Farry and O’Dowd Congratulate A And AS Level Students
Employment and Learning Minister Dr Stephen Farry and Education Minister John O’Dowd have congratulated students who have received their A and AS level results. [caption id="attachment_41573" align="alignleft" width="390"]
Jamie Harris, Down High School pupil from Saintfield, pictured with his parents Micael and Jane, is set to study Computer Science at Cambridge after gaining 4 A* and 1 A.[/caption]
Dr Stephen Farry said: “It is heartening to see so many of our young people achieving the grades they need for their chosen pathways and they deserve our congratulations.
“Sometimes results can mean a change of plan, and we want to let students know that there are still many possibilities and choices available, whether you have done better than expected or not as well as you had hoped. My primary advice to anyone in this situation is to remember that help is at hand. “My Department’s Careers Service has a team of professionally qualified careers advisers offering impartial careers guidance to young people and adults. You can call 0300 200 7820 or log on to the www.nidirect.gov.uk/results to access a wealth of useful information and locate your nearest Careers Office.” The key headlines from this year’s results are as follows: * 83.5% of entries at A-level here achieved grades A*- C; * At the top grades, A* – A was awarded to 30.7% of entrants; * 2013 is the fourth year of the new A* grade and the statistics show that 7.2% of grades awarded were A*; and * The overall pass rate has remained unchanged, with 98.2% of grades awarded at A* – E this year. Education Minister John O’Dowd said: “Today marks the culmination of many years of hard work by the young people who have received their A-Level results. The level of attainment of pupils in our schools is testament to the work and commitment of parents, teachers and above all the pupils themselves. “I would like to congratulate everyone who received results today on their achievements. “Many will have decided on their next steps, whether it be to Further or Higher Education, training or the world of work. Others, however, will face decisions on the way ahead following their results, and I would re-assure them that a world of opportunities remain open for them and encourage them to seek advice before making decisions on the next steps. “Whatever the future holds, I would like to wish all the young people affected the best of luck as they decide on the next step.”CLICK THE LINK FOR PHOTOS OF THE A-LEVEL RESULTS
The Employment and Learning Minister Dr Stephen Farry added: “A number of you will be going onto university, but for some there are other routes to achieving your future goals. I would encourage young people to investigate all options open to them. Our Further Education colleges offer a wide variety of foundation degrees and vocational qualifications and further study may prove beneficial, especially in the current economic times. Apprenticeships are another way to develop specialist skills, giving you the chance to earn while you learn and gain qualifications that are recognised worldwide. Taking time now to explore options will pay dividends in the future.” For those with queries on any issues relating to their exam results eg. appeals, remarks, re-sits, contact your exam centre or the CCEA helpline on 028 9026 1260 or email helpline@ccea.org.uk. For those who are still undecided about what to do next, information, advice and guidance is available from the Careers Service at 0300 200 7820,or at http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/results.
Information on university options is also available from the Aimhigher website at http://www.aimhigher.ac.uk or the UCAS website http://www.ucas.ac.uk. Another source of useful information on university options can be found at http://unistats.direct.gov.uk.
Down High School Celebrates After Another Successful Year
The pupils and teaching staff at Down High School have produced another set of superb A-Level results. Over a fifth of Upper Sixth pupils achieved at least three A or A* grades including four A* performances from Clare Cunningham and Jamie Harris which secures Jamie’s place at Cambridge University just as Sara Brown’s A* grades gain her entry to Oxford University.
Headteacher Mr Paul Logan said: “It is great to see so many happy pupils. I am particularly pleased with the excellent performances of so many of the large number of Lower Sixth pupils who joined us from other schools last summer. The support of the South Eastern Regional College has been particularly helpful in making our new BTEC courses such a success. Consequently as well as the courses in Travel and Tourism, Sport and Engineering, we also plan to launch BTEC Business this September as well as our new A-Level in computer programming which is called “Software Systems Design.”
Mr Logan added: “I want to congratulate the staff on ensuring that the proportion of Down High pupils heading to University continues to be massively above the grammar school average.”
Assumption Grammar School Has 100% Pass Rate At A2 Level
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Assumption Grammar School Principal Paul McBride with top performers Niamh McKeating and Angela McCauley with 2 A* and 2 A’s at A-Level.[/caption]
Assumption Grammar School has yet again met and exceeded its School Development targets by achieving 100% pass rate at A2 level! 350 A2 exams were sat and all were passes! Some 90% of all grades were between A* and C. 19 students achieved at least 3 A* to A grades. Four girls who sat 4 A2 levels achieved at least 4 A grades. At AS level, 17 students gained at least 3 A grades and two students got 5 straight Grade A’s.
Principal Paul McBride was again delighted with this outstanding performance which he attributed to all associated within the Assumption community. He said: “The continued excellence in our academic performance is a sign that everything, at all levels, within our school is well and finely tuned.“I am so pleased that every single Year 14 student passed all of her A levels. It is a time of celebration for the Trustees, Board of Governors, Staff – teaching and support, parents and pupils who play their own unique and particular roles to ensure that Assumption Grammar School remains a centre of curricular and extra-curricular excellence, which is secured through a strong ethos and pastoral care system. The signs remain very positive for the future.”
St Mary’s High School, Downpatrick, Enjoys Continuing Exam Successes
Principal Mrs Sheila Darling congratulated all the pupils on their outstanding As and A-Level results.
She said: “I would like to offer my warm congratulations to all of our students and their families on their excellent results once again.
“The success rate achieved in St Mary’s is exceptionally high with many students securing the very top grades. Well done to all!”
SERC Celebrates After A-Level Results
Local students from South Eastern Regional College were celebrating their results after two years of hard work. This year saw many success stories including that of David Annett from Kilkeel, who received an HNC with distinction in his General Engineering course. [caption id="attachment_41611" align="alignleft" width="270"]
Kilkeel student David Annett from SERC delighted with his results in HNC Engineering with a distinction.[/caption]
David said: “I am absolutely delighted with my grades. I have worked really hard throughout the year and received fantastic support from my tutors. I chose to study at SERC after attending an open evening. I liked its state of the art facilities and the tutors were very friendly. ”
Another student who exceeded his expectations was Downpatrick lad John Leneghan. John achieved a triple distinction star in his Extended Diploma in Engineering and is to study Mechanical Engineering at the University of Ulster. “Getting these results has been the highlight of my time at SERC,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed it here very much. I feel I benefited from the small class sizes, which meant I received excellent one-to-one teaching. The last two years have been hard in terms of the workload but the staff have been great and it’s all been worth it in the end. I’ve had a fantastic time at SERC and I’d really recommend it as a place to study.”
Aiden Burns who studied Sports Development Coaching and fitness was also celebrating after he achieved a triple distinction star in his course. Construction student Kevin McCarthy who is due to graduate next week was also celebrating after he achieved an HND with distinction.
Dr Michael Malone, SERC Director of Curriculum and Information Services said: “This level of success is a great testament to the high level of teaching and learning that goes on within the College. All students are to be congratulated as they all worked extremely hard throughout the year and I am delighted that all their hard work has paid off. We wish them every success in their future studies and careers.
“More students are opting for the BTEC National Diploma courses which are a three A-Level equivalent qualification that extends and deepens knowledge in specialist vocational areas such as Business, Construction, Mechanical Manufacture and Sport, to mention but a few. These qualifications prepare learners for employment in specific career sectors and also act as an entry requirement for university or other higher education qualifications.”
SERC offer a wide range of innovative degrees, foundation degrees and vocational programmes
On 22 and 23 August hopeful students will once again be arriving at SERC Campuses to enrol on Further Education courses ranging from Level 2 Diplomas to Level 3 Extended Diplomas, depending on GCSE results. With record numbers of applications the College is expecting a huge amount of interest in all FE courses.
SERC provides a range of full and part time courses designed to give students ‘the edge’ through industry projects and a range of work placements. To find out how SERC can help you ‘get the edge’ call 0845 600 7555, visit www.serc.ac.uk or find us on Facebook, search: South Eastern Regional College.
Shimna Integrated College Students Perform Well in A-Level Results
Students at Shimna Integrated College collected their A level results and planned ahead to their university career. Examples are Aritz taking his four As and A*s in physics, maths, chemistry and biology to University College London to read physics, while Sambie takes her straight A’s to the University of Ulster to read Business Studies.
AS students too celebrate results that show they are on the path to high achievement. Ryan, a member of the Youth Parliament for South Down, has managed to combine his campaigning with achieving straight As in his politics, history and geography. Dearbhail and Keely, both of whom already had A level Irish under their belt before they even entered sixth form, have added four more excellent grades to their tally.Rory came back from serious illness to achieve AS grades which put him right back on the path to success.
Principal Kevin Lambe said: “Today is a day for celebrating the achievement of every student who has fulfilled her or his potential. The league tables the press has reintroduced into our system distort the stories of greatest success, where students have achieved against all prediction and against the odds. We celebrate the achievement of all our students.”
