QMC achieves best-ever results (From Basingstoke Gazette)

QMC achieves best-ever results

2:20pm Tuesday 21st August 2012 in News By Emily Roberts, Chief Reporter

THERE were cheers and some tears, but mainly of joy, at Queen Mary’s College in Basingstoke as students recorded its best-ever results.

Overall, just over 90 per cent of students passed their AS-levels, which was on a par with last year, and more than 99 per cent passed their A-levels.

Among those opening their white envelope at QMC, in Cliddesden Road, on August 16 was BuYun Chen who managed to achieve a top set of grades, despite not having her family around to support her.

The 19-year-old moved from her home country of China to study for her A-levels at QMC and managed to gain three As in maths, economics and chemistry and a B in Chinese. She is now planning to go to University College London to study maths and management studies.

She said: “I am so happy. My sister also took her A-levels here because there are more opportunities to go to a good university. It was hard being away from my family – I didn’t know anyone when I first came here – but they will be proud of my results.”

Nationally, there was a decline in the number of A* and A grades for the first time in more than two decades, but the overall pass rate rose again for the 30th consecutive year.

At QMC, 20 per cent of all A-level grades were an A* or A, which was the same as last year, and 73 per cent of students achieved an A* to C, which was one per cent up on the 2011 results. At AS-level, 54 per cent achieved A to C grades – down by five per cent on last year.

QMC principal Stephen Sheedy said the college’s results were better than ever before.

He said: “It’s nearly a 100 per cent pass rate for A-levels, which sounds like it’s easy, but a lot of students concentrate on subjects that they are best at. There’s not inevitability but it explains why they are so good.

“For AS-levels, we have an over 90 per cent pass rate for the first time. That’s considerably above the national benchmark. I’m very pleased.”

This cohort of A-level results will be the first intake to face the university fee rise of up to £9,000. Admissions service UCAS said that 357,915 students have been accepted for university courses this year, which is down seven per cent on last year.

Mr Sheedy said: “There was a rise last year of students going to university in order to avoid the fee rise. My guess is there will be some youngsters who have had second thoughts about going to university, but on the basis of their results, they might try again next year or go into clearing.

“In the long-term, the fee rise situation might not be as damaging as it first appeared to be.”