LIVE: A-Level results day 2021 as students across Derbyshire find out their grades
This year’s exams were cancelled for the second year running, leaving teachers to assess their students and award grades based on a range of evidence.
Results went live on the UCAS website at 8.30am on Tuesday, August 10, with many students heading to their respective schools and sixth form colleges to pick up their results in person thereafter.
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Hide AdWe’ll be bringing you all the latest news from across the Derbyshire region on this live blog as A-Level results day 2021 gets underway, as well as providing information and advice for those who did not receive the grades they’d hoped for and are having to go through clearing or consider new options.
Live updates as students from across Derbyshire receive their A-Level results
Key Events
- Students across Derbyshire are finding out their A-Level grades today
- We’re at Outwood Academy Newbold as Sixth Form pupils open their results
- A-Level results hit record high as almost 50% of pupils land A and A* grades nationally
Chesterfield College students celebrate results
With an A Level pass rate of 96 per cent and a record number of students receiving the highest grades of A*- B there was a real buzz at the college’s sixth form hub in West Studios on Sheffield Road.
Students also found out their final grades for their level 3 vocational qualifications (equivalent to A-Levels).
Those studying in business, sport, law and travel and tourism did particularly well at securing the highest distinction star and distinction grades but there was lots of success across the 36 qualifications offered at this level by the college.
Read the full story here: https://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/education/chesterfield-college-students-celebrate-a-level-and-vocational-results-3341348
‘Very strong year’ for A-Level results at Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School
With over 43 per cent of A-Level entries gained an A* or A, with 71 per cent gaining A*-B grades and over 94 per cent gaining A* - C grades and 100 per cent pass rate, many students will be taking up places at their first choice of employment, apprenticeship and universities.
Headteacher, Martyn Cooper, said “I’m delighted for students and their families. It is a joy to see young people realising their dreams, making phone calls to family members and planning the next steps of their journey, especially after such a challenging and unprecedented time period.
“Students, their families and staff at the school have continued to work extremely hard in ever-evolving scenarios to achieve these much deserved outcomes.
“We are particularly pleased that our initial analysis shows that we should be in the top five per cent of schools in the country in terms of progress data; this shows that DHFS students work hard and make excellent progress regardless of their starting point, a trend that we are proud to see year in, year out at DHFS.
“This is also testament to the subject knowledge, skill and personalised input from our staff. On behalf of the DHFS community I would like to thank them for their commitment to our students and school.”
Marc Howell, Director of Sixth Form said “Our students have worked incredibly hard this year and following a rigorous process, fully deserve these brilliant outcomes, we have seen students successfully taking up places at competitive institutions and destinations including three places at Oxbridge and four are going to study medicine or dentistry.
“With over 93 per cent of students gaining a place at their first-choice university, rising to 100 per cent including first or insurance choice university placements and an increasing number of students obtaining competitive apprenticeship placements, we are pleased to see students taking positive next steps after such a challenging two years.
“Well done to our Class of 2021, we are incredibly proud of them all.”
Delight for A-Level students at Tupton Hall School
Overall, the percentage of A* to A students at Tupton Hall was 28.5 per cent, with over half of students (53.9 per cent) achieving A* to B grades.
Headteacher Andrew Knowles, said: “We are delighted for our students after a traumatic end to their Post 16 experience with us. Their efforts and hard work over the two years of study have been duly rewarded.
“We are all very proud of this wonderful group of individuals. I would also like to thank our highly skilled staff and supportive parents and families who have supported our students throughout this time.”
Among the high achievers were Olivia Buckley who achieved an A* in Biology, an A* in Psychology and an A in Chemistry.
In September, Olivia will be studying Biomedical Science at the University of Sheffield.
Chloe Butler was awarded A grades in Spanish and Maths and an A* in Economics.
Chloe’s hard work and success will take her to the University of Sheffield where she will study Economics and Modern Languages & Cultures.
Other high performing individuals include:
- Eden Booth: A*, A*, A in Psychology, Law and History.
- Alisha Hurrell: A*, A, A in Biology, Chemistry and Maths.
- Isabelle Payne: A*, A*, A, A* in Biology, English Literature, Psychology & Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).
- Jack Redman: A*, A*, A, A in Maths, Further Maths, Physics and French.
Students receive teacher-assessed A Level results after second year of cancelled exams
The teacher-assessed grades come after the summer exams were cancelled for the second year in a row due to the pandemic.
Thousands of pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be hoping to progress on to university, work or training after completing their A Levels, with experts predicting that “inflation” may occur this year.
Read more here: https://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/education/students-receive-teacher-assessed-a-level-results-after-second-year-of-cancelled-exams-3340059
Praise for Derbyshire’s young people as they pick up their A-Level results
Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Young People, Councillor Alex Dale, said: “I’d like to wish all our students who will soon receive their A-level or GCSE results the very best of luck.
“It has been a difficult year for all students, their families and school staff, so I’d also like to thank everyone involved. Our schools and their pupils have worked very hard in extremely difficult circumstances and deserve praise for the way they’ve kept going through thick and thin.
“I’d like to wish our students all the best for the future. There’s plenty of advice and support on offer for all students from their school or college as they consider their next steps.”
Mount St. Mary's College once again raises A-level standards
Students at Mount St Mary’s College, Spinkhill, are again celebrating record A-Level results.
This year’s results, which have seen the College’s A*-A grades go above the national average, has ensured the majority of students secured their first choice places at top universities including Durham, York, Sheffield, St Andrew’s and Edinburgh.
Record results were also achieved by students who took CTEC exams.
Toby Harrison, 18, was absolutely delighted with his three A*s and one A which will see him go off to Durham where he will read Natural Sciences. Toby got his A*s in Maths, Chemistry and Physics, with an A in Further Maths.
“I have tried to be as relaxed as possible in the run up to today but I’m so pleased to have finally got my results,” he said.
“I’m going to be studying Natural Sciences as it’s a little bit of everything I love, and hopefully career avenues will open themselves up to me during my degree.
“I have loved my journey through Barlborough Hall School and the Mount, and I’m apprehensive about university life, but I’m looking forward to a new adventure.”
Deputy Head Girl Evie Cullen, 18, from Owlthorpe, was over the moon with her A* in Politics and two As in Spanish and English.
“I’m going to study International Relations with Russian at St Andrew’s which I’m really looking forward to,” she said. “I’ve been pretty relaxed but I’m so happy with my results.”
And Lilly Connor, 18, is celebrating after getting an A* in Business, As in Art and EPQ, and a B in Maths. She is going to the University of York to study Accountancy and Finance.
Lilly said: “I’ve just told my mum my results and she is absolutely over the moon. I didn’t sleep very well last night and I’m so relieved today is finally here. It’s fantastic!”
Head of Sixth Form, Dr Sarah Dewar-Watson: “I would like to congratulate all our students on their success.
“I am very proud that Mount St Mary’s College students are able to pursue their talents and interests at university level in diverse subjects from International Relations with Arabic and Russian and Biomedical Sciences, to International Business Economics, Natural Sciences and Anthropology.
“Among the top performing subjects over 71 per cent of students achieved A*-A in Languages, 56 per cent achieved A*-A in Sciences, and English and Maths A*-A was achieved by 43 per cent and 44 per cent of students respectively.”
Results system ‘an insult to young people’
The National Education Union (NEU) has criticised the Government’s approach to calculating A-level results, calling it an ‘insult to young people’.
Dr Mary Bousted, the NEU’s joint general secretary, said: “Students have been knocked from pillar to post this year through no fault of their own.
“In Scotland, many pupils suffered a week of real anguish over lower grades than they expected, only for their centre assessed grades to be reinstated.
“Wales has the benefit of external exams (AS Levels) taken partway through the A Level course to use as a backstop - unlike in England, where Gavin Williamson has taken pre-emptive measures which only serve to show he has no confidence in and cannot defend the system he created during lockdown.
“Williamson’s plan is a real insult to young people and their parents, who depend on a credible system which is supposed to help students on their way to a bright future.”
“For those having to sit autumn exams, that future will now be postponed. For others, the competition for university places has been intensified due to different decisions being made in Scotland. And it remains to be seen quite how unfair the Government’s plan will be for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“Years of misconceived structures in the exams process have come back to haunt the Westminster Government.
“Students have been downgraded for reasons which to them will be obscure. So not only will the result be devastating, but many will discover it has nothing to do with their own performance and everything to do with the past attainment of their school.
“Student prospects this year were governed by an algorithm, and the unfairness of that process has been fully exposed.
“Gavin Williamson’s solution is no ‘triple lock’ but a menu of bad options. Teachers and pupils who know how mock exams differ even among subjects in the same school will wonder what counts as a ‘valid’ mock exam result, and the suggestion that this should be viewed as more reliable than teacher assessment is simply nonsensical. In other nations, pupils at least have the security of AS Level results giving a percentage of their final grade, rather than basing their entire future on a single set of exams.
“This is why the appeals process is more important than ever. It needs to be accessible to all and resourced properly to cope with demand, so that no further delays are created in the lives of young people.”