There was a time when results morning was very stressful as young people rushed into school to nervously tear open an envelope and read about their future in front of their friends and teachers. These days things can be more relaxed. University placements can be ascertained online first thing, so many pupils know that they have won a place on 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 in May) enables them to access their results. Then it might be a trip into school to meet their friends, share the excitement with teachers or get advice on refinements to their plans.

We were delighted that this year many pupils turned up at school on Thursday morning to share their good news as another fine set of A Level and BTEC results were recorded by pupils.

Many young people breathed a deep sigh of relief as they realised they had achieved the demanding grades required to progress to their chosen university courses. The hard work had paid off and it was fantastic to welcome everyone who came into school to share their success with friends and to thank their teachers.

Overall, attainment by our pupils continues to be high and most ‘leavers’ have successfully progressed to their first choice for university or training. Each year sees an increasing number of young people win places on demanding higher apprenticeships.

Whilst across Northern Ireland 8.8% of entries achieved an A* grade, at The Royal School that was 13%. Across Northern Ireland 30.7% of all grades awarded were A* or A, while we saw 38.3% of entries achieve those grades and 72.5% of all grades were within the A*–B range.

With regard to individual pupil achievement, an impressive 22 pupils achieved 3 or more A*/A grades, representing 15 percent of the year group.

Most of our pupils will progress to Russell Group universities across the UK, with Queen’s University Belfast remaining a firm favourite.

The percentage of pupils achieving three A Levels at the top grades, A*-C, was 75.3% 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 and non-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.”

“We are 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 we congratulate everyone involved in securing these results. Anyone who still requires advice or assistance is welcome to call at school over the next few days. On behalf of everyone at school, we want to thank our Year Fourteen 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 2pm on Friday 18 September.”