Ashton Sixth Form College is celebrating another year of record results after smashing last years A-Level success. This year an impressive number of A-Level students achieved 3 or more A-grades and the highest proportion of Distinctions were awarded to vocational students than ever before.

More students than ever achieved high grades, which saw an increase of 6%, and overall pass rates remained significantly higher than the national average at 98%. The College is also delighted to see a large number of the new A* grades awarded to students this year.

Students on vocational courses achieved some of the highest grades in the country, with the majority of students gaining Distinctions and a 100% pass rate overall, which is significantly above the national average.

The College’s success continues to go from strength to strength with student achievement improving year on year and high numbers progressing to university despite the pressure for places.

Amongst the students celebrating significant achievements were Vinci Naruka and Anthony Mathews, who both received some of the highest results in the College with all A* and A grades. Both students have been successful in gaining places onto competitive courses at Cambridge University – Vinci to study Medicine at Sidney Sussex College and Anthony to study Maths at Queens College.

Vinci has achieved outstanding success after moving to the UK from Turin, Italy with very little English. He came to study at Ashton Sixth Form College, originally for an ESOL (English for Speakers of other Languages) course, along with GCSE Science and Maths. After just one month it was clear that Vinci was a talented student and has now achieved a place on one of the most competitive courses in the country.

Many others from Ashton Sixth Form College will be joining Vinci and Anthony in gaining places at top, prestigious universities this year. This includes Mahmud Siraj who received the highest results in college with a record 5 A* grades. He secures his place to study Maths at Manchester University. Equally impressive was Kay Yeung, who not only achieved the 2 A* and A grade needed to get on to her course at Manchester University to study Medicinal Chemistry but also secured a £12,000 bursary from the John Nugent Award awarded for outstanding academic students in Tameside.

Principal, Dr Janet Nevin said “I am delighted to see such an increase in high grades achieved this year and more students celebrating top grades than ever before. Our students are gaining places at some of the most competitive Universities in the country on courses that require students who are well rounded, possessing not just academic flair but intellectual curiosity and a desire to learn. Congratulations to all of our students on their outstanding results.”

Vocational course results have been equally impressive, with students achieving some of the highest results in the country. There has been tremendous success at all levels in all vocational programmes with the majority gaining 100% pass rates and the highest proportion of Distinctions being achieved than ever before. Childcare, Learning and Development has seen great success with some of the highest results in the country – an outstanding 22 out of 26 students achieved three full Distinction grades, the highest possible.

Of those celebrating success is Gina Martiradonna who was recently nominated for a National BTEC Award for her work and progress on the BTEC Extended Diploma in Children’s Care, Learning and Development vocational course. Despite a high number of entries with stiff competition, Gina was selected as the Outstanding BTEC student in Child and Social Care of the Year in the whole of the UK. Gina will be progressing on to the competitive Primary Education course at MMU and is joined by many other students studying Vocational programmes who have secured good university places.

Principal Dr Janet Nevin said “It is an exciting time to be a student at Ashton Sixth Form College. Our year on year increase in success rates combined with a record year of results, means that Ashton Sixth Form College is one of the most improved colleges in the whole of Greater Manchester. These excellent results should be a source of great pride for the local community. I send my congratulations to everybody and would like to thank the superb staff at the College for all their hard work.”