Norlington School in Leyton celebrated exceptionally strong results today, with over a third of its students gaining A* or A grades, reports Marco Marcelline

Credit (clockwise from top left): Norlington School,Highams Park School, Waltham Forest College, Heathcote School

Sixth-formers across Waltham Forest were celebrating today after receiving their A Level results and securing places at some of the UK’s most prestigious universities.

The success stories came as the proportion of A* and A grades awarded across the UK were the highest on record.

42% of A-Level students studying Maths got A* or As, while a third of entrants received the highest grades in physics and chemistry.

One in every eleven entries received an A or better, with Ofqual, the exam regulator for England, attributing the increase to a return to “normal” grading. Ian Bauckham, Ofqual’s chief regulator, said: “There is no grade inflation this year. Standards have been maintained from 2023 and any change is largely due to the ability of the cohort.”

The strong results were seen at colleges and sixth-forms across the borough, with hundreds of students gaining the grades they needed to attend their first-choice universities.

At Walthamstow Academy, over a quarter (26%) of A Level entries were awarded A*-A grades and half were awarded A*-B grades. Over a third of students who applied to university have secured places at top Russell Group institutions.

Among those students marking their accomplishments today was Maira, who achieved an A* in Maths and two As in Physics and Chemistry and is going to the University of Oxford to study Material Science.

Another success story was Saghena Thavarajah, who achieved an A* in Maths and two As in Biology and Chemistry, and is going to Imperial College London to study Medicine.

Celebrating her results today, Saghena said: “I am so grateful for the wonderful time I’ve had at Walthamstow Academy and feel blessed to have had such great mentors for the entire seven years I have spent here.

“I will never regret any moment of this. Studying at Walthamstow Academy has been the best decision ever and I am so proud to be going off to Imperial to study Medicine. The dream of my life!”

Saghena Thavarajah will study Medicine at Imperial College, Credit: Walthamstow Academy

Highams Park School also achieved strong results, with 212 grades awarded between A*-B, an increase on last year. Some highlights include Guy Garner, who achieved two A*s in Physics and Maths alongside an A in Chemistry and who is going to be reading Natural Sciences at the University of Durham, and Elinor Johnson who gained A* in Art and As in Biology and Maths to obtain a place for Biochemistry at the University of Manchester.

Nigel Armsby, principal of Highams Park School, said he was extremely pleased with the results achieved by Year 13 students. He said: “They were a fantastic cohort, who thoroughly deserved all that they have achieved in their A level and Level 3 BTEC qualifications. The vast majority of students have got into their first-choice university, setting them up for the next stage of their life which I wish them all the best with.”

At Norlington School & Sixth Form in Leyton, 80% of students achieved grades A*-C, with a third getting A or A* grades.

Sami Rezouali secured his place to read Physics at King’s College London this September after achieving strong results in Maths, Physics and Biology. He said: ‘The support from the school has been amazing. I’ve been going to lunchtime and after-school revision sessions, which made a big difference.’

Mihail Saluns celebrated his clean sweep of As and A*s, Credit: Norlington School

Meanwhile Mihail Saluns achieved a clean sweep of As and an A* in Maths, Further Maths and Computer Science. He said: “I was a bit worried but all those sleepless nights have paid off! I’m quite competitive – so that has helped motivate me, but my teachers have also been really supportive.”

Heathcote School Science College and Sixth Form in Chingford said it was delighted to announce a 7% increase in A*-C grades being awarded this year, with 18% of its pupils achieving A*-A grades and 49% securing A*-B grades.

Meanwhile at Waltham Forest College, students celebrated a strong set of BTEC results. Dekwon Lee, achieved double distinction in his BTEC National Diploma in Sports Coaching and is pursuing his career in sports coaching. Another success story was found in Angelos Challatsi who achieved triple distinction in his BTEC national Extended Diploma in Information Technology, earning him a place at Staffordshire University to study Computer Science.

Dekwon Lee achieved a double distinction in Sports Coaching, Credit: Waltham Forest College

Kizzy Gardiner, Waltham Forest Council’s cabinet member for children and young people, was at Highams Park School today to celebrate with the students.

In a video released this afternoon, she said: “Some of the students did amazingly well, better than they expected, and others didn’t get quite what they wanted but there’s a real array of opportunities out there for them and we’re going to support them all the way and I wish them the very best for the future.”

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