Making the Grade

WEEKS of anxious waiting and sleepless nights ended for A-level students last Thursday as they celebrated some brilliant results.

Tears of joy and relief were shed as teenagers from Shoreham, Steyning and Lancing tore open their all-important results envelopes.

Headteachers were thrilled with the high levels of achievement from their pupils as results, in most cases, were higher than the national average.

Steyning Grammar School entered 114 pupils for the exams and its pass rate was 95 per cent, compared with the national figure of 89.9 per cent.

Of all the grades achieved, 63.8 per cent were top grades of A, B or C. Seventeen students achieved two or more grade As, with one star student getting four As.

A science student came in the country s top five for environmental science and was commended for outstanding achievement by the examination board.

The majority of the school s students gained access to the university of their choice, including three to Oxford and Cambridge.

Pupils also celebrated excellent A-level results at King s Manor Community College, Shoreham.

The college had more high grade passes this year than last, with the vast majority of students requiring what they needed to move on to further education or work.

Again, building on the success of last year, Lancing College students were delighted when they arrived to collect their A-level results. One in five boys and girls had gained three or more A grades.

The highest scoring candidate was Matthew Mandelbaum, the college s head of school. He gained A grades in each of the five A-levels he took, achieving unprecedented full marks in a number of his papers.

For the full success story, see the Herald, August 23.