Salford students achieve outstanding results

Staff and students at Pendleton and Eccles Sixth Form Colleges are celebrating outstanding results on advanced level courses. More than 39 subjects boasted a 100% pass rate with exceptional numbers achieving high grades.

Head of Pendleton Sixth Form College, Kimberley Cash said: “We are really proud of the outstanding A Level results our students have achieved this year, especially the high grades. Staff and students have worked really hard and I am so pleased for them. The atmosphere at the College today was one of excitement as students realised they had secured their first choice University places with many going on to study at top institutions.”

Former Prestwich High School pupil, Joshua Kelly, from Salford achieved three impressive A* grades in chemistry, physics and maths, as well as an A grade in further maths. The star student said: “I’m very happy with my result. It was a lot of hard work but well worth it.”

Joshua’s grades were amongst the highest in the country and have secured him a place at Imperial College London, a world-class university for science, engineering, medicine and business. After studying for an engineering degree he hopes eventually to go on to be a Submariner in the Royal Navy.

Former Walkden High School pupil, Lauren Campbell, from Walkden said that she was ‘very happy’ with her two A*’s in Spanish and geography and her A grade in French. She credits the College for its quality of teaching and one day hopes to work in education herself, teaching modern foreign languages.

Overall, at Pendleton 97% of students passed their A Level exams with 66% achieving top grades.  It was a similar story at Eccles Sixth Form College where advanced vocational students are celebrating a 100% pass rate with 72% achieving high grades. Head of Eccles Sixth Form College, Rebecca Parks said: “All of the staff are delighted with the achievements of our students this year.  It has been a real team effort with superb commitment from our students, outstanding teaching and crucially, great support from home. I wish all our young people well as they progress to University or employment.”

Former Wellacre High School Student, Michael Purser, from Urmston received a triple D*, the highest grade achievable for a vocational qualification, for his BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Applied Science. His exceptional results have secured him a place studying philosophy and sociology at the University of York, which will help him on his way to becoming a Professor of Philosophy at Heidelberg University in Germany, which is where he sees himself in 10 years’ time.

Leah Dean, a former Albion Academy student who lives in Salford, also received a triple D* for her BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Software Development. She said: “The 2 year course has provided me with a broad theoretical and practical knowledge of the subject and I now have a strong qualification to progress to study computer science at Lancaster University.”

Leah was one of two students recognised this year at the national BTEC Awards. She was awarded Student of the Year in IT and Computing with Maryam Taher being awarded Student of the Year in Science. Maryam was also named as Overall BTEC Student of the Year.

Moreover, the College itself is again the top performing Further Education College in Greater Manchester for both classroom-based learning and apprenticeships. In recognition of this excellence the College has been awarded the College of the Year accolade for 2017.

Applications for 2017 entry are being accepted now and enrolment will take place in the week commencing 21 August.