THERE were lots of celebrations at Barnsley College on Thursday morning as students received excellent grades with many landing their place at their first-choice universities.
This year marks the first year since the pandemic that students have sat both their GCSE and A Level examinations in person, with hopes that outcomes will show a return to the pass rates of 2018/2019.
Jack Cunliffe, 18 , achieved an A, C and B grade in biology, Spanish and chemistry respectively.
He told the Chronicle: “I think there was a feeling that we’re all a little bit more confident by having sat GCSEs so we know what to expect this time round.
“I imagine that’s quite different compared to previous years.”
Chief executive of the college, David Akeroyd, added: “We’re really happy with the results for our students.
“The vast majority will be going to their first choice university, into work or into an apprenticeship at a high level.
“We’re delighted that we’ve got some students again that will be going to Oxbridge and elite universities and elite courses at other universities.
“I’m looking at how this year’s results relate to the last year pre-Covid, so the 2018/19 cohort - we’re pretty much level with where we were there.
“There’s some improvements in some key subjects such as maths and the sciences, and across the board we’re where we expect to be.
“So it’s been another great year for young people in Barnsley.”
David said that this continued success is down to the ‘brilliant’ teachers who’ve put in the work to help students.
“It’s great that our students come here, they enter a brilliant learning environment led by our teachers,” he said.
“This is a testament to the hard work first of all of our students and then the teachers inspiring them to be the best they can be.”
BARNSLEY Sixth Form College students are celebrating following a staggering 99 per cent pass rate with their A Level results.
The college described the results as ‘excellent’ and they helped a record number of their students head to either Oxford or Cambridge University.
A total of 18 out of the 25 subjects on offer at the sixth form including business, English language and literature, physics, law and politics celebrated students achieving a 100 per cent pass rate.
Many students are now looking forward to starting higher education courses at elite universities throughout the country, including Durham, Leeds and Nottingham with two students achieving the grades needed to take up a place at Oxford and Cambridge.
A number of students also picked up their T Level grades yesterday morning.
T Levels were introduced in September 2020 and are two-year courses, taken after GCSEs, and offer students practical and knowledge-based learning at a school or college and on-the-job experience through an industry placement of at least 315 hours approximately 45 days.
The college’s T Level students achieved an 87 per cent pass rate overall.
A college spokesperson told the Chronicle: “Students studying accounting; design, surveying and planning for construction; digital business services; and maintenance, installation and repair for engineering and manufacturing subjects all achieving a 100 per cent pass rate, as Barnsley College students continue to buck the national trend to achieve some of the strongest T Level results in the country.”
