A-level results for Bristol 2015

Identical twins Brooklyn and Madison Halladay stand each side of the principal at St Brendan’s Sixth Form College in Brislington. It’s hard to tell who’s proudest, the twins or their head who is rocking the double thumbs up.

In an unusual tale, on a day of spectacular stories for students receiving their A-level results across Bristol, these two – seemingly separated only by the choice of a fringe or side-parting – studied exactly the same subjects.

Even more bizarrely, they both picked up all A*s and As for English Language, English Literature and History along with an Extended Project Qualification and they will both now be heading to the University of Birmingham to study English and Creative Writing side by side.

Their top results helped boost Bristol overall averages in a year when the national results dipped slightly.

Pass rates in the city were roughly stable, with most sixth forms and colleges hitting well above 90 per cent.

But the majority of schools in the city saw more students awarded the highest grades. The number of students to achieve A, A, B or better rose from 8.3 per cent to 12.5 per cent.

St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School was one of the most improved, enjoying a pass rate of 99.3 per cent with 34 per cent of its students achieving a grade A, A, B or better – more than double last year.

Colston’s Girls’ School also saw a big increase, with 55 per cent getting A, A, B, compared to 14 per cent last year.

One student who narrowly missed out on the A, A, B class was Pipa Gale, 18, from Stoke Gifford, who picked up an A, B, B in Sociology, English Language and Politics at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College (formerly Filton College).

But the results were still a big achievement for a girl who was excluded from two secondary schools and spent the majority of years 9 and 10 in isolation rooms.

She said inspirational teachers persisted with her despite her “outward attitude” and helped her face her “inner demons”.

“I was given anger management, offered support and counselling. GCSE was a pivotal moment of my life at 15 where everything changed and I realised the importance of education,” she added.

She is now heading to a university in London to study sociology with the hope she will “uncover injustice and help other people realise their potential in the same way that teachers have helped me to do”.

The city’s A-level results came as Bristol schools have seen an improvement in their OFSTED ratings over the last few years, with 90 per cent of secondary schools now rated as “good” or “outstanding”.

Brenda Massey, assistant mayor for with responsibility for education, said: “Education in Bristol schools has been steadily improving thanks to the hard work of teachers and students and this latest set of results show just how far we have come.”

Results:

Bristol Brunel Academy

99 per cent pass rate

38 per cent A*-B

Bristol Cathedral Choir School

100 per cent pass rate

60 per cent A*-B

Bristol Grammar School

100 per cent pass rate

84 per cent A*-B

Bristol Metropolitan Academy

96 per cent pass rate

42 per cent A*-B

City of Bristol College:

94 per cent pass

68 per cent A*-C

Colston’s School

100 per cent pass rate

40  per cent A*-A

North Bristol Post 16 (Cotham School and Redland Green combined)

99.5 per cent pass rate

…

Queen Elizabeth Hospital

100 per cent pass rate

96 per cent A*-C

Redmaids’ School

100 per cent pass rate

80 per cent A*-B

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College, (formerly Filton College)

98 per cent pass rate

47 per cent A*-B

St Brendan’s Sixth Form College:

97.5 per cent pass rate

70.2 per cent A*-C

St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School:

99.3 per cent pass rate