Oldham Sixth Form delight at top A-Level grades

College celebrates 'strongest pass rates in context of the new tougher A Levels.

Oldham Sixth Form College is celebrating its best ever A Level pass rate with 99 per cent of students making the grade and an amazing 381 students achieving at least AAA grades or equivalent.

While a higher number of subjects have enjoyed a perfect 100 per cent pass rate.

And as has been the case for many years now, there was a superb 100 per cent pass rate by students completing vocational/Applied General courses.

A phenomenal 96.5 per cent of students took the Extended Diploma and achieved the highest grades, with over 1000 Distinction and Distinction* grades, which are the equivalent of A/A* grades at A Level.

A substantial number of students completed ‘blended’ programmes, combining A Level and applied courses and achieved excellent results in these too. OSFC is also the only college in Greater Manchester to have been selected to offer the new, flagship T-Levels from September 2020.

OSFC students have secured places at Oxbridge and other Russell Group universities and there are many other superb outcomes in terms of both progression to a wide range of universities and to other excellent options including apprenticeships, gap years, Art Foundation courses and directly into employment.

Jayne Clarke, Executive Principal, said: “We are once again delighted and very proud of our students’ results. Students at OSFC have the broadest of choices, make outstanding progress and achieve superb results year on year. To have achieved our strongest pass rates in the context of the new tougher A Levels is testament to the hard work and dedication of both the students and our staff, who have supported students wonderfully well. We wish all our students the very best of luck on the next steps in their futures, whether this be at university, on an apprenticeship or in employment.”

The college is proud to offer the widest choice of A Levels in the area and a 4 AS Level programme in Year 12, giving students a full external exam experience in their first year, a greater number of qualifications than offered by most sixth form providers and flexibility about subject choices on progression through to Year 13. Our AS Level pass rate is also the best ever this year.

A joint statement from all Oldham sixth form providers stated: "Changes to A levels have been underway since September 2016 and results in all subjects are now for the new A Levels. Whilst the government has been clear that the ‘Gold Standard’ of A Levels has been maintained, they are now linear, which means that all exams are taken at the end of the course. Different subjects have been updated in different years, with the last set of reformed results this summer, August 2019. Comparisons between old and new style A levels are difficult to make, coupled with the fact that different organisations have different models of delivery, with some having moved away from AS level options and others retaining this model. Caution must therefore be used when making comparisons, both with previous years and between subjects and organisations."