A-LEVEL students in Birmingham scored a record-breaking success with nearly all candidates achieving at least one pass.
And most of the city’s 3,000 local authority sixth form pupils achieved one or more grades A to B.
Nationally, the pass rate rose for the 29th year in a row, with 97.8 per cent of A-level entries receiving at least an E grade.
Birmingham successes included Moseley School student Omer Sheikh Mohammed, who became the school’s most successful student ever after achieving seven A-levels, including A* grades in maths and further maths.
Somali-born Omer, who moved to Birmingham in 2001, has now secured a place at Hertford College, Oxford, where he will read maths.
Omer, who lives in Sparkhill, said: “I’m pleased with my results and really excited about going to Oxford.
“There will be no hiding during the tutorials.”
Year 13 students at the Bishop Walsh Catholic School, in Sutton Coldfield, notched up an impressive 19 A* grades between them in what was the best set of results in the school’s 45-year history.
Half of all grades achieved were A*, A or Bs, and nine students gained three or more A grades.
Top performing students included Tom Collins, who is on his way to Cambridge to study natural sciences after scoring three A* grades and an A.
Head teacher John Farrell said: “Year 13 students really raised their attainment in our Catholic all-ability school.”
Also raising a glass to yet another successful year was Park Hall Academy in Castle Bromwich, which recorded a rise in the number of passes and two students at King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls, in Kings Heath, scored no less than five A* grades.
King Edward VI Camp Hill for Boys recorded A* grades in nearly a third of all exams.
City council education chief Coun Les Lawrence said: “I would like to congratulate all pupils in Birmingham for achieving their A-level examination results.
“It marks a major milestone as they embark on the next stage of their lives which will see them either continue into higher education, vocational learning, employment or even a gap year.”
>> Next page: Star Harborne schoolgirl Eleanor is off to Oxford >>
