Results morning in school is quieter than it used to be. There is no longer a need to rush into school to nervously tear open an envelope and read about your future. These days, things can be more relaxed. University placements can be ascertained first thing, so many pupils know that they have won a place in their preferred university course even before they know their results! After that, the use of a PIN (for those who remember where they put it back in May!) enables them to access their results. Then it might be a trip into school to meet friends, share the excitement with teachers, or get advice on refinements to plans.
Relief, celebration, and (a few) tears of joy mingled in the assembly hall on Thursday morning as another fine set of A Level results were recorded by our pupils.
Many young people breathed a deep sigh of relief as they realised the hard work had paid off and they had achieved the demanding grades required to progress to their chosen university courses. It was fantastic to see those who came into school to share their good news and, in many cases, to thank their teachers.
Overall, attainment by our pupils continues to be high and most leavers have successfully progressed to their first choice of university or training. Each year sees an increasing number of young people win places on demanding higher apprenticeships.
Whilst across Northern Ireland 8.7% of entries achieved an A* grade, at The Royal School that figure was 13.1%. Across Northern Ireland 30.4% of all grades awarded were A* or A, while at The Royal School 37.2% of entries achieved those grades, and 65.1% of all grades were within the A*–B range.
With regard to individual pupil achievement, an impressive 23 pupils achieved three or more A*/A grades, representing 16.4% of the year group.
Most pupils will progress to Russell Group universities, including Queen’s University Belfast, Durham, the London School of Economics, and one pupil, Archie Alderdice, will go up to Oxford to study Theology and Philosophy.
The percentage of pupils achieving three A Levels at the top grades, A*–C, was 73.6%, while the overall A Level pass rate was 99%.
In congratulating the pupils, Mr Montgomery said, “Firstly, well done to everyone. This success is a credit to the young people themselves who have studied hard and performed well. It is also a tribute to the commitment and professionalism of our well-qualified teaching staff and clear evidence of all the encouragement, support and co-operation of parents and wider family circles.”
Mr Montgomery continued, “It’s fantastic that through our range of traditional A Level and applied subjects we continue to witness improvement in standards of achievement. While it is particularly pleasing that the percentage of top grades awarded to our pupils comfortably outstrips both the UK and Northern Ireland averages, it is vital to remember that A Levels are a key stage in the educational journey of individuals. Education is about opening up life opportunities for young people, and behind each batch of cohort statistics is an actual young person and a real family whose dreams have moved a step closer to realisation. We are so proud of all our pupils because we know how hard they have worked.
“I’m delighted that we have helped the overwhelming majority of our pupils to access their first choice of course, whether that’s a traditional university course, a modern apprenticeship, or a move into training and employment, and I congratulate everyone involved in securing these results.
On behalf of everyone at the Royal School I want to thank our Year 14 leavers for the magnificent contribution they have made to school life in these past years and wish them every success as they leave RSA to embark upon the next exciting stage of their education. We hope to see as many leavers as possible with their families at Speech Day at 2 pm on Friday 19 September.”
