A-level results day for Island students

MORE than 300 students at the Island's five high schools are receiving their A-level results this morning (Thursday).

When the results were released at 9am, there were tears of joy for many students whose achievements meant places at universities were confirmed.

Among those collecting results at Ballakermeen High School were twins Jonathan and David Wildman, whose results in five identical subjects differed by just a grade in general studies.

Friends Kirsty Emery and Amelia O'Shea exchanged hugs on learning they would be studying together at Nottingham University after opening their envelopes. Kirsty obtained four grade As and one B and will study law while Amelia will read English after obtaining two grade As and one grade C.

At the Isle of Man College, some 20 full-time students, as well as a number of part-time students, picked up results.

Freya Bibby's A grade in psychology and Bs in maths and philosophy mean she will take up her place at Lincoln University to study psychology and clinical psychology.

She said of fellow students:

'I've had a couple of phone calls and people are relieved to get the results and have done well.'

The Department of Education's Co-ordinating Adviser for 11-19 Education, Paul Craine, is busy assimilating nearly 1,300 A-level results from schools and will issue a news release later in the day.

He said:

'These results will, for many, determine whether or not they will go to the universities of their choice so it's a tremendously important day for them and the culmination of many years of work.'

But he said other students, while not achieving precisely results they had hoped for, should still contact their first choice universities to see if places were open to them and could then, with the help of schools, turn to the clearing system to examine other options. He said:

'It will be hard for some of them to realise that they have still done extraordinarily well, even though they might not have gained the very high grades they had hoped for.'