Richmond Sixth Form College students have been rewarded for their hard work with impressive A-level and CTEC results across a wide range of subjects.
Sweeping the board with a suite of A* grades are Taryn Hodgson and Adam Dixon. Taryn will be studying Veterinary Science at Nottingham and Adam is heading to Lancaster to read Physics. Florence Hall and James Roberts, former Head Girl and Head Boy, are delighted to have secured their places at Oxford University. James will be studying Geography, and Florence, who was recently crowned the winner of the 2022 young poet’s competition at the Stratford-Upon-Avon Literary Festival, will read English Language and Literature.
Something that really stands out with this year’s cohort of students is the diversity of subjects they will be studying at university. Coupled with a number of students who have successfully secured apprenticeships, this reflects how well Richmond Sixth Form College prepares its students for their next steps and supports different ambitions and interests.
Five students are pursuing further studies and apprenticeships in quantity surveying. Millie Brown, Alex Percival and Jim Bowler-Jones have secured highly competitive degree apprenticeships with companies including Walter Thompson and Barrett Homes. Jack Moore and Angus Potter will be studying quantity surveying at Northumbria and Heriot-Watt Universities. Ethan Raine has already started an apprenticeship as an IT Support Assistant with Froneri, at Leeming Bar, where he is working on a number of tasks including IT systems, training end users and IT support. Ethan said: “After considering my options post A-levels, I decided an apprenticeship was a better route into a career than going to university. I would encourage others to give it a go as it gives you an insight into working life and more responsibility.”
With Baroness Hale, former President of the Supreme Court, being an alumna, law continues to be a popular choice for Richmond Sixth Form College students, and this year is no exception. With impressive A-level results, Ben Gill, Ethan Fox and Patrick Carlton will study Law at Glasgow, Lancaster and Warwick respectively.
Evie Dobson achieved two Distinction * in CTEC Performing Arts and is looking forward to studying Dance at Northern Contemporary School of Dance in Leeds. Evie has devoted an incredible amount of time to her Dance studies and performances during Sixth Form, as well as mentoring and leading younger students and being instrumental in the organisation and choreography of a number of exceptional Dance shows.
Sinead Hamilton, Lara Nisbet, Daisy Amsing and Chloe Williams achieved excellent A-level results and will be furthering their knowledge in Business Studies at university. With an interest in the environment, George Baker and Franki Williams are heading to the University of Cumbria to study Animal Conservation Science and Forestry.
Although Maths is acknowledged as one of the most difficult A-level subjects, students, once again, have delivered superb results, with 30% achieving A* and a further 18% an A grade as well as 66% of students gaining an A or A* in Further Maths. Charlie Coles, John Izdebski, Ben Mason and Alex Tizzard will be reading Maths at Durham and Lancaster Universities with Henry Shepherd studying Maths and Physics at Warwick.
Some students chose to take the highly regarded Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) alongside their A-levels, which requires a huge investment in time and independent study. Students have to produce a paper on a subject of their choice and demonstrate in-depth research and analysis. The students’ results were most impressive and included two A*s and eight As.
Jenna Potter, Headteacher at Richmond School and Sixth Form College, commended the students on their success, particularly in the face of the challenges caused by Covid over the last two years, saying: “We are proud to see so many students achieving and even exceeding their predicted grades and continuing their studies at the university or apprenticeship of their choice. Our students have shown tremendous resilience, continuing to work hard throughout the pandemic and multiple disruptions to their courses, much of which was taught remotely. Having missed taking their GCSEs, this is their first experience of public examinations which added further pressure to an already challenging situation.
Richard Crane, CEO of the Areté Learning Trust, added: “’Congratulations to all of our students for a great set of results which is testament to their hard work. We wish them every success in their next steps in education or employment. We also extend our gratitude to all our staff who have worked tirelessly to support our young people through their studies, as well as our students’ families for the increased support given during these unprecedented times.“