VIDEO and PHOTO GALLERY: A level results success at Kesteven and Sleaford High School

Kesteven and Sleaford High School is celebrating another year of outstanding A level and AS results today (Thursday) with every single student achieving A Level passes in the subjects they took.
A-Level Results. Kesteven & Sleaford High School. L-R Emma Francis 18 and Phoebe Morgan 18. EMN-170817-105832001A-Level Results. Kesteven & Sleaford High School. L-R Emma Francis 18 and Phoebe Morgan 18. EMN-170817-105832001
A-Level Results. Kesteven & Sleaford High School. L-R Emma Francis 18 and Phoebe Morgan 18. EMN-170817-105832001

Sixty-nine per cent of grades achieved by A level students at the Sleaford school were A*-B while 87 per cent of grades were A*-C.

Josephine Smith, Head of School said: “I am so pleased that students’ hard work has earned them such tremendous results this year. Their achievements are the result of their effort and commitment in conjunction with the excellent teaching, advice and guidance provided by staff. “Once again I have been impressed by students’ individual drive and ambition to achieve the grades they needed and full of admiration for students across the year group who have striven to meet their potential, especially those who have encountered some tough challenges along the way.”

She added: “Students, this year, were the first to complete some of the new, tougher A level syllabuses. In the light of this, the maintenance of the school’s outstanding results and its record of both academic and pastoral excellence is all the more rewarding for students, parents and staff.

A-Level Results. Kesteven & Sleaford High School. L-R Emma Francis 18 and Phoebe Morgan 18. EMN-170817-105832001A-Level Results. Kesteven & Sleaford High School. L-R Emma Francis 18 and Phoebe Morgan 18. EMN-170817-105832001
A-Level Results. Kesteven & Sleaford High School. L-R Emma Francis 18 and Phoebe Morgan 18. EMN-170817-105832001

“We wish all our students well as they take up university places up and down the country, enjoy gap year plans or enter the world of work. We are delighted we have been able to send them on their way having made the most of their school careers.”

Nick Law, Executive Head of the Robert Carre Multi-Academy Trust of which the High School is a part, said: “This demonstrates the strength of the collaboration between the staff of the Sleaford Joint Sixth Form and the success of developing teaching that supports students and encourages the independent learning, a skill that is required in many walks of life.”

In Year 13 seven students have secured places on some of the most competitive courses in the country.

Libby Beckett will read Modern and Medieval Languages at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge; Emma Francis will study Chemistry at Keble College, Oxford, while Kiera Johnson is reading Chinese at Pembroke College, Oxford. Candy Yuan takes up her place to read Music at Lincoln College, Oxford. After taking a gap year last year Olivia Turpin takes up a place at Mansfield College, Oxford to read Human Sciences.

A-Level Results. Kesteven & Sleaford High School. L-R Georgia Markham 18, Olivia Sealy 18, Caitlin O'Rourke 18. EMN-170817-105751001A-Level Results. Kesteven & Sleaford High School. L-R Georgia Markham 18, Olivia Sealy 18, Caitlin O'Rourke 18. EMN-170817-105751001
A-Level Results. Kesteven & Sleaford High School. L-R Georgia Markham 18, Olivia Sealy 18, Caitlin O'Rourke 18. EMN-170817-105751001

Emma Francis, 18, from Ruskington got A* in Chemistry and Biology and an A grade in Maths and said it had been really nerve-wracking during the exams and the build up to getting her results today. She said: “I don’t know what I plan to do after university yet - whatever takes my fancy.”

Phoebe Morgan and Charlotte Wilson are off to read Veterinary Medicine and Medicine at Edinburgh and Nottingham respectively.

Phoebe, 18, from Carlton Le Moorland got an A* in Biology and A grades in Maths and Chemistry and said it was better than she had hoped for. She said: “I like animals and want to become a vet. I was really nervous about coming today as the exams were quite hard.”

Kate Jones, Anna Killen, Gemma Shaw, Flo Sherry and Katie Mountford were among the top performers collecting at least 3 A*/ A grades in their chosen subjects.

A-Level Results. Kesteven & Sleaford High School. L-R Emma Francis 18 and Phoebe Morgan 18. EMN-170817-105832001A-Level Results. Kesteven & Sleaford High School. L-R Emma Francis 18 and Phoebe Morgan 18. EMN-170817-105832001
A-Level Results. Kesteven & Sleaford High School. L-R Emma Francis 18 and Phoebe Morgan 18. EMN-170817-105832001

Lorna Swan had to juggle the responsibilities of being Deputy Head Girl while studying for her exams, but still got A grades in History, English Literature and Drama to go on to study history at Leicester University.

She said: “I am really looking forward to it and am really excited. I am going to spend today with my family because I’m going to miss them all when I go and I need time to process it.”

Commenting on the new, harder A levels which rely totally on the final exams, she said they worked well for her: “I didn’t do as well as I wanted to in last year’s tests so because they don’t count it was a clean slate for me. It was more stressful knowing everything was on these exams and I don’t normally reach my full potential in exam conditions, but I’m really proud of myself that I have managed to balance everything well.”

For Olivia Scott-Golding, 19, of Heckington this was second time lucky as she had decided to re-take a year having not done as well as hoped before. This time she got A grades in Maths and Physics and a B in Further Maths.

A-Level Results. Kesteven & Sleaford High School. L-R Georgia Markham 18, Olivia Sealy 18, Caitlin O'Rourke 18. EMN-170817-105751001A-Level Results. Kesteven & Sleaford High School. L-R Georgia Markham 18, Olivia Sealy 18, Caitlin O'Rourke 18. EMN-170817-105751001
A-Level Results. Kesteven & Sleaford High School. L-R Georgia Markham 18, Olivia Sealy 18, Caitlin O'Rourke 18. EMN-170817-105751001

On re-taking she said: “It was really weird at first as I didn’t really know anyone that well and had to start new friendships but it was good being the voice of experience.”

(Her sister Eve, 18, has also just collected her results today as well as St George’s Academy).

Olivia plans to study Physics at Bristol University and is interested in training to become a pilot.

Many students in the year have impressed by meeting their academic potential in examinations while juggling demanding extra-curricular commitments. Bella Williams balanced her A level revision impressively with her training schedule for national running competitions and is now off to study in Utah, USA. Lara Orriss has battled ill-health throughout her school career and is now off to study English Literature, Creative Writing and Practice at Lancaster.

At AS level Year 12 students also impressed with 25 per cent of results at the highest possible A grade.