After months of anticipation, Manchester students are celebrating as A-level pass grades are up across the city this year.
Results day saw the pass rates for Manchester increase to 97.8% from 97.2% last year.
Manchester City Council’s executive member for leisure, Councillor Rosa Battle, said the grades are not just a ‘momentous’ achievement but a reflection of the students’ hard work and dedication.
She said: “Results day is the culmination of a pupil’s education experience and the end of more than a decade of study to arrive at this point. That is a momentous achievement for any young student.
“This year’s results reflect that hard work and dedication shown by both the pupils and teachers in the city’s schools – enabling students to get great results and go on to succeed and make a contribution to their communities.”
At Parrs Wood High School in Didsbury, 72.1% of pupils achieved grades A*-C – up from 71% last year – with 20.7% students achieving at least three A grades, and 97.5% of pupils achieving an overall pass.
Three pupils from the school have now secured places at Cambridge University.
Ben Grant, who combined his studies at Parrs Wood with an apprenticeship at Oldham Athletic Football Club, achieved 1A* and 2As in Maths, Biology and Psychology.
He will now major in psychology at Rollins College Florida on a football sports scholarship.
The highest performing pupil was Lydia Marsden who achieved 4 A*s in Chemistry, Maths, Further Maths and Physics and will be studying natural sciences at Cambridge University.
Laila Howe achieved A* and 2As in Maths, Chemistry and Physics and will be studying Biomedical Engineering – a new rapidly evolving interdisciplinary field in an industry which is traditionally male dominated – at the prestigious Imperial College.
Headteacher Andy Shakos said: “Our students’ success has been the result of their commitment to their studies, excellent teaching and the opportunity to develop leadership and interpersonal skills via our extensive enrichment programme.”
At Whalley Range High School for Girls, 97.1% of pupils achieved an overall pass – up from 95% last year – while 11.2 per cent got A* or A grades.
At William Hulme’s Grammar School in Whalley Range, 64.2% of pupils got grades A*-C, and 98.3% achieved an overall pass rate – up from 96.3% last year and higher than the English average of 98.1%.
At King David High School in Crumpsall, 45.2% of pupils achieved grades A*-A, 91.7% achieved grades A*-C, while 99.2% achieved an overall pass – also above the English average.
The Co-operative Academy of Manchester in Blackley, which only has a small number of entries for A-level, had a 71.4% overall pass rate, with 57.2% of pupils achieving grades A*-C.
