Students make top grade in new A-level qualification (From The Bolton News)

Students make top grade in new A-level qualification

10:40am Monday 19th January 2009

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STUDENTS at Turton School sixth form are making sure they stand out from the rest by completing an extra A-level qualification in their own time.

Three clever students have become the first cohort of students to achieve an A* in A-level standard studies.

Rob Masters, aged 17, Isobel Hughes, aged 18, and Joanne Edwards, aged 18, found out they were among 50 out of 373 in the country to have received the top mark in their Extended Project Qualification — designed to stretch and challenge A-level students.

This is the third time the school has offered the qualification after being one of the first in the country to trial it in the last academic year— but it is the first time the A* grade has been introduced at this level of study.

Deputy headteacher Charlie Taylor said: “These are among the first ever A* at A-level to be awarded by AQA or any other board.

“A* is a new measure the Government is introducing to discriminate further among A-level candidates as more candidates are gaining As.”

The qualification is in the form of a project ranging from a mini-dissertation of 5,000 words to creative visual work. It is equivalent to half-an A-level and the same standard of A2 units.

Mr Taylor said: “We offered this because the universities love it. The EPQ helps develop the skills needed in university, including research and independent study. The qualification will be an important extra as competition for universities places grows.”

The successful students said they embarked on the course to complement their studies and to show universities they were interested and enthusiastic about the subject they wanted to study.

Science student Rob wrote a mini-dissertation on space exploration.

He said: “I want to study physics at university and this subject fitted in with that. I didn’t expect to get an A*, that was really great.

“You do have to be disciplined and motivated, but it is good to get a qualification in a subject you are really interested in.”

Isobel, who has applied to drama school, said: “Because I am studying science subjects, I opted to do a project on the author James Joyce to show I was interested in the arts.”

Joanne showed the University of Central Lancashire she was the perfect student to study animation. She said: “I did a short film for my project and showed it at my interview. They said they would like to show it to first-year students on the course.

“It was good have the option to do this course and it does motivate in your other subjects as well.”

Mr Taylor said: “We are proud of the students who have worked hard and the staff who have given up their time to help.”

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