Students from all over Exeter and Devon are joining Exeter College staff this morning to celebrate an outstanding 99.75% overall A level pass rate, beating all previous records.

Of the 600 16 – 18 year olds taking A levels this summer at the college, over half (53.2%) gained grades A*, A or B across a wide range of 36 subjects. Of these, 32 subjects recorded 100% pass rate for all its students.

Students taking maths and science subjects particularly excelled, with 60% of Further Maths and 44% of Maths students (1 in 5) gaining the top A* or A grades, as well as Physics, Biology and Chemistry all recording 100% pass rates with over 30% of their students gaining the prestigious A* and A grades.

Other popular subjects were also recording brilliant results with 42% of the 124 students taking English Literature gaining A* and A grades and 36% of the 77 students taking History gaining these top marks.

Richard Atkins, Principal said, “This year we’ve seen the highest pass rate and the highest proportion of A*, A and B grades for students. With the pressure mounting on university places we are delighted that these results give individual students the best chance of entering the university of their first choice, as well as embarking on their chosen careers.”

The Reach Academy students – set up to support academically gifted students to reach the top class universities – has seen its first set of results and students have been very successful in gaining places at either Oxbridge, ‘Russell’ or ‘1994’ groups of universities.
With competition for university places being so fierce, Exeter College is providing additional support on the day for students anxious about university choices. The college’s own dedicated team of information, advice and guidance specialists will be on hand to offer practical advice and support – enhancing the work done within the tutorial and progression programme at the college throughout the year. The college’s own higher education team will also be providing help and a mini ‘clearing’ system of its own to ensure that students who have applied for one of the wide range of higher education opportunities at the college.

“I’d like to congratulate all the students and staff at college who have worked so hard this year,” said Richard Atkins. “These results, plus our earlier successes with the International Baccalaureate qualification and our very pleasing vocational results, mean that students have a ‘passport’ to university and their future careers. We have much to celebrate and we are delighted that we continue to show year on year improvements helping students in what is such a competitive university and job market. These results illustrate why so many young people choose to travel from across Devon, Exeter and Torbay to continue their studies at Exeter College”