Students celebrate the end of an extraordinary year

Winstanley College students received their A-level results marking the end of the most unusual year with teachers deciding students’ grades!

Top grades remain the constant amid the disruption and once again the college is at the top of the tables achieving a 100% pass rate at both A-level and BTEC with 43.8% of those being A/A* grades.

190 students have achieved three A or A* grades, with an amazing 13 students achieving five A/A*s grades! This has led to many students securing their place at a Russell Group or other prestigious university.

Billy Morris a former Hawkley Hall High School student has achieved three A*’s in maths, further maths and computer science and is now going to the University of St Andrews to study computer science. Billy said: “After achieving my fantastic results I cannot wait to start my new adventure at St Andrews in Scotland! I really enjoyed my time at Winstanley College and cannot wait to achieve a successful career in the world of computer science.”

Amazingly, 31 students have secured places at Oxford and Cambridge Universities, two of the worlds’ most elite universities!

Louise Tipping, Winstanley College’s principal, said: This is an amazing achievement and these students should be very proud.

“Another successful student is Louis Hadfield, a former Scarisbrick Hall student who has successfully gained a place to study English at the University of Cambridge. Every year we now see more and more students opting to go onto higher level apprenticeships at some of the country’s most prestigious companies.”

Student, James Birkenhead has been successful in securing a software engineering apprenticeship with BAE systems. James said: “I’m delighted to be joining BAE Systems as a software engineer on a degree apprenticeship. On this apprenticeship, I’ll be applying my passion and skills in computer science to an aerospace setting.

“While improving my skills in software engineering. My two years at Winstanley College were a pleasure despite the COVID-19 pandemic, which kept us at home for a long period. Without the support I got from the college throughout the application, the aptitude tests and the interviews, I feel my apprenticeship application wouldn’t have been successful”.

Louise Tipping, said: “Congratulations to the class of 2021!  What a crazy year it has been but we are amazed and inspired with the way our students have adapted and achieved – reflected in the fantastic results. Once again, dedicated and talented staff have worked tirelessly to support these hard-working students and it’s great that all that combined effort has paid off. I’m so proud that Winstanley continues to be at the top of its game even in the wake of a global pandemic.”