Digital delight for students as they open their A-Level results

A-Level results day looked very different this year as students received their grades via email and celebrated with friends online.

Zoom calls, Instagram photos and hashtags were the order of the day as East Sussex College students received their A-Level and Vocational results this morning. Physical get-togethers may have been put on hold, but students celebrated on social media as they finished their time in Further Education in one of the most memorable years in living memory.

For the first time, A-Level results were decided through a mixture of teacher predictions and national moderation.

The college continued to improve its overall pass rate this year and despite restrictions and uncertainties around Covid-19, the college was able to provide students with expert advice and guidance about their options after college. Many have been able to gain access to their first choice universities and others have been able to take advantage of the college’s valuable foundation degree and Level 4 offerings while they assess their options over the next 12 months.

Overall, there were some outstanding results across East Sussex College’s three campuses in Eastbourne, Hastings and Lewes.

In Lewes, Jordan Morris-Noone, 18, achieved an A* in Dance and has a place at the renowned Institute of the Arts in Barcelona. He also passed his other two A-levels, achieving a B in French and C in Drama & Theatre Studies.

In Hastings, Daisy Chitty Williams secured outstanding straight A*s in her three subjects Fine Art, Graphics and Psychology. Daisy did have plans to travel this summer, but due to the Coronavirus has put those on hold and will join the Art Foundation course at Station Plaza with plans to study Fine Art in London afterwards.

Olivia Woodward-Benn achieved three Bs in Business, Economics and Sociology and was delighted to secure the grades she needs for her first choice university. “I am thankful to my lecturers, especially in Economics and Sociology, who have continued to support me during this unusual situation. I’m off to the University of West England (Bristol) to study Business Management and Economics. Due to Covid-19, rather than live in university halls, I will move in with family near the campus. I am excited to go to university, but realise it’s going to be different from my original expectations.”

In Eastbourne, Nathan Jukes who studied Maths, Computer Science and Physics celebrated achieving A*, A, C grades. It wasn't just A-Level students receiving their results on the day. Vocational students also received their BTEC results, with excellent results on the popular Public Services courses, Childcare and Engineering. In Eastbourne, Conor Nicholls and Joshua Ndubuisi achieved triple Distinction* in Public Services, reflecting the outstanding results in this course area.

Rebecca Conroy, Acting CEO of East Sussex College, said: “Today is a day to celebrate with our students who have achieved their expected grades in these extraordinary and challenging times. We are immensely proud of all our students and recognise their efforts over the last two years.

“Unfortunately, though we have also seen a higher than the national average of students having their grades reduced during the moderation process and so we are equally focused on supporting these students, providing them with advice on what their next steps are and have made it easy for them to lodge an appeal via our website if they choose to do so.”

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Olivia Marshall, LATEST TV reporter, spoke to students and staff from East Sussex College to discuss controversies surronding this years A Level results.