Students at Callington Community College demonstrated their bravery and resilience as they collected their A Level results this week following their first ever formal examinations.

For students in Post 16, this year’s A Levels represented the first formal examinations since their SATs for the majority of students.

They did not have GCSE examinations in their Year 11 due to the pandemic, and they therefore had to be extremely brave and resilient walking into their examinations.

Mrs Kirby, head of Post 16, said: “It is perhaps no surprise that we saw demonstrations of heightened anxiety in this year’s cohort; sitting a formal examination, on which your university place is secured and attempting to prove progress after receiving a ‘teacher assessed grade’ two years ago is no mean feat. Especially given the significant amounts of disruption over the last three years to include not just COVID absences but also increased absence from school due to additional bank holidays and industrial action.

“Whilst we are proud and delighted for every cohort that goes through the college, this year’s cohort will always occupy a special space in our hearts and we are particularly proud of their accomplishments, given all the conditions of the last two years.

“We are rightly proud of every single student in our cohort, who have demonstrated great tenacity over the last seven years, and the last three years in particular, which in turn has yielded fabulous results for them. There are students who have made phenomenal progress, gaining an average of a grade A or equivalent across their A Levels or earning significant value added on their progress from Year 11.”

Of particular mention are; Kerenza Selman who earned three A grades in biology, chemistry and maths and will now study medicine at Queen Mary in London. Poppy Hearne with A* in psychology and A grades in biology and chemistry will study biomedical science at York University. Dylan Rundle who completed triple health and social care, gaining double Distinction and Merit, as well as securing double Distinction in sports studies and a B in photography will commence his training to be a primary teacher at Plymouth Marjons. Congratulations also went to the following students who secured grades at B and above across all subjects: Lauren Hocking (with As in biology and chemistry), Alex Long (A in biology), Poppy Read (A* in English literature) and Arran Stannard Heap.

Mrs Kirby added: “I must also give special mention to Jamie Palmer, Jack Spurr and Lucy Foran who have made exceptional progress and secured fantastic outcomes also.”

Mrs Kirby continued to say she was especially pleased that students were able to access their chosen pathways, following their outcomes.

James Dawe will be going to Liverpool University to study sport, after gaining double Distinction in L3 sport. Alex Long is going to Bristol University to study biomedical science, Lauren Hocking is studying radiology and oncology at Cardiff University, Lucy Foran will study history at Cardiff University. Jamie Palmer is going to Falmouth to study photography and Issy Gray is off to Strathclyde to study psychology.

Mrs Kirby said: “I am really proud of their successes and delighted for them. They are all off to some brilliant institutions and it’s so rewarding to see their hard work and determination pay off. Whilst we are truly delighted at the grades they have achieved; we are particularly pleased that they have being so successful in accessing their first choice university.”