Students and staff at Wigan & Leigh College are today celebrating after they have achieved an outstanding 100% pass rate in A Levels with 62% of students achieving A*-B and an impressive 92% achieving A*-C.
The results were significantly above the national average, 8.5% above the national average for A*- B grades and 14.4% above the national average for A* - C grades, ensuring that students secured their first choice University or Degree Apprenticeship places.
In light of the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic, results were delivered differently this year and A Level students received their results early on Thursday morning by email.
Although it wasn’t possible to celebrate in College with their classmates and tutors, spirits will still be high after another outstanding year for the A Level Professional Honours Programme.
Principal, Anna Dawe, said: “We are immensely proud of our A Level Professional Honours Programme students and their staff.
“Their grades are outstanding and are based on two years of hard work. The outcome is a positive reflection of the resilience and dedication they have each shown and they can now expect to progress to some of the country’s top universities.”
Cassia Pedro, a former Dean Trust Rose Bridge pupil, achieved amazing A*, A, A grades in Psychology, Sociology and English Combined as part of the A Level Professional Honours Programme. The aspiring clinical psychologist was delighted with her results and will now progress to read Psychology at the University of St Andrews.
Cassia said: “Wigan & Leigh College has made me more independent. I really enjoyed the small class sizes so no one got left behind.
I enjoyed our trips to the Iraq consulate and Krakow. I was at one college for a year before Wigan and Leigh and everything was better here. Staff were so supportive, everything was picked up on, if you were struggling for whatever reason it would be spotted and the ways I can improve were discussed. Student support (ALS) was really outstanding compared to what I have experienced in the past too”.
Polly Ball, a former Bedford High School pupil gained A, A, A grades as part of the A Level Professional Honours Programme Teaching Pathway and will be reading English at the University of York.
The aspiring English teacher said: “I’m really happy with my results. During lockdown I was able to stay focused because I had normal timetabled lessons for A-level so even though I was at home I felt like I was having a normal college day, I wanted to make sure that I completed everything so that I was prepared for my university course”.
Katie Hadgraft, a former Westhoughton High School pupil, performed equally well in achieving outstanding A, A, A, grades in Biology, Chemistry and Maths as part of the Applied Medical Pathway. She is now off to read MSCI in Pharmacology at the University of Manchester.
As students were also celebrating their results with many achieving high grades and are pleased that they now have the grades secured which will support their university applications next year.
Advanced Vocational students were also celebrating with pass rates once again over 99% and the amount of high grades rising. The vast majority of the vocational students have secured progression to university but the positive results mean that students will be able to compete for prestigious degree apprenticeship places for which competition will be fiercer than ever due to the impact of COVID.
Among the fantastic results was BTEC Level 3 Applied Science student, Samuel Ngoma who achieved Distinction*, Distinction, Distinction (equivalent to A*, A, A at A Level) and is off to the University of Plymouth to read Ocean Science and Marine Conservation.
