A-Level Success Sweeps Godalming Area

At last, the hard work and the endless waiting is over for hundreds of A-Level students throughout the Godalming area.

And for yet another year running, pupils in schools and colleges around the area achieved bumper results, setting them on the path to much deserved higher education places.

Teachers and headmasters alike hailed this year to be one of the most challenging environments for university entrants - with some 673,000 students around the country applying for just 350,000 spots.

But that did not deter the A-Level pupils from King Edward 's School in Witley near Godalming enjoying great success in gaining places at their chosen universities.

They included Hannah Grealish from Godalming who gained the A* and 2 As which she needed to secure her place at Cambridge to read Land Economy, while Charlotte Barnard from Aldershot and Hester Mott from Witley both obtained 2A* and an A and will both go on to Nottingham to read English Studies & German, and French & Spanish respectively.

Emilie Beckwith from Chiddingfold gained A* and 2 As and will read Philosophy and English Literature at Edinburgh. These girls, all from the local area, have been at King Edward's since the age of eleven, and have become firm friends and key players in many of the girl's sports teams.

These results come on the heels of some excellent IB results received in July. Jennifer North gained an outstanding total of 41 points, (equivalent to 5 grade A's at A level) and will read Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Manchester. Harriet Willis fromPlaistow who was Head Girl at the school achieved 38 points (equivalent to 4A* at A level) and she is going to read History at St Peters College Oxford. Prokop Volf led the boys' results with 41 points and will go on to Newcastle to read Law.

The combination of these results proved a major success story for King Edward's. Over 89% of the Upper Sixth gained the equivalent of A* to C at IB or A Level. King Edward's is proud that, even in highly competitive conditions for university places, its pupils are able to go on to study the subjects of their choice. Other universities to which King Edward's pupils will be admitted include Bristol, Loughborough, Southampton, York and Sheffield.

Headmaster, John Attwater paid tribute to the pupils and explained "There have been some nervous moments, especially as their IB colleagues had their results six weeks ago, but I am delighted with their achievements. These are tough times for 18 year-olds, and we are not an academic hothouse, so it is good news that an enriched education as well as a rigorous academic programme has given our students the results they want as well as the broader skills they will need to cope with university and life beyond. Well done to them: these results are a tribute to the hard work of our pupils and their teachers."

Elsewhere the pupils at Prior's Field girls school in Godalming celebrated some excellent A Level results again this year. One fifth of all grades were A* with nearly half A*/A and 81% A*- C. In the creative arts over three quarters of students achieved A* or A and in maths and physics two thirds achieved these top grades.

Head Teacher Julie Roseblade, insisted: "We are extremely proud of our A-level students: they have worked very hard to achieve these results and we are delighted that so many will now go on to their first choice universities. Our approach as a school is always to encourage a wide range of talents and abilities and to inspire, rather than pressurise or 'hot house' the girls. Prior's Field sixth formers are well balanced, interesting and confident – a real credit to themsleves and to their school. "

A-level passes throughout the country have risen for the 29th year in a row as teenagers face an intense battle for university places.Those who miss out on a place this year could face tuition fees of up to £9,000 a year.Overall pass rates rose slightly, but for the first time in 15 years there was no increase in the total proportion getting A or A* grades. Just over 27% of entries scored these grades, with a small rise in the proportion awarded A*.

Pupils from Godalming College were among those celebrating another year of strong achievement as the 2011 A-level and BTEC results.

Sixth formers at Godalming achieved a pass rate of 98.5 per cent with 60 per cent of exam entries at A or B grade, or the equivalent. The college's percentage of A* grades has increased this year to 13 per cent.

The college's Principal David Adleman praised the efforts of the students. "These results reflect the hard work put in by our students and staff. We are a big sixth form college with over 700 individuals completing level 3 qualifications in 2011. For so many students to do so well is amazing. They are to be congratulated and we wish them every success in the future." he said.

Pupils from Godalming's Charterhouse school were also celebrating major success in this year's Cambridge Pre-U and A level results. At the famous school, 40% of this year's Pre-U entries were graded at the two highest Distinction levels (D1 or D2). These two top grades are both rated more highly than an A* at A level in the UCAS tariff. Four pupils gained four D1 grades (top Distinctions) and a further thirteen achieved grades which were all at or above the A*/D2 level. Eighty-seven pupils gained at least three grades at or above the equivalent of an A level A grade.