A LEVEL RESULTS: Wirral schools toast another year of success

Aug 22 2012 by Lorna Hughes, Heswall News

WIRRAL students are toasting another year of A-level success.

Provisional results show the overall pass rate was 97.6% – up from 96% last year and virtually identical to the national picture.

Almost half – 48% – of A level entrants achieved top grades A* to B – another slight rise from 47.5% last year.

Education chiefs said the results were testament to the “hard work of pupils and staff”.

At St Anselm’s grammar school in Birkenhead, a quarter of entries were graded A* or A and it managed an 98% overall pass rate, just 1% down on last year.

At Birkenhead school, in Oxton, 44% of students managed A* or A grades.

Oldershaw academy in Wallasey saw a record 20% of A-level entries achieving grade A and an overall pass rate of 96%.

Headteacher Steven Peach said: “The students have worked so hard and have been fully rewarded with the grades not only in A-levels but also BTEC and other qualifications.”

Hilbre High School, in West Kirby, managed a 100% A* to E pass rate compared with 98.8% last year. At Wallasey-based Weatherhead High the A* to E pass rate was 99.8% – virtually identical to its 100% result last year.

Results at Birkenhead Sixth Form College improved for the sixth consecutive year, with an overall pass rate of 99% – up from 98.5% last year.

Student Max Norman achieved an impressive four A* grades, including French – which he only picked up as a hobby last October.

He will go on to study the language with Russian at Cambridge University’s Kings College.

Principal Kathryn Podmore said: “The results are exceptionally good this year and reflect the hard work of the students and everyone at the college.”

West Kirby Grammar School also recorded its best ever A level results, with a 100% pass rate. Three-quarters of students passed with A* to B grades and 15 achieved four or more A levels at A* or A – including Kirtana Vallabhaneni, the reigning UK Young Scientist of the Year and Wirral Young Poet Laureate Beth Cady.

Shirley Zhang received five A* grades and will now study medicine at Cambridge University.

Headteacher Glenice Robinson said: “The students and their teachers are to be congratulated. We are very proud of their achievement.”

Over half of all entries at Calday Grange Grammar gained A* to B grades, with an overall pass rate of 98.83%.

More than 2,000 students in Wirral sat A-levels and equivalent exams this year.

Cllr Tony Smith, Wirral Council cabinet member for Children’s Services and Lifelong Learning, said: “We are still collating results, but the emerging picture is very promising.

“I would like to congratulate all those who have achieved the results they need and wish them the best for the future.”