Students are off to Cambridge, Manchester, Portsmouth, Salford, Bolton, and more after a successful results day for Oldham Sixth Form College.
It’s the first exam results in three years due to the pandemic – last year results were based on teacher-assessed grades.
Students at Oldham Sixth Form were invited to a results day event after receiving their results over e-mail. A-level, T-level, BTEC, and Cambridge Technical results were all released on the same day.
Among them was Dylan Miah – who achieved four A*s in maths, further maths, physics, and chemistry.
Confident Dylan turned up in a Cambridge University hoodie – and looked incredulous when asked which University he was going to.
Dylan will be one of two students from the college going on to Cambridge.
When asked how he was feeling, Dylan said: “I’m feeling really excited.”
Another success story was student Caitlin O’Connor, who is going on to do a degree apprenticeship in environmental science at Bolton after achieving an A* in geography and two A grades in French and biology.
Caitlin said: “I am so, so happy, I’m so shocked – I think exams were rough for everyone this year and even last year, but we’ve all pulled through.
“I think we’re all just excited to move on now.”
Students Jamal Akhtar and Iman Arshad both achieved impressive grades to study medicine at the University of Manchester.
After achieving three A*s in maths, biology, and chemistry, Jamal said: “It was going to be tough this year because they were obviously the first year of exams since the pandemic so I was pretty nervous about what I was going to get, but obviously I ended up with three A*s so it’s OK – I’m happy with it.
“It’s a new experience, I’m doing medicine, but it’s something I want to do and I’m very excited to do it.”
Iman Arshad, who achieved A*, A, and B in biology, chemistry, and psychology, said: “I’m so excited to start Uni, my conditional offer was BBB – and I got better than that.”
Student Max Breslin, who studied philosophy, maths, and business was predicted a D in maths.
However, Max defied his teacher’s expectations to get a B in maths – and is now set to take a year travelling before beginning to study philosophy at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Cameron Turner, meanwhile, was left relieved after finding out he’d secured his place to study engineering with a foundation year in Manufacturing at Portsmouth University – despite a technical issue at exam board OCR meaning the results for Camtech qualifications had not been released.
Not everyone at results day was out of the woods just yet – student Josh Bruton, aged 17, did a maths A-Level in just one year – and got an A*.
Josh said: “I’m really glad the college was able to provide all the resources I need to be able to do the A-level in one year.
“The AS levels were also great – I’m so glad this college still provides them, I think they’re really useful for keeping your choices open.
“I’m very, very pleased.”
Josh said he hopes to go on to study maths at university – but he’ll have to finish another year of college first.
Suzannah Reeves, associate principal of the Sixth Form College said: “As always there has been much discussion about A-level grades on results day, and the expectation this year that grades would fall.
“We are delighted to say that at Oldham Sixth Form College this has not been the case.
"Not only have 99 per cent of students passed their A-level courses, but more than 1,000 A* to B grades have been awarded.
“This is higher than 2019, when exams were last sat, and 1.5 per cent higher than last year, when no exams took place.”
Data released by the college has revealed 10 Year 13 students are off to study medicine, dentistry or veterinary science.
Students also received their vocational course results – with the college saying they received ‘excellent results.’
A college spokesperson said: “We are equally very proud of the achievements of our first cohort of T-level students.
“All 16 students have successfully achieved their T-level qualifications and the majority are progressing to university.”
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