Video: Joy and despair - Kent's A-Level results

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Video: Students open their results

Students across Kent got their A-Level results today with record results reported - yet some are still struggling to get a university place.

Ashford School's pupils once again excelled in their A-Levels clocking up record results.

After two years of hard work the school can boast a 100 per cent pass rate for the tenth year running.

Nearly a quarter of all the papers were graded A* and 80 per cent received a grade between A* and B.

But for one girl who received three A*s and an A, a university place was still out of reach.

Click here for results from Medway

Click here for results from Ashford and Folkestone

Click here for results from Maidstone and surrounding areas

Click here for results from Dover and Deal

Emily Burton, 18, said: "I'd really like to study medicine but the universities I applied for wouldn't accept me.

"I'm going to take a gap year and then re-apply next year. I'm hoping to go to Brighton."

Headteacher Mike Buchanan said: "She's clearly a very able young girl and it's a measure of the competition for places at university.

"She's done all the right things - she's done work experience, she's got straight As and A*s in her GCSEs and A-levels but hasn't been offered a place.

"However, I am in no doubt that she will get a place at university whether that be through clearing or applying next year."

Emily's frustration is being mirrored across the county as the demand for university education nationally has made it more difficult than ever to get a place.

Students at Herne Bay High School were also celebrating record-breaking A-level results today.

All 73 pupils bagged at least two A-levels for the first time in the school's history.

Head teacher Dr Claire Owen described the results as "phenomenal".

She said: "I can't tell you how delighted I am.

"Today's about the students and how brilliantly they've performed despite knowing how tough it is this year.

"It really has given them the best footing. The fact every single student achieved at least two A-levels is outstanding.

"It's down to the hard work they've put in and our fantastic staff, who were as excited as the students.

"It's the toughest year ever to get into first-choice universities, so it was critically important that the results came through positively.

"Today's a good day, that's for sure."

At Whitstable Community College there was a 23 per cent rise in the number of students who obtained grades A-C compared to last year.

Overall the pass rate was 82 per cent, the same as last year and the average point score has also risen, by 17 per cent.

Among those students who did especially well were Toni Haynes, Jasmine Robinson, Megan Jobson and Keely Chiericato.

Ashleigh Lamberton, who was 19 on Monday, will be off to Roehampton University to study childhood and society with education after getting distinctions in her business studies BTEC and two As at A-level.

Ashleigh, of Margate High Street, hopes to work with children with behaviour problems and said she was very pleased with her results and was planning on celebrating with friends.

Melanie Wilson, 18, of Whitstable, has decided to stay on at school for another year to do some different A-levels after obtaining BTEC distinction in forensic science and a C in film studies and D in English literature at A-Level.

"I am very happy with the distinction but not pleased with the D in English," she said. "I was hoping to do better than that."

She hopes to go to university to study creative writing and drama and planned to celebrate her results by seeing the Atomic Penguins at Casey’s in Canterbury.

Daniel Bounds, 18, of Clare Road, Whitstable got a C grade in film studies at A-level and a merit in his sport BTEC. He doesn’t want to go to university and said he was happy with his results. He hopes to find work in the sport and leisure industry.

Head teacher Helena Sullivan-Tighe said she was very pleased with the results. "I’d like to thank the staff and students for working so hard and parents for their support," she said.

At Homewood School in Tenterden 250 sixth form students too A-Levels and the pass rate was 98 per cent, the same as last year.

The number of students getting A-C grades went up from 79 per cent last year to 81 this year.

The school also had a small handful of the new A* grade, in Art, English and Geography.

Vice-principal Steve Ridgway said: "I'm delighted with them all.

"There's such a tremendous range of courses they've done - we've had people on Open University courses and many pupils doing A-levels a year early.

"Some will end up with 6 A-levels by the time they finish."

At Hugh Christie Technology College in Tonbridge staff and students achieved a 100 per cent pass rate for the first time ever.

In the provisional analysis, students have achieved 42 per cent at the top grades of A*, A or B.

This is a four per cent rise on 2009. The average point score achieved per entry for full A Levels rose to 225 points which was a significant improvement on 2009.

Among the students whoachieved A* grades for the first time were Rebecca Saxby, Danielle Standen, Matthew Miller, Stephanie Keane and George Robinson.

College Principal Jon Barker paid tribute to his staff and pupils.

He said: "Over 90 per cent of our wide ability Sixth Form have achieved at least two A levels with many students achieving many more.

"A 100 per cent pass rate is an outstanding outcome and testimony to the hard work and commitment shown by students and staff as well as recognition of the tremendous support we receive from parents."

Hartsdown Technology College in Margate also recorded impressive with 100 per cent pass rates in a range of subjects.

The college said 27 students will be heading for university this year or after a gap year, with others continuing into further education and training.

Head of sixth form Sharon Buchanan said: "I am absolutely delighted with these results – they are just reward for the hard work, dedication and enthusiasm shown by our students and staff during the last years.

"Once again there is a high proportion of students heading for university and further education which is especially pleasing as we have expanded our range of courses, some of which have been examined for the first time this year."

Among the students going to uni are Michelle Druce, Josh Lowe, Laura Cheshire and Sophie Skelton.

Kent's students who applied to instiutions for further study but didn't make the grade will enter the scramble for places under the clearing process.

In Kent, the University of Kent has around 200 places available which will account for arond eight per cent of its intake.

Last year the university received over 3,000 clearing applications and filled 355 places, around 10 per cent of its intake.

Last year the university received over 3,000 clearing applications and filled 355 places, around 10 per cent of its intake, through the clearing process.

At Canterbury Christchurch University, UCAS applications went up by 28 per cent this year.

There are 100 clearing places up for grabs - roughly the same amount as last year.

The majority of the clearing places will be at Broadstairs and Folkestone campuses.

Around 4,000 undergrad and postgrad students will start this year across the five campuses in Kent.

The University of Creative Arts however has no places available through clearing.

Last year 292 places were offered in clearing by and 168 people accepted the offers.

This year 9647 people applied, last year 7384 applied. - 30 per cent increase.

But they only had room for 1834 people this year and those places have already been taken.

More than 140 academic and student advisors from the Universtiy of Greenwich are also answering the clearing hotlines at Medway.

The university's freephone hotline 0800 005 006 is open from 8am to 8pm on Thursday, August 19; from 8am to 6pm on Friday, August 20; and from 9am to 4pm on Saturday, August 21.

From Monday, August 22, the lines will be open during weekday office hours from 9am to 5.30pm.

Further information about Clearing and courses at the University of Greenwich is available at www.greenwich.ac.uk.

Click here for KentOnline's interactive guide to what to do after you find out your results.

If you have an A-Level success story to share with us, e-mail multimediadesk@thekmgroup.co.uk or call the newsroom on 01634 227 834.

Thursday, August 19 2010

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