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Jersey's schools have praised their A Level students for their "resilience" and “determination” as they received their results today following the first year of public examinations since 2019.
Having missed out on an opportunity to sit their GCSE examinations in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic, this year's cohort of A Level students faced exams for the first time in 2022.
Students in Jersey have achieved high grades in their A levels this year, once again achieving a higher pass rate than students in England. 502 Jersey pupils were entered for 1407 A-Level examinations.
The overall pass rate for Jersey’s A level results was 98.9%, compared to England’s pass rate of 98.4%. 37.8% of all A levels taken by Jersey students were at A* and A, against 35.9% in England. For A*-C passes, Jersey achieved 87.5% compared to 82.1%.
Carl Howarth, Principal of JCG, stated: “This is a remarkable generation of students, the first to sit their A levels without having had the benefit and experience of sitting their GCSEs.
"We are incredibly proud of our students and staff that despite the disruptive adversity of the pandemic, their fortitude, diligence and ambition, combined with exceptional teaching and care of our staff, has made for a truly brilliant set of results."
He continued: "To set the results in context, they are the highest ever set of results by students who have sat examinations with more than 57% achieving A* or A grades and 86% achieving A* - B grades.
"More than the terrific results, it is the character of our young people that inspires us most.
"We will miss them, though know they go onto even greater things as they seek to make our world better."
Addressing the parents, he added: "Thank you for entrusting us with your daughter’s education and for being our partner, surrounding her with belief, encouragement and possibly a little patience at times.
"I know you too will delight in her achievement today and the person she has become.”
At Victoria College, over 100 students sat their A levels this summer. The school achieved a pass rate of 99.7%, with nearly 90% of grades being graded between A*-C allowing students to move onto university, higher education or straight into a career of their choice.
Headteacher, Dr Gareth Hughes, said: “I am incredibly proud to celebrate such a fantastic first set of A Level results as Headteacher of Victoria College. We have seen the highest publicly examined A*, A*-A and A*-C percentages in a decade this year. Of course, within those headline figures are so many individual successes from our students.
"These outstanding results are testament to the continued commitment and dedication of our students and staff, particularly over the last two years when working in the midst of a particularly challenging time in education due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was wonderful to see so many of our students on results day and to celebrate with them in person. I would like to wish all our students the very best for whatever pathway they choose for the next stage of their young lives.”
Head of Sixth Form, Mr Alan Falle, added: “I would like to take this final opportunity to thank and congratulate the boys for all they have done for, and achieved at, Victoria College. This is a cohort that, Island and nationwide, faced the challenge of commencing their A Level studies following a period of disruption and the way in which they have risen to the demands of such courses is to be admired.
"Whether having joined us in Year 12 from elsewhere or having been part of the community for longer, the contributions of our outgoing Year 13 to Victoria College have been hugely appreciated and will be long remembered. We will miss the students but look forward to welcoming them back to the College in the near future as members of the Old Victorian Association, and hope that all our students keep in touch with us to allow us to share in their longer-term successes in life."
Beaulieu Convent School is celebrating "some excellent results" today, with 38% of all A Level or BTEC examinations taken being awarded A* or A and 85% being awarded A* to C Grades.
Andrea Firby, Head of School, said: “I am delighted that our students' efforts and hard work have been rewarded with an excellent set of examination results today. This is a huge achievement during a challenging few years.
"The resilience and maturity that our students have demonstrated in the face of difficult circumstances has been exceptional. We are so proud of this year group and the journey they have taken to reach this point today, facing each challenge with determination and grace. I am thrilled that they have achieved such positive results under difficult circumstances.
"I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our students' parents for their ongoing support and to thank our teachers for the support and guidance they have so willingly shown our Sixth Form students.”
Nick Falle, Headteacher of Hautlieu School, praised students as he remarked: "Can you imagine the task facing the class of 2022? Consider the challenge of sitting those all-important final A-level and International Baccalaureate qualifications without any substantial experience of GCSE exams due to the Covid cancellations.
"Despite this barrier, this group of Hautlians have more than risen to the challenge, showing determination and resilience to excel. We are incredibly proud and privileged to have worked with this set of students and wish them the very best for their university and employment adventures. We also recognise the commitment of parents and teachers in supporting students to a very high level of attainment with an overall pass rate of over 98% and incredibly high performances in a number of subjects.For example, over 40% of all grades in Drama at A*, over 40% of all grades at A* or A in Mathematics plus numerous other successes and moving individual stories.
"As always the progress of our wonderful students is so much more than a letter on an exam results sheet; we are proud of them because of their kind, thoughtful character and their willingness to make a difference for the better in the world."
Students who took the International Baccalaureate (IB) at Hautlieu school this year have achieved an 100% pass rate. This compares to a worldwide pass rate of 85.6%.
Highlands sixth form students also attained excellent results today with 96% achieving their professional and technical qualifications at the same level as A levels. A high proportion have already secured progression directly into employment, university, or continuing programmes at Highlands College.
Childline have issued help and advice for students receiving results today, as new figures show rising anxiety levels about exam results amongst children and young people during the last year.
When talking to Childline counsellors about receiving their results this month, children shared fears that the impact of the pandemic on their learning, and the fact they were sitting exams for the first time hugely affected how they performed.
They talked to counsellors about disappointing parents and how their family will react when they find out their results. Many also shared worries about their future career and getting into their chosen University, as well as general worries about what their results might be, with some saying they are concerned they will ‘feel like a failure’.
Advice for young people who may not achieved the results they wanted:
Ask a teacher, careers advisor or any adult you trust what they think and discuss your options and how you are feeling.
Remind yourself of what you did well in whether that be specific pieces of coursework, or other parts of your life.
Don’t compare yourself to your friends.
If you do not feel your grade reflects your ability speak to your school about making an appeal. This doesn’t always mean you’ll get a better grade but it can help if you think things would have been different had you sat the exam.
Look at other courses or training programmes and apprenticeships that you can do.
If you haven’t got a place at your chosen university, try not to worry as there is a chance you could get a place at another university through the clearing process.
Take a gap year and do something different like volunteering.
Look at different courses that you can do with the grades you have achieved.
Advice for parents and carers:
Your child may find it hard to talk to you about their results so be patient and supportive until they feel ready to talk about how they feel.
Encourage your child to take their time to think about what they want to do next. There’s no need to rush into a decision straightaway.
Help them think about their choices by writing down a list of pros and cons for each of their options
If they are finding it hard to talk to you, let them know they can contact Childline for free, confidential support and advice on 0800 1111 or www.childline.org.uk.
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