A-level results in Cardiff and the Vale: How every school and college performed

Thousands of teenagers picked up their A-levels across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan today.

Two schools, Cathays High in Cardiff and Stanwell School in Penarth said they are celebrating their best ever results.

Two new schools, Whitmore High and Pencoedtre High in Barry posted their first set of results.

Both Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan out performed the Wales' record breaking average for top results this year.

Results for Cardiff show 31.5% of A-levels taken in the city this summer were graded A* to A, compared to the Wales figure of 27 percent.

Entries resulting in A* - E grades rose 98.6%, up 0.3 percentage points from last year.

For entries graded A* to C, the 2019 figure is 80.9 % compared the Wales-wide figure of 76.3 percent, an increase of 2.6 percentage points.

Students happy with their results at Cardiff High

Cardiff Council said these provisional results relate only to A-levels from all exam boards. The BTEC and Welsh Baccalaureate results will be factored into the final ratified figures.

Students in the Vale of Glamorgan outperformed the Welsh average at the top A-level grades this year with 27.7% awarded A* or A compared to the all-Wales average of 27%.

A hefty 76.9% of students received A* to C grades, a figure also above the Welsh average of 76.3% while those achieving two grades A* to E rose by 1.1% to 98.1%.

The proportion of entries that gained a pass grade between A* and E also climbed to 98.1% – up 1.6% on last year.

This list will be updated as schools and colleges finalise their results.

Cathays High

Cathays High said it has had its most successful year ever for results at A-level.

A*-A: 33%

A*-E: 95%

A*-C: 83%

Results at A*to A, A* to B and A*to C grades are "significantly better than in previous years".

All of the school's year 13 A-level students got into university and 90% got into their first choice university.

"We are delighted with our results this year and with the hard work and dedication of students and staff in realising their potential," said deputy head teacher Stuart Davies.

Llanishen High

Results for individual subjects:

Physics: 50% of grades A*-A.

Chemistry: 47% of grades A*-A.

Maths: 40% of grades A*-A.

English Literature: 42% of grades A*-A.

Economics: 36% of grades A*-A

French: 50% of grades at A*-A

Geography: 50% of grades at A*-A

All English literature, physics, music and politics A-levels taken were awarded grades of A*-C.

High flying students include Megan Brown, Alice Cann, Leah Coulter, Ben Crocker, Ollie Dell’Armi, Alys Murphy, Jo Radulovic, Gwyn Rich and Jazmin Stacey who all achieved four A* to A grades.

Tom Jenkin who secured the 3 A* grades needed to study veterinary science at the Royal Veterinary College in London.

Head teacher Sarah Parry said: "Hopefully the tears, trials and tribulations of the last few months will have been worth it."

For the Advanced Welsh Bacc and BTEC Health and Social Care and BTEC Sport there was a 100% pass rate.

Cardiff West Community High

Ysgol Plasmawr

A*-A: 38.1%

A*-C: 85.2%

A*-E: 100%

At Ysgol Plasmawr, 22.2% of students attained three or more A*-A grades and 70% of students attained three or more A*- C grades.

Carys Bill, Elin Preest and Gwen Williams got the grades they needed to go on to study at Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

Headteacher John Hayes said: "I am indebted to my staff for preparing their students so well for their A level, Welsh Baccalaureate and BTEC courses and who take so much pride in the achievements of their students."

Whitchurch High

A*-B: 61%.

A* -A: 33%

Two students, Anna Reynolds and Anna Ruddock, achieved four A* grades. A further eight students, Jenni Colcombe, Sophie Gwilt, Chloe Howcroft, Daniel Howcroft, Arash Hushyar Yazdian, Ewan John, Beatriz Silva and William Thomas all achieved three A* grades.

Anna Reynolds who will now go to study veterinary medicine at Cambridge, Sophie Gwilt will study English at Oxford, Gracie Wheeler who will study earth sciences at Oxford and Beatriz Silva who will study general engineering at Oxford.

Raihaan Biju will study Medicine at Imperial College.

Cardiff High

A*-A: 40%

A total of 39 Year 13 students achieved three or more A* and A grades.

Nearly 100% achieved at least three A Level qualifications at grades A* to E.

Headteacher Stephen Jones said: "Significant numbers of students have secured places to study for medicine and we continue our tradition of supporting pupils to study at Oxbridge and Russell Group universities."

Cathedral School

The most common grade at the fee paying independent school was A and 25% of students achieved exclusively A*/A grades.

Pass rate: 100%

A*- A: 46%

A*- B: 73%

A third of students achieved three A grades or better. Five students are going on to read medicine and one to read Dentistry.

Dariyan Khan secured the highest possible results with four A*s in computing, maths, further maths and physics and will read maths at Imperial College London,

A former Brazilian Jiujitsu European Champion Silver medal winner, Dariyan said: "I am so happy with my results. It was definitely worth all of the hard work and hours of revision."

Dylan Zhao will read Medicine at Oxford.

Other top performers, scoring exclusively A* and A grades, include head Girl, Olivia Curtis-Hughes, who will read Medicine at Cardiff.

Head Clare Sherwood said: "We are absolutely thrilled that our students have achieved such outstanding results."

Ysgol Glantaf

Pass rate 99%

A - A*: 40%

A total 36% of students gained at least two A*-A grades and 57% of all students also gained the top A*-A grades in the

Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate with a 100% pass rate for this qualification.

Ysgol Glantaf student Jac Griffiths from Cardiff achieved five A*s in his A-levels and is going on to study computer science at Bath

Notable achievements include a student with 5A*s who is off to Bath University to read computer science, two students with four A*s who are off to Oxford University and a student with three A*s and an A who is going to Oxford.

Headteacher Alun Davies said: "The school is extremely pleased with results here at Glantaf this morning. They reflect the hard work of both students and staff who are to be congratulated on their success."

Cantonian High School

Cantonian High pupils with head teacher Diane Gill

100% pass rate

A*-C 67%

There was also a 100% pass rate for vocational qualifications and 75% achieved A*-C in the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate of the Welsh Baccalaureate, equivalent to A-level.

Headteacher, Diane Gill said “I am again incredibly proud of the achievements of all our sixth form pupils today.

“They have shown commitment and resilience throughout the last two years and have worked hard to ensure that they achieved the best grades they could.

“It is clear that their hard work has finally paid off as many of our pupils have secured places at a university of their choice where they will be able to continue their studies.

“I am delighted with the increased number of pupils accepting university offers. I want to congratulate all our pupils and wish them well as they take up these places at university, or go on to employment.”

Cardiff and Vale College

The college is celebrating more students than ever before achieving their AS and A Level qualifications.

The number students who passed increased by 2%, while the number achieving A to C grades was up by 4%.

Nearly 600 students achieved A* to C grades, 146 of them with A and A*s.

Physics saw 100% of students pass while more than 75% of learners on art and design, photography,

English language and literature, film, history and economics gained grades of A* to C.

100% of students studying French achieved A* to C.

Among top achievers are Reduan Soroar, who gained A*s for biology, psychology and maths and Lauren White achieved an A* in English language, an A in psychology and an A in sociology and is going to King’s College, London, to study Psychology.

Adam Heit achieved a B in business, a C in politics and a D in Welsh Baccalaureate and is off to Buckinghamshire New University to undertake pilot training.

CAVC Head of General Education Yusuf Ibrahim said: “At Cardiff and Vale College we have a real commitment to continually improve the quality of education for our students and these A- Level results are a strong foundation on which to build. We have a number of subject areas where more than three quarters of learners secured A* to C grades and we had more learners than ever.”

Bishop of Llandaff Church in Wales High School

Pupils at Bishop of Llandaff High School with Georgie, the school's black labrador puppy. (Image: Richard Williams/WalesOnline)

A*-A 34%

A*-C 84%

A*-E 99%

Head teacher Marc Belli said:“Many congratulations on your well-deserved outcomes. Also, my thanks to our dedicated staff who go above and beyond to support all our youngsters. I wish all our departing students great success. Keep us informed of your progress. “

Radyr Comprehensive

A*A % - 48%

A*B % - 71 %,

A*C % - 87%,

A*D - 96%

A*E % - 99.6%

A total of 38 year 13 students achieved at least three A grades with 20 students achieving at least four A grades.

There was a record number of successful Oxbridge applications with five of Rady'res students securing places.

Howell's Co-Ed College

Howells School, Llandaff, Cardiff (Image: Mirrorpix)

Students at the independent school were awarded more A*s than ever this year.

A*-A 52%

A*-B 80%

In total, 25% of the year group achieved all As and A*s.

"This is a fantastic achievement for the students, particularly considering the new, more challenging, A-level specifications," the schooll said.

Fitzalan High

A 25%

A*-C 85%

13% students achieved three or more A*-A grades with eight students achieving four or more A*-As and over 14 students achieving three A*-As.
Two brothers from the school who moved to Cardiff from Iran four years ago with very little English, have also done exceptionally well with nine A*s between them. The eldest brother, Amin, has got into Oxford to study physics and his younger brother Mehran has been accepted to study dentistry at Bristol University.

Asistant head teacher Jo Kemp said: “We’re absolutely thrilled with our A-level results. This is certainly one of our best years, even on the new threshold measures, with some record achievements. Yousuf Bakshi celebrated two As and two A*s and he’s our first student from Fitzalan to go to Harvard University where he’ll be studying computer science. He will even stay in the same dorm as Bill Gates did in 1975!

“Our students should be very proud of their hard work and fantastic achievements. Many of our highest achievers have benefited from being part of Seren which has given them a host of opportunities to achieve their full potential.

"Through Seren Yousuf got to take part in the Yale Young Global Scholars programme which meant he spent two weeks at Yale living as a student attending lectures and living in university accommodation.

"As well as this, many of our students have got to take part in mock interviews organised by Seren which has meant that when it’s come to the real thing they have been able to perform their best. Seren has also helped our top students better able to cope with exam pressure and stress during their studies. We’re over the moon and wish our students every success.”

St Cyres School, Penarth

100% pass rate

A*-A: 18%

A*-C: 70%

A*-E: 100%

Head teacher Dr Jonathan Hicks said: "These are once again excellent results for the students and represent their hard work and the professionalism and dedication of our teaching staff.

"Education should be a lifelong habit and our students are now well placed to achieve further success, both at university and their future careers."

Stanwell School, Penarth

Stanwell School A-level students (from left to right) Michael Halligan, Hannah Ross and George Jones

The school said students at Stanwell School in Penarth achieved the best A Level grades to date.

Pass rate: 99%

A*: 16%

A*-A: 37%

A*-C: 71%

Assistant headteacher Mark Lewis said: "We've had really great results this year. "The majority of students got into their first choice university and we saw a lot of As and A*s this year. "We're very happy with how well they have all done and they should be very proud of themselves."