THE PERCENTAGE of pupils that have passed Advanced and AS-Level examinations in Pembrokeshire’s secondary schools overall is slightly lower than 2015, which reflects the national picture. 

The overall Pembrokeshire pass rate at A-Level was 96.6%, compared with the Wales national average of 97.3%.

The percentage of pupils gaining A* and A grades in Pembrokeshire was 18.2 %, compared to a Welsh average of 22.7%.

The overall Pembrokeshire pass rate at AS-Level this year was 88.0% compared to a national average of 88.3 %. This reflects an improvement in line with national results.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s Director for Children and Schools, Kate Evan-Hughes, said: “It is pleasing to see the number of students achieving the outcomes they need to take the next steps whether that is university, apprenticeship or employment.

“I am delighted to see the improvement for some of our schools, but we will be working closely with those whose outcomes this year have not seen significant positive changes. I would like to wish all students the very best for their futures and thank staff for their commitment to our young people.”

Councillor David Lloyd, Cabinet Member for Education, added: “We are pleased with the overall results and I offer my heartfelt congratulations to the students on their successes and recognise their hard work in preparing so thoroughly for the examinations.

“I’d also like to acknowledge the dedication of the teachers in a time of increased expectations. The sustained position reflects the joint commitment of all education institutions and Local Authority staff in ensuring that young people are afforded every opportunity to achieve their full potential.

“I also acknowledge the support received from the student’s families. This is an important day for the young people who received their results today and I wish all of them well for the future.

“For the future , we can and will do better. I am committed to a whole Pembrokeshire approach in order to achieve this objective and will work tirelessly with others to do so.”

PEMBROKESHIRE COLLEGE RESULTS AMONG BEST IN WALES 

This year has seen outstanding results for students studying their A-levels at Pembrokeshire College with a 100% pass rate across all subjects, an impressive 28.6% of students achieving A* or A grades and 13% of students achieving A* grades (double the Welsh comparator).

After achieving three A* grades in Physics, Mathematics and Further Mathematics, high-flying student Ben Pepper is off to Imperial College London to read Physics with Theoretical Physics. With future ambitions to pursue a career with CERN, Ben commented: “The College has a diverse learning community and the teaching and support I have received has been amazing. I’m really looking forward to going off to university now.”

Ben joined fellow STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) student Sarah Baggs in picking up a cheque for £1,000, as part of the College’s STEM bursary , which aims to support young people looking to pursue a career in the STEM subjects.

Sarah, who achieved an A* and two A grades, will now be moving to Exeter to take up her place to study Medicine with the University of Exeter. After collecting her results, Sarah commented: “The lecturers at the college are top class. Throughout my A-levels, they have gone out of their way to help and support me including support with my university applications. As part of the MAT programme, I have also been able to connect with practising professionals to get a real insight into my future career.”

Other student university destinations include: Cardiff, Bristol, Plymouth, Liverpool and Belfast.

The College also saw BTEC National Diploma students excelling, with Emily Longden achieving D*D*D* in the Extended Diploma in Electrical/Electronic Engineering (equivalent to three A* grades at A-level). Emily will now go on to read Electronics at Cardiff University. Fellow diploma student Lottie Anderson also achieved D*D*D* in Health Science and will now go on to Cardiff University proving that Extended Diplomas can be a real alternative to A-levels for students looking to progress to university.

After receiving this year’s A-level results for the college, Deputy Principal Dr Barry Walters said: “We are thrilled with this year’s A-level results. These results prove that Pembrokeshire College is committed to the delivery of A-level programmes and has an excellent team of teaching and support staff who are on hand to ensure that we get the best out of our students. We wish all our students the best of luck as they now progress either onto university or into employment.”