Teenagers across Gravesend and Dartford are receiving their A-level results today after exams were cancelled for the second year in a row due to the pandemic.

This year, following the cancellation of exams, grades were awarded through a process of teacher assessed grades, against a national standard and approved and awarded by the exam boards.

Northfleet School for Girls saw another year of excellent and further improving achievements in A-level and IB qualifications.

Overall, students achieved an average grade B in academic subjects and distinction in vocational qualifications – another rise on previous strong results.

Particular praise went to: Eleanor Lingham – A in English literature, law, and psychology, A* in criminology; Ria Bains – 7 in IB business, A in finance, distinction* in health and social care; Ellen Bennett – A in law, B in EPQ, A* in criminology, B in English literature; Kacee Ramsell – A in EPQ, A* in criminology, 6 in IB business, distinction in health and social care; Amy Spaul – 6 in IB biology, A in geography, distinction in sport.

Head teacher Chris Norwood said: “We are immensely proud of the achievements of all our students, especially after such a difficult and disrupted year.

"Our teachers have worked tirelessly to ensure students are all able to achieve these excellent results and progress onto their chosen destination.

"We look forward to hearing of their future successes.”

Donna Lodge, the retiring chief executive of Endeavour MAT, was delighted with the outcomes for students at WG6, the joint, co-educational sixth form provided by the two Wilmington Grammar Schools.

She said: “Students have been praised for their resilience and tenacity in dealing with the uncertainty and disruption of two very difficult years of post-16 study. Throughout this period, the students have worked tirelessly and have adapted to a combination of remote and face-to-face teaching with relative ease.

"This has resulted in some exceptional individual success stories, in addition to extremely strong results across the cohort with over a third of of grades at A*/A being awarded.”

Special mention went to: Kieran Casserly, with A*/ A in maths, further maths and economics will be heading to Oxford University to read politics, philosophy and economics; Cormac Hayes with straight A*/A grades will be reading economics at the University of Nottingham; Oliver Turton will be reading maths, statistics and economics at the University of Warwick; Grace Hensher will be using her top-grade results in business, economics and geography to start her accounting and business degree at the University of Exeter and Marcus Ritson will be reading economic and econometrics at the University of Nottingham, having bagged top grades in his A-levels.

Marcus said: “After all the stress, I am relieved and delighted to be going to Nottingham in September."

Computer science and software development are also popular choices amongst some of the students. Oliver Scott, who secured grades A* A* A* A in computing maths, further maths and physics is heading off to the University of Southampton to study software engineering.

He said: “I am absolutely delighted!”

Ethan Travers, with A* A* A* in maths, further maths, computing is also heading to the University of Southampton to study software engineering.

Praveen Chandarajah will also be in Southampton, where he will be studying computer science with industrial studies, while Luke Jackson will be studying computer science at UCL, having obtained A*/A grades in maths, computing and physics.

Holly Mpassy will be forging a new path for herself in the world of computing in the USA after being accepted as a Division 1 student athlete in the United States. She received several scholarships offers from colleges as far apart as New York, Texas, and North Carolina, but out of all of her options, she decided that James Madison University provided the best opportunity.

Musical Theatre calls for Lola Hodgson who will be putting her clean sweep of four top grades to good use as she embarks on her University of West London programme of study. She said: “I’m really looking forward to starting my course.”

Special praise went to Calder Grant, who made a miraculous recovery from a car accident which left him in a coma, shortly before taking his GCSE examinations two years ago. His recovery has continued apace and he managed to secure 3 A*/ A grades in PE, maths and geography enabling him to take up a place at Loughborough University where he will study sport science, coaching and physical education.

Higher level apprenticeships are an increasingly popular destination for students. Lucy Golding has secured an HR degree apprenticeship with Laing O’Rourke, George Murray has an accountancy apprenticeship with PWC and Zara Cawley has an apprenticeship with Skanska.

At The Leigh Academy in Dartford, IB results showed a continuing upward trend of success with with 70% of entries graded between grade 5 (equivalent to a B grade) and grade 7 (equivalent to an A* grade).

A-level students achieved an average grade of B, while vocational students achieved an average grade of distinction.

Mr Burton, director of Post-16, said: “We believe that the mix of qualifications that we offer, along with the extra opportunities and pastoral care we provide, genuinely increase aspiration amongst our students and open doors to the future, even in uncertain times like those we are living through now.

“We have had an exceptionally happy results day. Our students have earned their success, through two years of hard work and commitment from students, teachers and parents and carers.

"Maintaining that exceptional strength of relationships really pays off in the end for our students.”

Results included: Peter, who got A in graphic communication, B in photography and grade 6 in English language and literature and is off to Rochester UCA to study foundation art; Kate, who got A* in English, distinction* in creative digital media production, grade 5 in film IB and grade 7 in social and cultural anthropology; and James, who got grade 6 in higher level social and cultural anthropology, grade 7 in higher level global politics and B in history. James will be starting a degree apprenticeship in digital marketing at Unilever.

Amie-Ella got grade 7 in higher level business management, grade 7 in higher level biology and grade 7 in higher level chemistry and is going to be doing a degree in medical microbiology at Leeds, while Jemma got grade 6 in higher level psychology, grade 5 in higher level chemistry, grade 6 in higher level biology and B in extended project. Jemma will be studying forensic science and criminology at Keele.

Morgan got B in maths, level 5 in psychology and grade 7 in physics IB, and twin brother Bryn Glass got B in maths, grade 7 in physics IB and distinction in engineering. Morgan will be taking a gap year before studying astro physics at Kent and Bryn will be going to Kent to study computer science.

At Dartford Science and Technology College, 94% of students who applied to university will be taking up places in September.

While several students are going on be apprentices at high profile companies, including Ruby Onodjamue who will be working at Visa, Finlay Stockford is going to Crown Fine Art and Harriet White will be a junior content producer working with ITV/Channel 4.

Principal Anne Davis said: "We are immensely proud of all the work and achievements of our students, especially after such a difficult and disrupted year. Our teachers have also worked tirelessly to ensure students are all able to progress onto further education, study or employment."

Ebbsleet Academy Sixth Form principal Gurjit Kaur Shergill said this year's cohort had been a particularly focussed group, adding: "Our young people have experienced a significant amount of change and disruption over the past eighteen months.

"These outcomes are yet again a demonstration of the firm belief embedded in the academy that there is no ceiling to what our young people can achieve. They represent the hard work, determination and fortitude demonstrated by our students on a daily basis."

Pupil Leo McFaul gained A* grades for the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and A-level psychology as well as

A grades in A-level English and biology. Leo is going on to study English literature at The University of Loughborough.

Leo said “Ebbsfleet was special because it focused on each individual student and ensured I was

prepared for my future”.

Lucy Scoble, achieved A grades in art, business studies and her EPQ and secured a C grade in her A-level history.

She said: “Ebbsfleet has always supported me and has been such an important part of my life for the past seven

years, thank you for helping me to secure my next steps”.

Lucy is off to study primary education at Canterbury Christ Church University.

Charlie Gomm gained an A* for her A-level psychology, A grades in English and law, an A* for her Extended

Project Qualification (EPQ). Charlie is off to The University of Kent to study English Literature and Creative Writing.

She said: “I hope I can become an inspirational person…in the same way that Ebbsfleet inspired me”.

News from our universities, local primary and secondary schools including Ofsted inspections and league tables can be found here.

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