Delighted Christ the King students exceed national A Level pass rate for eighteenth consecutive year

Tenacious, ambitious, passionate and talented. These are just four of the many words that describe the 2015 Christ the King leavers. Excitement was in the air this morning as they collected their results, and they have good reason to be proud. For the eighteenth consecutive year, Christ the King students have achieved A Level pass rates that are significantly above the national average. The college’s 600-plus A Level students have a pass rate of 98.3 per cent against a national average of 98.1 per cent. In addition, 360 students achieved a BTEC pass rate of 99.7 per cent. These achievements are a testament to Christ the King’s long tradition of excellence and illustrate why all three sites are among the best sixth form providers in South East London.

Principal Dr Jane Overbury said she was delighted with the results and is particularly proud that the majority of students have secured their first-choice university. Almost all Christ the King A Level students will now progress on to higher education. ‘These results are extraordinary when you consider the sheer scale of the achievement,’ she said. ‘We had over 600 students taking A Levels. This is really phenomenal achievement – and I salute our young people for their hard work and dedication, and of course our fantastic teaching staff, too.’

She added: ‘We’re able to achieve results of this calibre because, as a specialist institution – a sixth-form college – we can really focus on this age group. I think these outcomes speak for themselves.’

Among them was Sarah Oluwapelumi Babs-Apata who gained triple distinction star for her Engineering BTEC and is now going to Leeds University to study Civil Engineering with Architecture.

She said: “At first I was in the stereotype mindset about BTECs – a lot of people thought that I should do A Levels because I’m academic. But I studied physics, maths, further maths along with engineering for my course which have me the foundation of knowledge to really progress in this field. And now I’m going to a Russell Group university.”

Some of the Christ the King students from the Lewisham, Sidcup and Brockley sites who will be taking up university places this year are:

Alero Egbe achieved an exceptional A* in Health and Social Care, A* in Religious Studies and B in Sociology. “My teachers were really supportive when it came to making the transition from GCSE to A Level,” she explained, “they have made it possible for me to achieve my goals, and I can’t wait to explore the next chapter in my life.” In her reflections of the College, Alero praised the Learning Resources Centre for providing a space for extended and uninterrupted study. In September, she will take up a place at Southampton University to study International Relations.

After two years of intensive study, Poppy Pyke will be heading off to the University of Manchester in September to study Politics and International Relations. She was “pleased” and “relieved” to discover that she had been awarded an A in English Literature, an A in Religious Studies and a B in Government and Politics. “I’m excited to be going to university and have always been interested in Politics,” she explained, “The teachers were so helpful and I felt comfortable being able to talk to them and communicate with them. The lessons were enjoyable and have prepared me for university in terms of knowing how to structure my work. I’m going to miss Christ the King and all the support I was given. I’ve met people from lots of different backgrounds.”

Trevor Gomes is an outstanding student who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to the college community. In addition to his collegiate contributions, he has excelled academically, achieving an A in Business, an A in ICT and B in English Literature. He has also been fortunate to gain a scholarship for university from leading capital fund management company Metric Capital. In September he will begin his degree in Business Management at Queen Mary, University of London. “I’ve loved studying at Christ the King: St Mary’s and taking part in wider College activities such as the College Band” he explained, “all my teachers have been really supportive and I wouldn’t have got these great results if it wasn’t for them.”

Erin Casey was “proud” and “overwhelmed” when she opened her BTEC Level 3 results this morning. She achieved an exceptional triple star distinction in BTEC Level 3 Sport and is now one step closer to pursuing her dream of becoming a primary school sports coach. In September 2016 she will enrol on a Sports Coaching degree at Brighton University. “This has been a truly amazing experience,” she said of her time at Christ the King, “I am so grateful to my teachers, I couldn’t have done it without them.” “There are so many personalities at Christ the King, and such a great mix of young people. It is the diversity that makes Christ the King so special.”

Vincent Lai “enjoyed every minute” of his time at Christ the King and was understandably proud of his A* in Maths, an A in Economics and a B in Further Maths. Next month, he will enrol on an Economics and Maths degree at Bristol University. “My teachers were always there when I needed them,” he reflected, “Whether it was in the classroom or outside of lessons, if there was something I didn’t understand I could always approach them.” Vincent also credited the Learning Resources Centre as one of the “major factors” in his success. In comparison to his previous school, where they facilities were very limited, the LRC opening hours and resources were invaluable.

Olabowale Oladipupo achieved an outstanding triple star distinction in her BTEC Level 3 Health and Social Care course and was overjoyed with her results. In September, she will enrol at Canterbury Christ Church University on an Early Childhood Studies degree. “Christ the King has been rollercoaster” she explained, “the teachers and the students make it a very special place and I have received fantastic support during my time here.” she credited the silent policy and the wealth of material in the Learning Resources Centre for her success.

When Benjamin Kiang opened his results, he was extremely relieved to find his hard work had paid off. He achieved an impressive A in English Literature, A in Economics and B in Geography and is looking forward to the new experiences that university holds in store. In September Benjamin will begin his degree in Geography and Economics at the University of Lancaster. He thanked his teachers for their unwavering support and described the learning environment at Christ the King as “positive” and “ambitious.” “Not only does the College want you to succeed,” he said, “but they also know how to get you there. Christ the King is a big college but the staff are dedicated to helping and supporting each student on a personal level.”

“I’m really happy and proud of myself as I have worked so hard” said Lucy Cambridge of her results. She achieved an exceptional A in Psychology, A in Religious Studies and A in Sociology and will be enrolling at Winchester University next month on a Primary Education degree. “I feel so grateful to the teachers. They have been outstanding, supportive and have always encouraged me to do my best. My time at Christ the King: St Mary’s has been great because I’ve really enjoyed learning and the content of my A Levels has been challenging and interesting.”

Duan Talplacido leaves Christ the King with a fantastic triple starred distinction in BTEC Level 3 Engineering. He thanked his teachers for pushing him to reach his potential, and for their persistent encouragement throughout the year. “The engineering workshop room was always open to students,” he explained, “and help was always available, whether through workshops, lessons or informal meetings with teachers.” Duan will now progress on to Greenwich University, where he will undertake a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Sarah Onile was over the moon to discover that she had achieved a triple star distinction in her BTEC Health and Social Care Level 3 qualification. She expressed thanks to the Learning Resources Centre for providing a quiet focussed workspace and for extending its opening hours to maximise student learning. She also thanked her teachers for giving her the opportunity to learn new things and to make positive progress. “They helped me find the best in myself,” she explained, “this has been an experience that I will never forget.”

Courtney Harmsworth achieved a fantastic A* in Geography, A* in Media and C in English Literature. In September she will enrol on a Geography degree at the University of Exeter. She said of her results: “I am ecstatic and overwhelmed, it hasn’t sunk in yet and I don’t think it will for a few days! The teachers played a big part in helping me get these grades, they were so helpful and always gave constructive feedback to help me improve my grades. I’m really pleased I chose to study my A Levels at CTK. The geography lessons were really interesting and made me realise I wanted to do a Geography degree.”

Reflecting on his time at the College, Joseph Lecointe explained that is was motivating to be around so many hardworking and focussed people. “Christ the King has been interesting, amazing and academically eye-opening,” he said, “we had fun but everyone at the College was also very ambitious and focussed.” Joseph achieved an impressive A in Sociology, a B in Psychology and a B in Maths and plans to study Psychology at the University of Kent.

Mary Iyi was “really amazed” when she opened her A Level results this morning. She achieved a fantastic A* in Philosophy, an A in Law and a B in English Language and Literature. She thanked her teachers for pushing her to be the very best that she could be, and for providing a series of beneficial workshops during the A Level revision period. With dreams of becoming an entertainment lawyer, Mary will be enrolling at Sussex University next month on a Law degree.

Since immigrating to the UK from Hungary in 2010, Gergo Petrovics has worked exceptionally hard to achieve his academic goals. He achieved an outstanding A in History, a B in Law and an A in Maths and has set an inspiring example to many of his peers. Reflecting on his results, he credited the “close community” at Christ the King: Aquinas for pushing him to succeed. In September, he will continue his studies at the University of Exeter on a Mathematics and Finance degree.

Louise Ijelekhai achieved an exceptional double A* the Health and Social Care double A level as well as a B in A Level Psychology. Next month, she will enrol on a Social Work degree at the University of Portsmouth. She described her time at Christ the King as “fun,” “exciting,” “worthwhile” and “brilliant.” “The teachers really loved their jobs,” she said, “They wanted us to succeed and they worked really hard for us.”

Joel Escayg’s passion for maths and computer science will serve him well at his first choice university, the University of York. He was awarded an impressive A in ICT, B in Maths and B in Chemistry and is really excited for the next chapter in his life. “Workshops which focused on individual subjects helped support me and teachers were always on hand to offer advice and give feedback” he explained, “I made some friends for life at the College and loved my time here. I will miss being at CTK. The relaxed atmosphere and the independent learning has really prepared me for university life and I’m excited about going.

Karolina Zarzycka originally enrolled on the AS Law course alongside other A Levels at Christ the King: St Mary’s but soon switched to the BTEC Level 3 Business Programme as it was more suited to her interests. Over the past two years, she has demonstrated remarkable maturity in managing her own time and has refused to allow outside factors to come in the way of her studies. Having achieved a fantastic triple starred distinction in BTEC Level 3 Business, she has now secured a place at Brunel University to study Law.

Joseph Tettey Kweku Adjimani was thrilled to discover that he had achieved B grades in Biology, Chemistry and Maths. Having participated in a summer school at East Anglia University, he fell in love with the university and selected it as his first choice for degree study. With hard work and persistence, Joseph has now secured a place at East Anglia University to study Pharmacy. Reflecting on his experiences at Christ the King, he explained that “the Learning Resources Centre became my second home.”

Neema Nyaulingo achieved a fantastic A* in Maths and high grades in both Chemistry and Physics. Her exceptional achievements have secured her place at Exeter University to study Civil Engineering, and she is optimistic about the future. She thanked Christ the King: Aquinas for its provision of university workshops, guest lectures and University Outreach Programmes. Each of these helped her to progress academically and to make decisions about future work and study.