New College Pontefract students have achieved a remarkable set of results this year, helping to ensure that the vast majority of them have progressed to the university, job or apprenticeship of their choice.
With 72% of all A-Level grades at an A*, A or B, this year’s results are even higher than those based on last year’s TAGs. Alongside this, 72% of Applied General grades such as BTECs were the top grades of Distinction or Distinction*. When viewed in the context of Covid, and the obstacles students have had to overcome including distanced learning, missed face-to-face contact and for many, periods of sustained ill health, the results represent something genuinely remarkable.
“Today has been one of the proudest moments of my professional career,” said Vicky Marks, principal of New College Pontefract. “These results represent an enormous group effort both from the students, who have faced the unique challenges of Covid, and the staff, each of whom has gone the extra mile to ensure that our young people have not been disadvantaged by the pandemic. The results are testimony to the special community we have established here, a community which challenges students to perform at their best whilst also supporting and nurturing them to develop as young people, entering the adult world.”
These results ensure that the significant majority of students will be able to access the university, job or apprenticeship of their choice, building on the excellent track-record New College has of ensuring that young people make concrete progress towards better life outcomes during their time at college.
“We are incredibly proud of the results achieved by New College,” said Richard Fletcher, CEO of the college’s multi-academy trust, the New Collaborative Learning Trust. “Given the special context of the past few years, we are delighted that across the whole Trust we have seen some exceptional outcomes for students this summer. These results will open the door for them to better courses, better apprenticeships and better jobs after college, helping to make a genuine impact on social mobility in our region.”
