Results joy for Chichester College students

It was a day of celebration at Chichester College today (Thursday 17 August), as students received their level 3 results – the culmination of their hard work over the past two years.

The atmosphere matched the sunny skies, as students opened their A-level and T Level envelopes with friends, lecturers and family members gathered around them.

With the college’s 98% overall A-level pass rate coming in above the national average, there was lots to celebrate – including one more mature student who accomplished a lifelong ambition!

Sarah Ferrier received her first A-level at the age of 71, and she was full of praise about her experience: “I’m a grandmother and I have just passed my English Literature A-level!

“I’ve had two of the most fantastic, fun years that I’ve experienced. I loved it – I loved the atmosphere, and my age didn’t seem to matter once I got to class.

“I left school with enough O-Levels, which is what it was in my day, to do nursing – what I wanted to do. But it always bugged me that I didn’t have an A-level, so I decided to give it a go!”

For Abdulmatin Lawal, his four A grades – in physics, maths and chemistry, as well as his extended project qualification – have seen him secure a place at the University of Bath to study mechanical engineering.

He said: “This was not what I was expecting – but you come in and I guess you get surprised! I got four As!

“Chichester was great – all of the teachers were amazing, especially Graeme [Stewart]. He was amazing to me!”

Meanwhile Millie Joliffe was celebrating receiving two A* grades in law and sociology and A grade in history. She’s now looking forward to starting a degree apprenticeship in London, where she’ll be studying to become a solicitor.

She revealed: “The last two years have gone so quickly and I’m really excited for the next chapter! I did apply to university, but I feel like the degree apprenticeship will be the better option for me.

“I feel like it’ll give me more work experience, and without the debt. I’m looking forward to starting!”

It wasn’t all about A-levels. A host of T Level students were also collecting their results today, including Ethan Li – who achieved a Distinction in Digital Support Services.

He’s now heading to Bournemouth University to study Computer Networks and Cyber Security.

He said: “I don’t know what I was expecting, it’s all a bit overwhelming! The course was great and our lecturer was so supportive. I’m looking forward to going on to Bournemouth now.”

For the college as a whole, it was another strong year in terms of results across the board with an overall 98% pass rate for A-levels and 93.5% pass rate for T Levels.

Around 44% of students secured the highest grades of A*-B and just under three quarters achieved A*-C grades – helping many students to secure their places at their first choice university destinations.

Helen Loftus, Principal at Chichester College, said: “This is a great set of results for our students, who have worked hard and shown enormous dedication to their studies to achieve their grades.

“They should be very proud, and I know some of our students have overcome real adversity during the past two years to achieve some truly outstanding results.

“In our creative subjects, we’ve seen large numbers of students receiving high grades of A*-B across photography, fine art and media.

“And in only our second set of T Level results, we have seen some fantastic achievements by our students who have not only achieved good results but are progressing in their dream careers. And our vocational results are also looking very positive.

“We know it has been a challenging few years for these students, but while results nationally have seen grading return to pre-pandemic levels, that doesn’t mean students receiving results today haven’t been impacted by the effects – so it’s really important to celebrate their achievements and their hard work.

“I’d also like to recognise the dedication of our teaching and support teams, who continue to go above and beyond to support their students – young people who will now be taking their next steps into higher education or employment with confidence in their own abilities.”