A-levels: The big round-up

Most schools across the district reported their best-ever results.

Students collecting their grades yesterday were the first to try out the new two-step A-levels, allowing pupils to study up to five AS-levels in their first year.

At Burgess Hill School for Girls the pass rate hit 100 per cent, which headteacher Susan Gorham put down to sheer hard work and dedication by students and staff.

More than 80 per cent of all those sitting exams achieved either A or B-grades and 20 per cent gained three A-grades.

Alex Watson, 18, who gained two As and one B, is off to Warwick University to study comparative American studies.

He said: "It is just a complete relief and now I can get on with planning to go to university."

Alice Brett, 18, said: "I didn't get the three As I was supposed to but Cambridge is going to take me anyway.

"I am so relieved because it was so up and down knowing I had not got the grades but I just phoned up Cambridge and they said okay."

At Hurstpierpoint College the pass rate approached 99 per cent and students had good results in both the arts and sciences.

Headteacher Stephen Meek said: "They are a marvellous group of students. We are absolutely delighted with them because they have always been a talented year group.

"They have done incredible amounts of activities in other areas and they are wonderful all-rounders."

Mr Meek said 70 per cent of students had achieved A and B-grades and 11 students had gained three A-grades.

Charlotte Girling-Budd, 18, from Mannings Heath, near Horsham, gained As in English, French and history and was looking forward to spending three months at the Sorbonne in Paris.

She said: "I'm really looking forward to going out there and, when I come back, I hope to go to university to study English, French and Russian."

Her friend, Jessica Bright, 18, said she had been pleasantly surprised when she got two As and a B.

She said: "I'm now planning to take a gap year. I've had enough of studying for a while and want to take a break travelling in Australia and New Zealand."

Tom Price, 18, who gained three As, said: "I'm very happy because I didn't expect to do as well as I did.

"I'm going to Nottingham to do medicine but am taking a gap year in Ghana shadowing medical staff and then backpacking in south-east Asia.

"I've been at the college for nine years and it's a nice end to it all."

At Haywards Heath College about 800 pupils crowded into a hall to collect their results.

A computer glitch meant the statistics were not available but vice-principal Alex Burford said he thought they were the best ever.

He said: "I think most people seem to be getting the grades they want. We've got seven people going to Oxford, which is better than usual."

Student Jennifer Bayly, 17, was disappointed with her AS-level results, in which she got two Bs, a C and a D, but was determined to improve next year.

She said: "I was hoping for better although I might retake some of these subjects anyway. I've got another year to go so I will be working harder."

Ian Dudley, 18, was celebrating after getting four As which meant he could go to Oxford to study chemistry.

He said: "I'm very pleased. It's been good fun but hard work and I'm looking forward to going out and celebrating."

Julia Crowell, 18, who also got four As and her friend, Bryony Sales, who gained three As, were both over the moon.

Miss Sales said: "I'm very pleased, although it seems quite weird going to university. It's like one part of our lives is ending and another beginning. It's a whole new chapter."

At Hazelwick School in Crawley half the 170 students who sat A-levels got A or B-grades and there was an overall pass rate of 99 per cent.

Headteacher Gordon Parry said: "The new system of A and AS-levels has meant lower sixth formers had to work much harder than before.

"I think that has had an impact but we've been very impressed with the way they got down to it.

Mr Parry said he disagreed with the annual claims of dumbing down.

He said: "A-levels have changed because knowledge has changed but the achievement still represents a lot of hard work.

"I don't believe there has been a drop in standards. What we are testing now is rather different from what we were testing 20 years ago."

Holy Trinity School in Gossops Green, Crawley, achieved an enviable 98 per cent pass rate with 65 per cent of pupils getting A or B-grades.

Deputy head Peter Sumner described the results as "record-breaking".

Richard Parrish, head of sixth form, said: "This year has had more examinations than any before them.

"They have also had to cope with the difficulties associated with a new exam and they have really turned up trumps."

In East Grinstead, students at Imberhorne School broke out the champagne after achieving a record pass rate of 97 per cent.

Of the grades awarded 58 per cent were A,B or C and students taking the new advanced level vocational qualifications, equivalent to two A levels, achieved a 95 per cent pass rate.

Headteacher John Morrison said: "I'm pleased with the work of students and staff.

"Students of all abilities have achieved their potential and have overcome the difficulties involved with the introduction of the new qualifications."

Chairman of governors Ann Bolts said: "My congratulations to students and their families for these results and my thanks to staff for their professionalism and commitment.

"The 97 per cent pass rate is an outstanding achievement and a reward for all the effort and hard work of both students and staff."

Staff and students at Ardingly College celebrated the highest pass rate recorded by the school.

A total of 84 candidates were entered for A levels and early figures revealed an overall pass rate of 98.4 per cent, a three per cent increase on last year.

The percentage of As and Bs scored by the students this year was 63.6 per cent compared to last year's 47 per cent.

Headmaster John Franklin expressed his delight with the results at the college, which recently commenced a major new building programme.

He paid tribute to the determination and hard work of the students and to the dedication of their teachers, who had worked long and hard over the past two years to ensure success for the students.

Mr Franklin said: "It is encouraging to see while the pass rate for the girls remained reasonably constant this year, the boys have improved their average pass rate by nearly six per cent.

"Some of the credit for all the results must also go to the enhancements that have been made to the sixth form academic programme this year in an effort to ensure all of our students gained the most from their time here."

Top performer was Will Christopher who gained four As and one B, while four other students - Jessica Beveridge, Yevgeny Ivanko, Oscar Scafidi and James Tait - all notched up four A-grade passes.

Oxbridge places have been awarded to three pupils so far; Oscar Scafidi to read archaeology and ancient history; Hayley Furminger to read English and Jessica Beveridge to read natural sciences at Robinson College.

Mr Franklin said: "So far, three of our candidates have received places at Oxford for the coming year, while another has a place at Cambridge.

"However, it is also pleasing to see so many of our average and weaker candidates have managed to achieve their full potential or even, in some cases, to surpass it."

Boarding school Christ's Hospital in Horsham achieved a pass rate of 99.7 per cent in the A-level exams.

Deputy headteacher Mary Ireland said: "We're delighted with the results achieved by our pupils this year.

"The pass rate was the school's best and five of our pupils are going to Oxford or Cambridge."

Student Mark Hutton, 18, gained four A-grades at A-level and two A-grades at AS-level. Mr Hutton, who was band captain at the school, is hoping to study Maths at Warwick University.

Dominic Morgan, 18, from Chichester, also gained the same grades and has a place to study natural sciences at Cambridge.

Farlington School, near Horsham, achieved a 100 per cent pass rate of which 25 per cent were at A-grade.