A level Headlines 2010

The A2 & Level 3 results are pleasing and the efforts of students, family and school staff have proved to be very important for the futures and dreams of many of our students this year. We can all also be happy with an increase in top grades achieved by our students and yet there is no doubt that we need to build on this and really get to grips with the new A* grade to benefit the next cohorts. 

22 students achieved A* and A grades, with overall 63 gaining A*-B grades of which we are particularly proud. 

Some notable successes include Gagandeep Chaggar (A*A*A) reading English at Nottingham, Amrita Dehil (AAA) reading Business at City University, Tasneem Kasenally (AAA)  studying Business at Queen Mary’s and Omair Nazimi, former Head Boy (AAA) reading Accounting and Finance at Warwick. These results reflect all the talent of our students and staff and the close partnership between home and school. 

The summary outcomes for Year 13 are as follows:

The vast majority of subjects & teachers have also done very well with their A2 groups so a few celebrations are in order for:

1.      Art & Design: 100% passes and 100% with higher grades A*-C.

2.      Business Studies: 100% passes

3.      Design Technology: 100% passes

4.      Geography: 100% passes with 100% at the higher grades A*-B

5.      German: 100% passes

6.      History: 100% passes with 77% at higher grades A*-C

7.      Psychology: 97% passes with 65% at higher grades A*-C

8.      RE: 80% of the students achieving the higher grades at A*-C

9.      Sociology: 100% passes with 71% at the higher grades A*-C

10.    Urdu: Only one candidate but achieved A*

11.    Maths: 75% of students achieving higher grades from A*-C & 58% achieving at A*-B

12.    Further Maths (worth 2 A levels): 100% passes with 80% at higher grades A*-C

13.    Drama: 100% passes with 80% at higher grades A*-C

14.    Economics: 100% passes with 92% at higher grades A*-C

15.    English Literature: 100% passes with 57% at higher grades A*-C

16.    English Lang/Lit: 100% passes with 94% at higher grades A*-C

17.    French: 100% passes with 83% at higher grades A*-C

18.    Panjabi: Only 2 students but both achieved higher grades A*-C

19.    Media Studies: 100% passes with 83% at higher grades A*-C

20.    Music: 100% passes with 100% at the higher grades A*-C

21.    Physics: 100% passes with 80% at the higher grades A*-C

22.    PE: 100% passes with 50% at higher grades A*-C

23.    Applied Art & Design: 100% passes with 100% at the higher grades A*-C

24.    BTEC Business: 100% passes with 87% at the higher grades A*-B

This is an impressive list of achievements which gives credit for all the hard work teachers and other staff have done with these students over the last 2 years and more.

If you were here to see the students' faces, smiles and body language in the memorial garden as they opened their results, you will have been reminded again why working with these young people is such a privilege, is different from many other jobs and is so important to our community.

The external environment has changed radically this year with the competition for places at University being much, much tougher. With Year 13, we have found that to be confident of progression to university on the same courses and at the same universities, students need to achieve higher grades than previous years.

New university selection criteria mean a more intense focus on ‘outcome grades’ but future offers will take into stronger account the known data such as prior attainment at GCSE, AS and in modules/coursework.

Students not getting grades to match their offers this week have found it much more difficult to find a place elsewhere but we have worked with students to ensure Cranford students get the places they want. 

We will likely see a further ‘raising of the bar’ to entrance offers next year.

It is increasingly the case that GCSE performance in English and Maths is also crucial so the pupils need to be planning for and actively working towards their A level outcomes from the end of year 9 / the start of KS4 if they are to be more certain of having the option of progression to university in the future. We will need to communicate with parents and pupils so they revise their understanding and begin to stack the odds in their favour early.

As there are fewer university places available, ‘Clearing’ is also more competitive apparently with some 45 students in competition for every place available on the clearing system although fortunately few Cranford students have needed to rely on clearing on this occasion.

The introduction of the A* grade provides another way for universities to manage the gap between supply and demand. It is vital that future students are taught what is required to achieve the new A* grades and generally raise their performance by at least one if not more grades in Year 12 and 13.

Year 10, 11, 12 and 13 assemblies early in the autumn term will need to launch the process of ensuring pupils are well informed of the need to make themselves more marketable in a highly competitive market if they want to realise their future dreams.

Kevin Prunty, Executive Headteacher

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