A pair of lucky socks and a lot of hard work were celebrated as Trent College students secured a five percent increase on last year in the number of A*-B grades achieved as the 2013 A-level results were revealed this morning.
Star performer, Amber Clough, secured one A*, three As and a B from her five subjects – the only Trent College student to sit that many exams – and will now go to Leeds to study Maths. Meanwhile three A*s and an A for Will Freestone guarantees he will head to Durham to study Natural Sciences.
The school’s overall exam pass rate was 99 percent with an impressive 66 percent of all students’ results at the Long Eaton independent school graded as A*-B.
Eight students achieved four or more A* and A grades with 22 students in total attaining at least three or more A*-A grades. No fewer than 107 students sat A-levels at Trent College this year with the majority securing their first choice university including Durham, Exeter, Newcastle, Nottingham, Loughborough, Leeds and Bath.
Boarder Amber, from Tuxford, has combined working at Clumber Park at the weekends with studying and after describing her results as “the best case scenario” she jokes university will feel like a break in comparison.
Amber said: “I am very happy; life has literally been on hold for the last couple of years but it is worth it now. I started my Maths A-level in Year 11 and couldn’t decide which subject to drop so I just carried on with five but it was difficult. I can’t wait to go to university now, it will almost be a nice break!”
Despite the muggy morning, there was no missing Tori Bate as she arrived at school wearing the same stripy socks that had seen her through her exams. And the socks came good as Tori, Head of Bates House and a School Prefect, scored three As to secure her place to study Accounting and Finance at Bath.
She explained: “I wore the socks all through my exams but they have been washed! I thought I w hould wear them on results day too for good luck. They saw me through my GCSEs and they went well so I’ve just continued the tradition! The last week I’ve hardly slept and when I did sleep I was dreaming about my results so I am very happy.”
Some of the school’s sporting stars showed academic success doesn’t have to be compromised for sporting excellence with Kate Sotheran, Ladies First XI hockey captain, and Nick Gray, Scotland U18 rugby international and son of former Scotland lock Chris Gray, scored two A*s and an A and fours As respectively.
Kate and Nick, both taking gap years, had a different approach to their studies, Kate opting to board in Sixth Form while Nick was a day pupil. But both students admit the time management skills they learned over the past two years will be invaluable.
Kate said: “As long as you talk to the teachers they are so flexible it is really easy to organise your timetable. Boarding was very good for me; at home if I was stuck on something I’d look it up on the internet but here you can go and find a teacher or friend to explain it to you, you have a 24/7 support network around you.”
Nick added: “You have to be disciplined but as long as you get into a routine early enough it is fine. I have always been self-motivated and at rugby camps they always warned us later in the year it was going to get busy and helped us plan ahead. You have to use your time well and all the teachers are very helpful.”
Head Boy Will Moon, recently named the Combined Cadet Force (RAF) Cadet of the Year, admits he was delighted to see such good results from his year group but insists the education they have gained in the past two years goes far beyond the classroom.
Will, who scored three As, said: “Everyone has done really well, we are a hard working year group and the results show that but the school offers so much more than just classroom activities, the depth of the extra curricular is extraordinary so people are not only leaving with amazing results but also lots to talk about outside of their academic achievements.”
Gill Dixon, Head of Trent College, commented: “At its heart education is a simple thing. Young people need to experience the joy of achievement, their own and others, to learn to value and admire their fellows and then they need great teachers.
“I am overwhelmed, not only by the quantity and diversity of achievements, but also the real polish, the excellence and the flair, which I see in so much of our school and in so many of our young people. Congratulations to our Trent students and staff.”
For more information about Trent College please visit www.trentcollege.net