Students celebrate outstanding results at The Manchester College

The results, which saw an impressive 42 per cent increase in the number of A* and A grades at A Level and a nine per cent increase in those achieving A grade equivalents on vocational qualifications, reflect an outstanding year for The Manchester College’s students.

Overall, the College’s A Level pass rate remains high at 94 per cent, with grades A*-C increasing by six per cent and those at AS Level increasing by 20 per cent.

Principal Lisa O’Loughlin said: “This is fantastic achievement, we’re really proud of all of our students and it’s wonderful to see their hard work pay off.

“Today is a celebration of all learning and we’re equally proud of all our students who have remained dedicated and completed their studies, whatever their grades and whichever pathway or qualification they have taken.”

Ailin Guo, who hopes to forge a career in finance and investment, achieved three A* grades in Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Accounting. She said: “Picking up my results has been a nice surprise, as I’ve done better than I hoped and got the grades I needed to study Mathematics at Warwick University.

“I’ve really enjoyed studying at The Manchester College. The teachers have been fantastic and many of the skills I’ve learned, such as problem solving, have been useful for real life too.”

The Manchester College’s vocational students have also excelled this year, with a huge 83 per cent of Level 3 Diploma students receiving the equivalent of high A Level grades.

Alistair Sheehan gained a Distinction in his Creative Media Production course and benefited from an industry partnership between the College and leading global marketing, technology and commerce agency Amaze.

Alistair, who was awarded the College’s Adult Student of the Year 2018, said: “My course and tutors have helped me discover things I didn’t know I could do or enjoy. Most importantly, the College has encouraged me to actually have ambitions where I didn’t before.

“My tutors set up work experience placements and we had guest speakers from the industry who came in, reviewed your work and chatted to you about what the industry is really like. We also took part in employability hour, which I found important. To have a college that helps prepare people for their future careers or further education is refreshing and takes the pressure off what will happen when you leave.”

Lisa added: “Whether you’re continuing your journey with us or moving on, we wish you all the very best with your future plans.”