Hundreds of Hackney students are nervously and excitedly awaiting news of their grades for this year's A Levels - so the Gazette will be updating results from the borough's schools and colleges throughout the day.
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For the second year running, exams were not held due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and results will be based on teacher assessments. Marks will be given from a ‘range evidence’ submitted over the academic year, which can include class tests and coursework.
Students will begin receiving their results from 8.30am, but universities will already know grades and will be well placed to respond.
Unusually, the results day falls on a Tuesday and in the same week as GCSE marks, which are released on Thursday. This has been arranged to allow more time for student appeals to universities ahead of September intakes.
Hackney school's are listed in alphabetical order
Cardinal Pole Catholic School "smashed it out the park"
Cardinal Pole Catholic School on Morning Lane in Homerton has seen "tremendous results" with 99 per cent of students securing A to C grades at A Level and 90 per cent receiving grades A to B.
Associate headteacher Adam Hall said the sixth form at Cardinal Pole "smashed it out the park", adding: “These tremendous results are testament to the hard work and resilience of our students and all those at Cardinal Pole, especially given the difficulties of the last year."
Jane Heffernan, executive headteacher said the results would "equip students with the qualifications and skills needed for a successful future".
The executive headteacher added: "I am very proud of each and every one of them and am grateful to staff and parents for their support.”
Vocational results in health and social care and business also saw 81pc of students securing Distinctions.
Student Naimeh Sabrah, who achieved three A* A Level grades said: "Over the last two years I have had so much support from the teachers. I don’t think I could have done it without them."
Cardinal Pole high-achiever Edward Badege was awarded three A* and an A. He thanked his school: "Over my years here, Cardinal Pole educated me, inspired me and helped raise me.
"For the success of my cohort and I, I am so grateful. The community they fostered shaped us into intelligent and kind young adults."
Students Temi Ajayi and Jessica Ugori were awarded three A* grades each and Marcus Anozie, Dilara Cigerli and Demetria Kirlew all secured two A*s and one A grade.
Vocational BTEC students were "equally delighted" at their results with many achieving Distinction grades, including Mercy Adeosun, Lillian Anarfi, Jessica Ashamu, Briana Browne, Alna Caulker, Franciska Dam, Miriam Ishola, Musu Jaiteh, Katie Lowbridge, Catherine Metuge, Charlene Ofori-Attah, Zoe Opoku, Angela Owusu, Fatima Pereira and Dean Tennant.
While many students at the school have accepted places at top universities, like Cambridge, King's College London, Warwick and Manchester, several students have also secured apprenticeships and work.
Students will be reading a wide range of subjects including medicine and biomedical Science, law and business, architecture and art, chemistry, physics, maths, business, and nursing.
Justin Madubuko, chair of governors at Cardinal Pole school and a past student, celebrated the news with staff and students, wishing them all well for the future.
Past students include the artist Oscar Murillo who is currently exhibiting his “Frequencies” project which will continue until the end of August.
The City Academy students celebrate “best ever” A-level results
Following months of virtual and in-person classes during the Covid pandemic, students at The City Academy in Homerton have received their A-level and BTEC results today.
Students achieved a 66 per cent pass rate in grades A* to B, with 47pc of students achieving all of their grades at A* to B.
Thirteen per cent of students achieved A* to A in all of their subjects.
Top student Josh Diebel was awarded an A* and two As. He plans to study philosophy, politics and economics at Durham.
"I am extremely thankful that my hard work and concentration has paid off. This year has been emotional, but it has ended with a lot of relief," said Josh.
Krupali Vassantcumar, who achieved straight A*s, will study politics and international relations at Birmingham University.
Krupali added: "I'm excited for what is in store for me."
The school's highest performing students also include, Kia Scott who is heading to Liverpool University to study Law, Julia Sinchukovska who will study economics at Warwick, Jamie Sonmez, who plans to study computer science at Manchester and Fahri Yilmaz will study accounting and management at Queen Mary.
Headteacher of The City Academy Hackney, Mark Malcolm, said: “Students at The City Academy, Hackney, are celebrating the best ever set of A level and BTEC results this year."
The headteacher added that despite the "seemingly endless and challenging circumstances" of the last year and a half, "our resilient and hard-working students have achieved outstanding grades, and most of them will be advancing to degree courses, many of them at Russell group universities."
Several students at the school have secured prestigious degree apprenticeships at companies like KPMG, Vodafone, BT and TfL.
Clapton Girls' Academy celebrate amazing A Level and BTEC results
Clapton Girls' Academy in Lower Clapton has seen its students achieve top A Level results with the school's sixth form ranking in the top 1 per cent of sixth forms nationally.
A third of all A Level students had straight A* or A grades with more than half achieved top A* to A grades. All BTEC students achieved Merit or above with 86pc receiving Distinctions or above.
Top performing students include Ruth Williams who is heading to Edinburgh University to study Maths.
Ruth got straight A*s and said: "‘I’m so happy as I got into the university I really wanted. My teachers were great and there were lots of opportunities to get help to improve."
Clapton Girls' student Katia Bennamane received three A*s and is heading to Kings College to study computer science. She said she was "super happy" with her results, adding: " I wasn’t expecting these results. All the support over my years at Clapton has been crazy."
Beatrice Cook's three A*s will see her doing a foundation year in Art before studying history of art and English literature at Leeds.
"I loved being at Clapton. Even though most of my time in the Sixth Form has been an online experience Clapton did so much to make it the best it could be," said the "surprised" student.
Samantha Galllifant, who also achieved three A*s, will be heading to Westminster University to study criminology.
Samantha said: "'My experience at Clapton has been one which was definitely a heavy rollercoaster, but I honestly could say I would do it all over again if I could. I was taught by Clapton to put in that hard work because they believed in me, which led me to the grades I got today."
Students Frida Breza, Kitty Love-Jones and Tahia all received three A*s. Frida will study history at Oxford New College, Kitty is heading to Cambridge's Clare College to study modern and medieval languages and Tahia to King's College to study medicine.
Ilhaam Hassan's top grades will see her heading to Queen Mary to also study medicine.
Many BTEC students at Clapton Girls' also achieved top marks with many triple distinction stars awarded, results equivalent to three A grades at A Level, for BTEC business, applied science and health and social care.
Leyla Ali, Adolphine Brefo and Fatima Solkar all celebrated top marks. Lela is heading to St Georges to study Diagnostic Radiography. She said: "‘My results are amazing. I’m shocked as I didn’t expect this. I am so grateful for all the help from my teachers, in particular Ms Byrne my Science teacher."
Adolphine is set to study business, accounting and finance at Exeter University while Fatima will head to City University to study Speech and Language.
Headteacher of Clapton Girls' Ms Feltham said she was "extremely proud" of the school's Year 13 students: "They have worked really hard and shown incredible determination and commitment during a really challenging period.
"We are delighted to see so many students achieving so brilliantly in their A-Level and BTEC courses and heading off to a variety of exciting university and apprenticeship destinations. Our students and staff should be very proud of everything their hard work has achieved."
Haggerston School students' "dreams come true"
A Level students at Haggerston School in Hackney were celebrating this morning after getting the grades to study at “dream” universities.
More than half of students have placed at top Russell Group universities with an incredible 61pc of students scoring A* to B grades.
For the second year running, exams were cancelled, with final grades based on teacher assessments and the past two years of study disrupted by the pandemic.
Top student Tanvir Ahmed, 18, who achieved A*s in Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics will be studying Civil Engineering at Imperial College in London.
Tanvir said: “It has been a challenging year but the support I have received from the school has been just incredible. They have made sure I am ready to take my next step.
“I just want to be able to build something that helps other people, if that’s a bridge that can help transport links, or help people in countries that are worse off than we are that would be amazing.”
Ahmed Mahamud Ahmed, 18, achieved an A in Psychology, and B’s in Mathematics and Chemistry and will study Aerospace Engineering at Queen Mary University.
He said: “Man this is a dream come true, these grades are exactly what I was hoping for, I can’t believe it. What a day. My parents are going to be so proud."
“I have taken my first step towards my dream which is to go and work for a big company and we can help send someone into space, it would be amazing.”
Praising his teachers, Ahmed added: “Maths teachers Ms O’Regan and Ms Phillips helped motivate me every day. They are the best teachers in the world, they’ve been an inspiration to me.”
Nick Westwood, 18, from Hackney Downs, scored straight A*s in Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics to earn a place at Imperial College to study Aeronautical Engineering with Space Engineering.
He added: “Haggerston is a great school, all the teachers and everyone here has helped me achieve what is going to be a dream come true when I get to go to Imperial. I couldn’t have done it without them."
McKinlay Graves, 17, said he couldn’t wait to do “history in real life” as he plans to go and study Archaeology at Sheffield University. He achieved a B in Sociology, an A in History and an A* in Religious Studies.
He said: “I want to be able to travel and go to digs all over the world, I want to explore and find new places.
History is great at school but it is all learning from textbooks, I want to be able to go and find history in real life. It’s fascinating.”
Danita Ansaah, 18, got the grades to go to the University of Bath to study Social Work and Applied Social Studies after achieving A’s in Psychology, Sociology and Fine Art and Design.
Danita, 18, from Dalston, said: “Oh my god, I can’t believe it, that’s better than I even needed.
“I had a dream last night I got BBB, which meant I went to university, so it’s even better than my dreams.
“It’s been a really tough year, I’ve been nervous for a few days but my mum just told me that it’s out of my hands, and I’ve worked so hard whatever happens will happen. She’s not going to believe it.”
Satya Napierzynska, 17, is going to take a gap year and can’t wait to travel the world before she hopes to go and study Physics at university. She was thrilled after achieving A*s in Mathematics, Physics, and Religious Studies.
She said: “I want to go and see the world before I go to university, I want to work for a year and save up before going to Asia and hopefully some other places too."
Headteacher Ciara Emmerson said she was "particularly proud" of her school's 2021 A Level cohort. : "Students worked incredibly hard and have shown remarkable resilience in the face of a very challenging few years.
“We are pleased that so many have been awarded the results they deserve and will progress onto degree courses at prestigious universities, including UCL, Nottingham, Edinburgh and Bristol.
Ms Emmerson added: “Our sixth form has been on a strong trajectory of improvement over the last four years and we are so proud that 61pc of awarded qualifications were the top A*-B grades, with a 99pc pass rate overall.
“We congratulate all our students and wish them every success in the next stage of their education.”
Our Lady's Catholic High School Stamford Hill
Our Lady's Catholic High School in Stamford Hill has reported "outstanding achievements" from its A Level students and BTEC qualifications today.
Justine McDonald, the school’s headteacher, said: “We are immensely proud of all the work and achievements of our students.
"They have shown such tenacity and resilience as they worked for these qualifications despite 18 months of disruption to their courses.
"Our teachers have worked tirelessly to ensure students are all able to progress onto further education and study, and we look forward to seeing what they will achieve in the future.”
Skinners' Academy Woodberry Down
Year 13 students at Skinners’ Academy in Woodberry Down celebrated exceptional grades earlier today, with teachers' praising the resilience they showed during pandemic.
This year’s cohort achieved 100 per cent A* to E grades for A Levels and the vocational equivalent for BTEC students.
On average, students who completed A-Level courses gained an A- with a VA score of +1.2, meaning they achieved results 1.2 grades higher than would have been expected based on their GCSE results on entry.
Seventy-nine per cent were awarded A*-B grades and 53pc of students who completed vocational courses gained a Distinction.
Students have gained places at several universities across the country including, University of Birmingham, University of Northampton, University on Nottingham and City, University of London, Queen Mary, Coventry and Middlesex.
They will be studying a range of courses including law, children’s nursing, business analytics and advertising and digital Marketing.
Skinners' Academy Godiva C achieved an two A grades and a B and will be studying law at London Metropolitan University. She said all her "hard work has truly paid off", adding: “I am so happy with my grades.
"I have never gotten an A grade before but now I have two."
Shereka James, Principal of Skinners’ Academy was "immensely proud" of students' work and achievements after such a "difficult and disrupted year".
"Our teachers have worked tirelessly to ensure students are all able to progress onto further education and study, and we look forward to seeing what they will achieve in the future," the principal said.
Hannah Potter, head of sixth form added: "I am incredibly proud of how well all our students have performed in such unusual and challenging circumstances.
"I'm so excited to see so many students go onto top universities to study the subjects they are most passionate about."
Urswick School students triumph after a demanding year
At the Urswick School in Paragon Road, Hackney, students were celebrating this morning when collecting their A level results.
Richard Brown, Executive Headteacher said: ‘This has been such a complex, demanding year which has made these successes even more special. Our young people have shown resilience and worked exceptionally hard. They all have smiles on their faces today, which is wonderful to see."
Urswick student Miriam Summers, 18, achieved three A* in Sociology, Ethics and Theology, and History.
Miriam is going on to read Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Cavendish College in Cambridge.
The 18-year-old said: “I would like to thank all of my A Level teachers for their tireless efforts to help me on the path to where I am now. I am so looking forward to developing my knowledge further and would like to thank my Mandarin teacher especially. “
Cosmo Siddons, 18, is preparing to study Chinese studies at Queen’s College Oxford after getting an A* in English Literature, A* in History and A* in Politics.
Cosmo said that although the last two years have been "challenging", "it has all ended well for us", adding: "I have felt fully supported by all the teaching staff. It’s great to know all the hard work has paid off and I’m really looking forward to the next stage of my education.“
Student Iyobosa Sengar Ajala, 18 only joined the school in 2019 having newly arrived in the UK.
In just three years Iyobosa has excelled, achieving an A* in Spanish, A in Chemistry and B in Biology and will go on to study Biomedical Science at Queen Mary University.
Iyobosa said: “I want to thank The Urswick School for accepting me as a new student and then helping me to become an excellent student. I will never forget this."
Meanwhile, Rachel Ikusawe, 18, achieved A's in Sociology and in Drama & Theatre Studies, as well as an A* in Law.
Rachel is going on to Queen Mary University to study Law.
She said “I would like to thank all my teachers and I would like to thank god. I am so happy with my results and so excited for the next chapter in my life."
Sahila Richards, 18 is going on to Sussex University to study Law and Criminology.
Sahila said: "All the hard work paid off. It’s been a tough couple of years but if you put the work in, you see results. I want to thank all my teachers for helping me and spending extra time with me.”
Sahila achieved straight As in Psychology, Sociology and Law.
Headteacher Richard Brown added: “For Miriam to have gained a place at Cambridge and Cosmo to be going to Oxford is a huge success for the school and these fantastic young people, who will continue to demonstrate all that is best about The Urswick School.”
“I would also like to thank our dedicated staff team. The system of the school creating and marking assessments and then using them as evidence to determine the final grades has put a great deal of additional pressure on teachers.
"Urswick’s evidence was sampled by the exam boards who left all of our grades unchanged. This is a wonderful day for the school.’
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