Courageous student wins a place at university

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AMONG the numerous A-level successes achieved across Dorset, the achievement by James Rowen, of Beaminster, ranks highly.

The 18-year-old has suffered from dyspraxia since he was three and has problems with balance and hand-eye co-ordination.

Until he was 15 he had problems with his speech which put him at an educational disadvantage but the Sir John Colfox student achieved an A in geography, B in Spanish and D in psychology.

Despite these grades he was 20 points short of the total he needed to be guaranteed a university place but an intervention by head of sixth form Alex Fender convinced Kent University to accept him.

James, who is going to be studying wildlife conservation, said: “Parts of my brain don’t function properly with this difficulty. I think I did well in geography because I have always been interested in the subject. If you are passionate about something it makes you want to do it more.

“I found out about the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, at Kent University, a couple of years ago and liked the idea of studying there.

“The head of sixth form was brilliant, as were my subject teachers. It’s thanks to them I managed to get through.

“It doesn’t matter where you come from in life you can always overcome something. I would like to do a doctorate and do practical conservation work or be a field researcher.”

In another triumph over adversity, Chloe Hixson Andrews, 19, who was in hospital when her A-level examinations started and was on medication throughout, has achieved the three grade Bs she needed to secure a university place.

Chloe, of Blandford and a pupil at QE School in Wimborne, will be heading to Kent or Durham University to read philosophy and English.

She said: “I’m still waiting to hear from my first choice, Durham, but both said they would take my circumstances into account when they heard my results.

“I did well in some of the papers but messed up in some of the others.”

Kay Taylor, head teacher at Sir John Colfox, which has a combined sixth form with Beaminster School, said the schools defied sceptics who forecast only five per cent of students from comprehensive schools would get A* grades by achieving 11 per cent.

Mrs Taylor, said: “Our students have again bucked the trend with almost all of them confirmed on the courses they want to follow including four heading to Oxford or Cambridge.”

They are Nigel Robertshaw, Lucy Tweed, Oliver Pearse and Henry Leathem.

Forty-eight per cent of students at Beaminster and Sir John Colfox sixth form partnership achieved A*, A or B.

It was 23 per cent at A* or A, and the overall pass rate was nearly 98 per cent.

Despite concerns that top-performing A-level students might miss out on university places this year, almost all of the achievers at The Gryphon School, Sherborne, were celebrating after being accepted on to their chosen courses.

Ninety per cent of the 160 Year 13 students won a place at either their first or second choice university. Four students, including Montague Neate-Clegg, of Melbury Bubb, James Rothwell, of Sherborne, and Hannah Morris, of Charlton Horethorne, are heading to Oxford University.

Jane Tutton, director of sixth form, said: “Despite press reports about higher competition for Higher Education places, 90 per cent of our students gained their first or second choice at university place.”

Headteacher Steve Hillier heralded the sixth consecutive year that more than 70 per cent of exams resulted in marks of A* to C.

He said: “This group of Gryphon students have been great ambassadors for the school.

“They also made a real contribution to fantastic successes in dramatic productions, music and sport as well as supporting other students and staff.

In all, 23 Gryphon students achieved one of the new A* grades. More than a quarter were awarded an A or an A* grade and half of students achieved at least two grades at A* to B level. Of the 32 subjects sat, 30 had a 100 per cent pass rate.

Thomas Hardye School achieved an overall pass rate of 99.1 per cent, 34.4 per cent were A* and A and 11.6 per cent were A*.

Dr Iain Melvin, head teacher of the school, said: “These are our best results ever. These very high pass rates mean the school remains at the forefront of A-level results nationally and provides a high quality of education for all the students.”

Hannah Sanderson was the best performing student at the school and she has won her preferred place at Queen’s College, Cambridge. She attained A* grades in chemistry, physics, mathematics and further maths. She gained a grade A in general studies and a B in critical thinking.

In addition to following her studies, she won a place as a deputy in the student union elections, followed a lunch time course in sign language and was active in fundraising throughout her two years.

Hannah’s path to the results was unusual.

Her parents, both British, live and work in America and she was home schooled for her GCSEs.

When the time came for exams Hannah travelled to England to stay with her grandmother, Sandra Simmons, who lives in Weymouth.

She joined the Thomas Hardye sixth form in September 2008 and stayed with her grandparents for the next two years.

Mrs Simmons said: “While she was revising she was writing formulas on pieces of paper and leaving them around the house. We are missing her now because she has gone back to America where she is working to help pay her fees when she starts at Queen’s in September.”

At the Blandford School, Katie Chadd gained two A*s and one A to read neuroscience at Sussex, and Hannah Warr achieved three As to read law and criminology at Cardiff.

Thomas Hunt, with three As, secured a place to read maths at Cardiff.

Other high achievers include Benjamin Burlton with two A*s and A, and Angela Downs and Sarah Rayner with three As

Not everyone was hankering after academia and Tom House was satisfied that his results ensured he could learn stonemasonry at Weymouth College.

And while many were celebrating attaining the grades they needed, not everyone who fell short was downhearted.

Thomas Leigh’s envelope revealed two Es and a U, but he didn’t think that would affect his hopes of joining the Royal Marines.

Headteacher Sally Wilson said students were celebrating a higher percentage achieving A* to B and A* to C grades than ever before.

She said: “The school has been performing extremely well in recent years and this year is no exception.

“For the second year we have improved results at the higher grades. Students of all abilities have done exceptionally well and I am delighted for them. The students who have been awarded the new A* grades should be particularly proud of themselves.”

At Sturminster Newton, the small sixth form of 37 students is teamed up with the Shaftesbury School, and headteacher Jayne Barron resists dwelling on tables showing percentage pass rates.

She said: “Each result is an individual one, but we are very pleased with the outcome, and most of our pupils have got what they needed to further their education.

“Those that haven’t will be getting apprenticeships or jobs.

“We’re pleased that as a IT maths specialist school the joint sixth form achieved a 45 per cent A and A* result pass rate in maths.

Martin Chipperfield, 18, of Shillingstone, will be going on to read management and accounting at Reading with his A*, two As and a B.

Sam Doughty with A grades in chemistry, physics and mathematics will read physics at Warwick University,

Sophie Lewis, 17, of Marnhull, got three As in psychology, biology and chemistry, and will be training to become a veterinary surgeon in London.

Shaftesbury students recorded an overall 99.5 per cent pass rate.

They included George Ridgway, with three A* grades and two further As, enabling him to read architecture at the Glasgow School of Art.

Evian Yu had four passes at grade A to secure a place at Leicester University reading business management.

Aisling Ewers, with three grade As and a grade C, wins a place at the National Youth Theatre.

Headteacher David Booth, said: “While the highest performing students tend to be singled out and certainly deserve the accolades, the great majority of our students have performed extremely well against their targets.”

A fifth of the A-level exams taken by Sherborne Girls students resulted in an A* grade.

In total, 80 per cent of examinations were graded A*, A or B and 100 per cent graded D and above.

Leweston School A-level students also had a 100 per cent pass rate, with 71 per cent at A*, A or B grade.

Exceptional results were achieved by student Natalia Wroblewska, who achieved six A* grades and a distinction in an advanced extension award in mathematics.

Students at Sherborne School also did themselves proud with 80 per cent of exams being passed at A* to B level, with a quarter of the whole year group achieving at least one A*.

Thirty boys achieved three As or more, or its International Baccalaureate equivalent.

Academic excellence was as evident as ever at St Mary’s School, Shaftesbury, where a 100 per cent pass rate was achieved at A-level with 16 per cent of the successes being at A* grade, double the national average.

Of the 20 subjects taken by girls, Latin, Spanish, theatre studies, fine art and photography had 100 per cent of the passes at A* or A.

Equally strong in terms of A* results were philosophy and ethics and English literature.

Headteacher Richard James said: “The school sets great store by the education of the whole person. Our philosophy is that participation in all that the school offers enhances academic success.”

In addition to A-level studies, five upper sixth form girls completed their Gold Duke of Edinburgh awards and many of the candidates with all A grades had major roles in the school production and the school rock band as well as performing at a high level in sport activities.