A-level results day 2017: Freman College in Buntingford

Bianca Wild

Published: 2:41 PM August 17, 2017

Updated: 3:47 PM November 1, 2020

Rebecca Hayward has a place to study veterinary science at Cambridge, Dani Fort is heading to Birmingham to read sport and exercise science and Aimee Woodcock is reading animal science at Nottingham. - Credit: Archant

Freman College’s sixth form students and their teachers are celebrating another set of outstanding results with some of the college’s “highest A-level grades ever”.

Daniel Rhodes is moving on to an apprenticeship at Astra Zeneca, Tommy Stupple has a Civil Service apprenticeship and Tristan Watkins has a place to study history at Nottingham. - Credit: Archant

The school has said that an exceptional proportion of the year group have achieved top grades and have won places at top universities and on lucrative, high-level apprenticeships.

Headteacher Helen Loughran said: “I am really delighted that the tough new A-levels haven’t thrown our students at all this year.

“They were a year group who achieved exceptional GCSE results two years ago and they have gone on to make outstanding progress in their A-levels too.

Head boy George Marler is going on to study medicine at Oxford. - Credit: Archant

“I am really proud of them, as are all their teachers.

“They are moving on to a fantastically diverse and impressive range of careers.”

Will Abell, Freman’s director of sixth form, said: “We have high expectations of students and push them hard to achieve their very best, but we also provide lots of support.

Beth Surridge is going to study journalism at de Montfort. - Credit: Archant

“I also think it helps that with large numbers in the sixth form, students get to choose from a wide range of courses and benefit from high quality specialist teaching.

“The students have worked incredibly hard and have really made the most of everything we have offered them – their parents should feel really proud of them.”

Many students have gained places at Russell Group universities, which are a group of 24 prestigious public research institutions.

Ollie Neagus will be studying drama at Lincoln. - Credit: Archant

Head boy George Marler is off to Oxford to read medicine, while Rebecca Hayward – who scored three A* grades – is going to Cambridge to read veterinary science.

Other high flyers include former Greneway student Tom Harrington, from Royston, who is off to read history at Exeter, having gained one A* in history, and two As – in English literature and religious studies.

Sophie Shaw will be studying architecture in Nottingham after gaining two As and one B grade.

Tom Claydon, who gained one A* and three A grades, is going to read computing at Imperial College London and Cathy O’Sullivan who gained two A*s and one A is taking history of art at Edinburgh.

But many high flyers, like Tommy Stupple, are heading straight into the world of work. Tommy has won an apprenticeship with the Civil Service while Daniel Rhodes will be starting an analytical chemistry apprenticeship with Astra Zeneca.

Abi Friend is joining GSK to undertake a high level ICT apprenticeship while Georgina Bush has secured a place on KPMG’s apprenticeship programme.

There were also top performers amongst the students taking the Level 3 BTEC Extended Diploma in Sports Studies which is equivalent to 3 A-levels.

Georgia Hay, Charlie Murray, Alice Sweet, Ed Shannon and Sean Seymour all achieved three Distinction* grades, equivalent to three A*s at A-level.