard and have continued to demonstrate our school values throughout this challenging period.
“We are delighted that this has been recognised in the results that they have achieved. We are so proud of each and every one of them and we have enjoyed sharing in their excitement today.”
Highlighted achievements were three girls who won places at universities of their choice with A * and A grades, including Jess Goddard who won a University reading book scholarship to study Psychology with Forensic Psychology at Lincoln.
Tim Coulson, chief executive of Unity Schools Partnership of which Felixstowe Academy is a member, said: “On a day when nationally news on A-levels has been difficult, the students at Felixstowe Academy have proved that the school is back on track and ensuring that young people can go to the university of their choice.”
One Sixth Form Ipswich
Over three quarters of pupils at One Sixth Form College achieved a grade C or above and 100% of students passed BTEC exams.
In Further Maths 100% of pupils got A* to C grades and 86% got A* to B, while in Biology 91% of students got A* to C.
In terms of health and social care courses, where many students had key worker roles or worked in the healthcare industry during lockdown, nine out of ten students gained a triple distinction or merit.
Dr Nikos Savvas, principal, said: “Whilst the last 12 months have been highly unusual, one thing has been consistent – our students have once again secured an outstanding set of results.
“Whilst it would be easy to simply praise these students for their efforts during lockdown - that would do a real disservice to all that the students have achieved over the full two years of their course.
“They are an extraordinary group of young people, supported by a remarkable team of staff who have all worked together to create a stunning set of results.
“I’m so proud of everyone who has helped make this one of the most successful set of results in our history.”
Royal Hospital School, Holbrook
The school in Holbrook is not releasing specific grades as they anticipate a change in figures once a few students have appealed their results.
However, headmaster Simon Lockyer said: “In the light of the confusion and speculation over awarded A Level grades this year and the government’s decision not to publish any results, the Royal Hospital School will not providing numerical data for the media at this stage.
“I am however delighted to see that the hard work and potential of this cohort has contributed to the continued upward trend of improved results at RHS.
“I would like to commend all of our Year 13 pupils who reacted so well to the abrupt end to their studies.
“Despite the disruption, they have all made a remarkable contribution to school life through leadership roles, sport, music, service and participating in the many co-curricular activities on offer.
“Our focus at this time is on providing support to help each of our pupils make the best choices so that they can move on to the next stage of their career. “I am incredibly proud of what they have achieved and wish them all every success and happiness for their future.”
Copleston High School Ipswich
The school, like several others is not releasing results as it believes they will change over the coming weeks as students appeal or use their mock grades.
Andy Green, principal, said: “We would like to congratulate our students and their families on their successes in their A’ Level results this year.
“Our students and staff have worked extremely conscientiously throughout the last two years, and we have a number of outstanding individual performances to celebrate.
“My thoughts go out to the students and parents and I wish them the best in their futures, we will be doing absolutely everything we can to secure the best results for all students through appeals processes.”
Ipswich High School
The sixth form celebrated results day with its first male cohort who joined in 2018 and early half of all grades were A* to A, beating the school’s previous record in 2019.
Nicola Griffiths, the school’s acting head during the spring and summer term, said: “We are delighted with these record-breaking results – although consistent with our strong academic past, these are the best in the school’s history and 96% of our students have been offered places at their first-choice university this year.
“This is a testament to the students and specialist teaching staff, who have worked extremely hard in such a challenging year and this has well and truly paid off.
“I wish them all the best for the future and look forward to hearing about their next steps.”
Students at Ipswich high School are also encouraged to take the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and all pupils who took it achieved an A* or A grade.
Mark Howe, the school’s first male head who started in July, added: “We do know that 33 of our students’ grades have been changed by the exam boards from those submitted by our teachers, based on mock exams and coursework performance, and we will continue to fully support those students with the appropriate appeals process and their UCAS applications.
“With this in mind, we anticipate these extraordinary results may go up further as a result of these appeals.”
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