2020 students keep Exeter College top of the class

Exeter College students are celebrating success on A Level Results Day once again, with an outstanding pass rate of 99.5% and high grades (A* to B) of 56%, ahead of the national average for another year, continuing the College’s legacy of outstanding results.  

In this unprecedented academic year, the College has now received results for students studying A Levels, the International Baccalaureate and Access to Higher Education courses, all of which have been based on some form of calculated teacher assessment. The professionalism and integrity of the College’s teachers and the talent of students has been recognised as the vast majority of results have remained unchanged from teacher submissions. 

A remarkable 24 of the College’s A Level subjects achieved 100% pass rates, but it was high grades where some subjects truly excelled.  

The College’s Graphic Design A Level boasted an incredible 82% of students achieving high grades, while Politics achieved 67% high grades and History 63% high grades. There was also huge success for the College’s maths-based courses, with high grades for 63% of Maths students, 72% of Further Maths students, 60% of Economics students and 57% of Chemistry students.  

The results mean that many students from Exeter College will now be going on to study at leading universities, progressing on to further study with the College or moving directly into the workplace. 

Reflecting on the results, Exeter College Principal and Chief Executive John Laramy said, “I have seen first-hand how hard students and staff have worked over the last year and I’m confident that our students have valid, comparable and accurate grades that reflect their commitment. 

“I can’t pass any judgement on the picture nationally, but we at Exeter College will be celebrating these results with our students. They have once again delivered results that mean Exeter College remains one of the very best further education providers in the country.  

“I would like to commend the students for how they have adapted, worked and contributed to life at the College and the staff who have shown again just why we’re rated as Outstanding by Ofsted.”  

The A Level results continue to build on the College’s exceptional summer of results, following the success of International Baccalaureate students and Access to Higher Education students in recent weeks. 

Today is also the day when many students get their advanced level technical and vocational qualifications and use these as their passport to university level study, an Apprenticeship or employment. There will soon be a further press release celebrating their achievements, which have continued at an outstanding level for another year.  

The results confirm Exeter College as the region’s first choice, Ofsted Outstanding College, with impressive achievement across the broad curriculum offered, from Fine Art through to Sociology.  

The outstanding A Level results this year were supported by the fact that the College continues to enter students into AS Level exams, with most academic students taking an externally set and marked exam in the vast majority of subjects during their first year of study. It's hoped that this approach will be especially useful for new students this year, who will not have experienced externally set exams. This means that students will work towards exams at the end of their first year to help them prepare and excel in their A Level year. 

This practice on this occasion has meant that only a minority of grades have been changed as part of the Government’s algorithm for calculating final grades, keeping the College’s exemplary results in line with previous years and reflective of the outstanding learning environment at Exeter College. 

Exeter College Vice Principal Jade Otty, who leads on academic performance, said, “I’m thrilled the hard work of our students and staff has been recognised with these excellent results in extraordinary circumstances.  

“Our decision to retain AS exams for the majority of courses has helped support and validate our calculated A Level results. I am so pleased that in the majority of cases our learners have received the excellent results they so deserve, building on our legacy of success for academic and vocational courses. 

“There have been a lot of headlines recently about what this cohort may have missed out on, but today it’s important to celebrate and congratulate them on the amazing skills they have built up over the last months, with the support of their teachers, to continue their studies. They leave us with not just great academic results, but we hope with a confidence born of the fact that they have navigated so much so well. The resilience of our 2020 cohort has been incredible, and we are so excited to see what they go on to achieve.” 

In line with new government guidance, some A Level students may have an opportunity to appeal their grade and receive a mock grade if they’re unhappy with their results. There will also be an opportunity for students to register their interest in an autumn series of exams to achieve a different result, should they wish. Further details will be revealed by the Government in due course.