A glorious summer of achievements and the feel good factor continues with students from all over Exeter and Devon who are joining Exeter College staff this morning to celebrate an outstanding 99.4% overall A level pass rate.

Of the 628 16 – 18 year olds taking A levels this summer at the college, half gained grades A*, A or B across a wide range of 36 subjects.

Students taking the popular Maths, Science and English subjects particularly excelled, with 48% of the 101 Maths students gaining impressive A and A* grades whilst a remarkable 65% of students taking Further Maths gained these top grades. Economics, Biology, History, English Language and English Literature all recorded 100% pass rates with a third of Physics and Chemistry students gaining A* or A grades.

Other popular subjects included all four Art A level subjects at the college recording 100% pass rates with almost a quarter of students achieving the prestigious A* and A grades.

And it's not just the wide range of courses that are being celebrated but again students from all over Devon are amongst the very highest fliers at the college. Students from as far away as Holsworthy, Barnstaple, Axmouth and Paignton have recorded straight A* or A grades at the city’s college.

Richard Atkins, Principal said, “This year we've seen yet another excellent set of results with over 99% pass rates for our students. With the increased pressure 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.”

Many students applying for places at the most prestigious universities benefit from particular initiatives at the College, such as the Reach Academy, providing additional master classes and opportunities for the academically gifted, and the Extended Project, which this year has seen over a third of the candidates achieving an A*.

With continued competition for university places being so fierce, Exeter College is providing additional support on the day for students anxious about university choices, opening its doors from 8am to ensure those students eager to find out their results get the support they need. 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 understand all the options open to them including the brand new higher education courses at the college including the BA in English and Creative Writing.

“I'd like to congratulate all the students and staff at Exeter College who have worked so hard this year,” said Richard Atkins. “Today is about A level results. The college continues to demonstrate inclusivity in the range of students we attract from across the county and the wealth of subjects these students can choose. We are also celebrating excellent International Baccalaureate results announced in July and there are approaching 600 students awaiting their BTEC vocational results that will be their essential passport to continue on to the universities of their choice. This continues to be an outstanding year for the college with our results and support, recognised by Ofsted, helping students in what is such a competitive university and job market. Once more individual students from across Exeter and Devon have fulfilled, and in many cases exceeded, expectations and we wish them all well in the next stage of their careers.”