Three city schools rejoice as students' hard work pays off with excellent results

Rows of white envelopes lined tables at city schools this morning as teenagers nervously discovered whether they had done enough to secure a place at their first choice universities.

Teachers were beaming with pride at Portsmouth High School, City of Portsmouth College and UTC Portsmouth after students received the outcome of their A-levels following two years of hard work.

At City of Portsmouth College there has been a 27 per cent increase in the number of results issued with a 95 per cent level 3 pass rate maintained across the college.

CEO and Principal, Katy Quinn, said: “Education is transformational, it opens new doors of opportunity and gives people choices for their next steps and future. I am proud of the inclusiveness of COPC, the breadth of our provision and the role we play in enabling young people, and adults, to learn and develop.

“I would like to congratulate every student receiving their results today. They should be incredibly proud of what they have achieved, and we wish them every success as they begin the next chapter of their journey.”

For Jacob Fudger the Royal Navy is in his future after completing, and getting two distinctions, in the college’s uniformed protective services course. He told The News he is hoping to join the military police force after securing his driving licence.

He said: “By the time I got into year 10, I knew I wanted to be inthe military and in my first year in college, we went up to the Naval base. Walking through the base made me realise that is what I wanted to do so I have been focused on that ever since.

“It feels good, I’m happy I’ve made it to where I am.”

Staff at Portsmouth High School have been equally jubilant today and have celebrated a 100 per cent pass rate with 79 per cent of grades being A* to B.

Amongst the students getting their results was Erin, who endured multiple health battles over during her course. She suffered from dermatitis at the start of the year followed by severe tonsillitis that turned into necrosis.

Despite being hospitalised prior to her exams, the 18-year-old, who is going to Manchester University to study politics, philosophy and economics, managed to secure an A* in English and A’s in politics and history.

She said: “I was in hospital a month before A-levels and then it took me two weeks to recover. I checked UCAS before and saw that I got in so I knew I was fine but I am overjoyed and really relieved.

“I didn’t want to go through clearing so it is nice that I didn’t have to do any of that - I’m just going to see where the next three years take me and what opportunities I can get.”

Headmistress at Portsmouth High School, Sarah Parker, added: “It has been another exciting morning at Portsmouth High School with a wonderful set of results.

“We are immensely proud of our students and all they have achieved. These excellent A Level results are a testament to their hard work, determination and ambition. They also reflect the unique strengths of an all-girls education, where young women are encouraged to be confident, intellectually curious and unafraid to pursue their aspirations. We congratulate every student on their success and wish them every happiness as they take their next steps.”

Staff at UTC Portsmouth are also over the moon, as the technical qualifications steal the show, with 100 per cent of T Level students achieving a pass or higher.

Teens have secured places at a range of universities including UCL and Cardiff, with others bagging competitive apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships with organisations including Airbus, QinetiQ, Raymarine, Arm and Dstl.

James Doherty, principal at UTC Portsmouth, said: “We are incredibly proud of what our students have achieved and, just as importantly, where those results are taking them. From leading universities to highly competitive top STEM apprenticeships, these destinations reflect both their hard work and the distinctive education they receive at UTC Portsmouth.

“The results achieved by our T Level and Engineering students this year are particularly pleasing and demonstrate the value of high-quality technical education. Combined with another strong set of A level results, they show the breadth of opportunities available to our students.”