A-LEVEL students across Monmouthshire are celebrating their success today (15th August).

Hundreds of students from around the county are celebrating an outstanding set of examination results enabling them to progress to the next steps in university, colleges and work places all over Britain.

Students at Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools have achieved a very strong set of results in the more challenging two-year linear A-level examinations, with the vast majority of students gaining their first or second choice place at university.

At Monmouth School for Boys, 38.5 per cent of all grades were A* to A – well above the national average of 25.5 per cent - and 66.4 per cent were A* to B, an improvement in the results from 2018.

The A* rate was 11.1 per cent and a total of 83.2 per cent of all grades were A* to C.

Fourteen boys recorded three or more A* and A grades.

Devauden-based Great Britain junior rowing cox, Jack Tottem, a Deputy Head of School at Monmouth School for Boys, achieved three As and will be taking up an offer to read History at Oxford University.

Chepstow’s Adam Taylor, a fellow Deputy Head of School, who was heavily involved in last year’s outstanding Young Enterprise business project, was awarded three A*s.

Joe Bailey, who lives in Llandogo, was another student who excelled, recording two A*s and two As and will be heading to the University of St Andrews to read Computer Science.

He said: “I am absolutely delighted and the results have put me on the pathway towards working in computing, possibly in cyber-security.”

Jerome Lee, who achieved 3 A*s and an A, and Anuj Singhal, who secured an A* and three As, were also among the successful students.

Sixteen-year-old Robin Skailes, who has just finished Year 11, took the A level Mathematics exam two years early and gained an outstanding A* grade.

Headmaster at Monmouth School for Boys, Dr Andrew Daniel, said: “This is the first year of the fully reformed and more challenging two-year linear A level examinations and the boys have achieved very strong results.

“Having played such a full role in the life of the school, alongside their academic commitments, the vast majority of boys are now able to take up offers at their first or second choice university.”

At Monmouth School for Girls, 39.3 per cent of all grades were A* to A – again exceeding the national average - and 69.6 per cent - more than two-thirds of all grades – were A* to B.

The A* rate was 10.3 per cent and 87.9 per cent of all grades were A* to C, an improvement in the results from 12 months ago.

Ten girls achieved three or more A* and A grades.

Deputy Head Girl (Boarding), Mererid Jones, a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Wales, recorded two A*s and two As and will take up an offer to read Music at Newnham College, Cambridge University.

“I have had seven brilliant years in Monmouth and it has given a wonderful grounding and I can’t wait for the exciting challenges at Cambridge,” said Mererid.

Bella Thomas, who joined the Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools’ family at Pre-Prep and Nursery, secured one A* and two As and will now read French and German at Oxford University.

Freya Billinghurst will also be heading to Oxford University, to study Law at St Anne’s College, after achieving three As and a B.

Deputy Head Girl, Lisa Davies, from Abergavenny, who holds a prestigious Arkwright Engineering Scholarship and runs her own business, was awarded three As and a B and will read Mechanical Engineering at Birmingham University.

Head Girl, Faisa Yusuf, who achieved three As, will follow her dream to read Medicine at Cardiff University.

“I am so happy,” said Faisa. “I have had a brilliant year as Head Girl of the school and now I can follow my dreams of studying medicine.”

Deputy Head Girl, Katie Cameron, from Staunton, will head to Edinburgh University to study French and German after she also achieved three As.

GB junior sailor, Hannah Roberts-Straw, achieved three A*s and will read Natural Sciences at Exeter University.

And fourteen-year-old Xiaoli Biggs, who lives in Mitchel Troy and hopes to become an astronaut, passed her A level Mathematics exam with an outstanding A* grade.

Headmistress at Monmouth School for Girls, Mrs Jessica Miles, said: “It is always a relief when the hard work pays off and the girls achieve their personal best.

“An impressive percentage of A* to A grades means that the vast majority of our students’ expectations have been met or exceeded.

“The girls work extremely hard at Monmouth in their academic studies and achieve impressive results alongside being so heavily involved in many activities at the school.”

At Monmouth Comprehensive School more than 130 students were entered for A-level and vocational courses, with a 98 per cent pass rate. The percentage of those achieving the very top grades of A* to A was 43 per cent, while 84 per cent of students achieved A* to C.

Students this year also excelled again in the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate, with 38 per cent achieving A* to A grades.

On GCE results day, the school was abuzz with students, staff and parents celebrating success. BTEC vocational results at this level were outstanding with over 75 per cent of grades at Distinction. A number of students also achieved the very top grade A* across all A level courses, including Jacob Powell, Emily Brown, Luke Rogers, Beth Kinniment-Williams, Georgia Parry, Emily Shields, Blake Stephens and Robert Williams.

This year students will leave MCS to follow a wide range of further academic study and apprenticeships as well as work placements. A number of students who followed vocational pathways and achieved outstanding success, leave MCS to take up university programmes in Nursing, Social Work, Agricultural Management, Real Estate and Sport Science. Three students have accepted their places at Oxbridge, Jacob Powell, Emily Brown and Head Boy Luke Rogers to read Natural Sciences, Medicine and Engineering. All three began their education at Osbaston Primary School. Katie Kearsey is taking up her course in Veterinary Science and Anna Moore will study Medicine. Head Girl, Emily Shields, is pursuing a new route into law, with a degree apprenticeship. Jim Lovejoy has been awarded an apprenticeship in Defence Engineering with the Ministry of Defence. The list goes on and is testament to the school’s commitment to making sure that they offer a wide and exciting curriculum to meet the needs and enthusiasms of students so that they can follow their dreams.

The Director of Sixth Form Studies, Mrs Caroline Guest, said how delighted she was with the work of the students and their determination to succeed. “Our students leave with the knowledge, skills and experiences to reach their full potential in their next pathway and in life. We are very proud of our students and their achievements. Our students are enormously talented and able in so many fields of study and skill. It is humbling to watch them grow into fully rounded and ambitious young people who can lead their own lives.”

Headteacher, Mr Vaughan Davies, praised the work of students, parents and staff in achieving such excellent results.

“It is a privilege to watch each student pursue their pathway and I am so pleased that as a school we have maintained a full and dynamic curriculum choice that meets the needs of as many students as we can," he said. "To be able to work alongside each individual and watch them grow in confidence and ambition is such a rewarding experience”.

Councillor Richard John, Monmouthshire County Council’s cabinet member for Children and Young People said: “I am so pleased to see how much our learners have achieved – they really should be so pleased of what they have achieved today. These results demonstrate how hard students have worked with the support from their families and carers.

"The results are also testament to the excellent work undertaken by our teachers and all of the teams across all four of our secondary schools. Today is a day to celebrate their achievements before they take their exciting next steps towards a successful and rewarding career. Well done everyone.”

Will McLean, Chief Officer for Children and Young People added: “All of our pupils, teachers and families should be rightly proud of the achievements that have been recognised today. We continue to see significant strengths across all four of our schools in both A-levels and vocational qualifications. I am pleased that in a year where Wales has performed well compared to the other parts of the United Kingdom that Monmouthshire continues to achieve excellent results. Our young people can look to the future with confidence.”