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A Level grades in Hammersmith & Fulham have been high and better than the national average – despite a drop in the top grades nationally.

Early provisional results produced by H & F Council show that 99% of students passed, achieving A*-E grades – 1% above the national average and also up 1% on last year’s borough score.

H&F students hitting the heady heights of the top A*-A grades were also better than the national average, at 29%, compared to 26%. The result has also jumped up a 5% from last year’s borough-wide average, which was 24%.

The pass rate at grades A*-C also went up from 73% in the borough last year, to 74%.

The results continue to impress, despite the on-going crackdown on so called ‘grade inflation’, where exams have been sat under stricter rules designed to stop the number of teenagers gaining top grades from going up year after year.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Nicholas Botterill, said: “This is yet again another fantastic year of results for students in the borough. Our schools have been bucking the national trend with their results improving, rather than going down, and that is a wonderful achievement.

“Congratulations to all our students, who have put in the hard work over the last two years, and to teachers, school staff, parents and guardians who have supported them during that time. “

At William Morris Sixth Form students were jumping for joy as it was revealed results were also up 1%, with 12% of students gaining A*-As. The schools says it had a record number of 615 entries in 37 separate subjects. 35 subjects had a pass rate of 100%, meaning that the overall pass rate was 99%  (above the national average of 98.1%) with well over half at the top grades of A* to C.

One of those with most to celebrate is Ala Alkazemy, 18, of Pellant Road, Hammersmith, was one such high achiever and will be off to study medicine at Liverpool University.

She said: “It was very hard work to get through, nearly impossible at times, but I’m very pleased and happy now. I’m particularly happy as in biology I got an A*.”

Ala also received As in chemistry and Arabic.

Ealing, Hammersmith & West London College hasa also beaten the odds and reported an increase of 1.4% in A* - A grades this year.

Following a successful implementation of its Learner First strategy, Ealing, Hammersmith & West London College has seen an increase in its AS/A-Level proportion of A-B grades by 4.9%, with its popular subjects like Media Studies and Spanish enjoying a 100% pass rate.

The College's learner-centred strategy has also positively influenced the learning experience and performance of its A2/A-Level learners, with a 100% pass rate being reported for its English and ICT subjects, and a 98% pass rate enjoyed by its Psychology and Sociology courses.

The Principal, Paula Whittle, congratulated the College's learners and lecturers on these encouraging results, saying: "I am proud of what we have achieved, working together with our learners to ensure we understand and address their needs, and removing all barriers to learning, inspiring them with an engaging, diverse curriculum. This is what our Learner First strategy is all about, and I will continue embedding learner focus in all our decision making".

At Godolphin and Latymer School there was delight at an impressive increase in the percentage of A* or A grades achieved with the school's highest ever cumulative total of 75.7%.

Of these, nearly a third were A*. This compares with a second successive fall in the national average to 26.3% at A* or A grade.

Overall, 32% of students achieved 2 or more A* grades, and over half gained A* or A grades in all their subjects.

For the second year, a number of students undertook the Extended Project Qualification with outstanding results. Overall, 84% of candidates gained either A* or A grades for their independent research projects.

Of the school's 82 A-level candidates, the vast majority will take up places next month at their first choice of universities in the UK, the USA or Canada.

August 23, 2013