STUDENTS in Salisbury and the surrounding area are celebrating another record year of A-level results, but the celebration could be short-lived.

With more students achieving high grades and limited university places available many students will not get a place at the university of their choice this year.

For the first time this year a new A* grade has been introduced, which is designed to help distinguish top performers, and pupils in Salisbury have shown they’re more than capable.

The boys at Bishop Wordsworth’s School had another great year of results. The 145 boys passed 81 per cent of their A-level papers at either an A or B and 44 boys passed all of their subjects at A or A*. Five boys gained A* grades in all of their subjects.

The Godolphin School had 100 per cent of its students passing with 77.7 per cent getting A*-B. Eleanor Hopkins did particularly well, getting two A*s and two As, and Alexandra Brockman and Ang Wan Shin each got two A* grades and one A.

Staff at South Wilts Grammar School are confident that most of the 172 girls in the Sixth Form have got into the university of their choice, with 71 per cent of all A-level results at A*, A or B and 45 students gaining three or more A-levels at grade A or A*.

Jocasta Patel gained five A*s and secured a place at Oxford and Amy Creese, Katie Davies, Miranda Kent, Charlotte Little, Mary Price and Emma Rhind-Tutt all got four A*s. Pip Bywater got one A* and three As at the same time as pursuing a modelling career, modelling for well-known brands like Topshop, Urban Outfitters and Toni & Guy.

Students at Wiltshire College Salisbury are celebrating some great results, and not just in A-levels. Those taking A-levels achieved a 97 per cent pass rate, with 60 per cent of grades at A*-C.

Former St Edmunds School pupil Samantha Clark, 19, got an A* in English literature and language, an A in photography and a C in history. Samantha now plans to do a degree in English literature and history before going into law.

Students on BTEC National Diploma courses also did well with 100 per cent on the business, childcare, sport and exercise science, public services and travel and tourism courses passing. Also 97 per cent passed the BTEC in art and design, 95 per cent on the media course passed and 94 per cent of the IT practitioners diploma.

The joint Shaftesbury School and Sturminster Newton High School has had another good year for its students with an overall pass rate of 99.5 per cent.

George Ridgway got three A*s and two As and is now going to study architecture at the Glasgow School of Art.

Staff at Peter Symonds College in Winchester were pleased with the high number of A* grades awarded, 514. The college’s results were well above the national averages with a pass rate of 99 per cent and with 15 students scoring 700 point or more.

Sophie Middleton of Salisbury achieved six As at Brockenhurst College, which had an overall pass rate of 98.8 per cent and more than 50 per cent of students gained A*-B grades. Heather Findlay, Danielle Hackett, Sarah-Jane Harris, Rebecca Strange and Gabrielle Price, all from Salisbury, got three As and Georgia Charter got one A* and two As.

Andy Woolley, south west regional secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: “Every year our young people demonstrate their commitment and enthusiasm for learning, and every year despite this there is a chorus of criticism from those who simply can’t believe that it is young people’s efforts and the quality of teaching that have yielded the results. Those critics cling tenaciously to the unsubstantiated allegation that somehow exam standards are falling. Parents, young people and the general public should ignore those critics and celebrate young people’s success.”

* See next Thursday's Journal for a full round-up of A-level and GCSE results and pictures.