A-Level results day 2020: All students at Weston Favell Academy get first-choice university places

These are the words of Lorna Leventhal, the principal at Weston Favell Academy, on an unprecedented A-Level results day.

This year, due to Covid-19, a new 'triple lock' process has been introduced, which means students can accept their calculated grade, appeal to recieve a valid mock result, or sit autumn exams to ensure the achievements of young people are recognised. The Government developed a grading process in which schools assessed each of their pupils based on the grades they considered they would have achieved, before being moderated nationally by external exam boards.

The grades received today were based on things such as coursework, mock exam results, prior performance in each subject and overall attainment over the past few years. These grades were then moderated and assessed by external exam boards which awarded the final grades.

Despite the changes in the exam grading system, pupils and staff at Weston Favell Academy said they are still celebrating after their A-Level grades were released as all pupils who applied to university receiving an offer from their first choice.

Louise Mann, head of Sixth Form at Weston Favell Academy, said: “I am thrilled for our pupils and these fantastic results. 100% of pupils who intended to progress to university have been successful in confirming a university of their choice.

"Not only is this a great accomplishment in its own right, but 70% of these pupils are also the first in their family to go on to higher education.

“Our pupils exploring apprenticeships are also finding success despite this challenging time, which is a true reflection of their determination to succeed.

“Building resilience and a positive outlook has been important for all of our sixth form pupils and I am delighted to see their confidence shine through as they embark on their next steps.”

The academy is enjoying strong results from its pupils, with particularly good outcomes in computer science, German, IT, physics and biology.

Lorna Leventhal, principal of Weston Favell Academy, said: “I am incredibly proud of all of our pupils’ achievements this year.

“These fantastic grades are a testament to their hard work and dedication not only during this unprecedented time but over the past year."

“I wish them the very best of luck in their exciting futures and would also like to extend my thanks to our staff and parents for the support they have given our pupils, helping them to achieve these grades.”

While all pupils have done remarkably well, there are some exceptional achievements among computer sciene, IT and science including:

Michael Short who is going to study computer science at the University of Manchester after achieving A*s in maths, further maths and physics, and an A in computer science.

Howard Chung is also going on to the University of Warwick to study computer science, after achieving an A* in computer science, two As in maths and further maths and a B in chemistry.