BEXLEY: This year's A levels are cream of the crop

Results have risen at eight out of 12 schools in Bexley and nine schools achieved better than the national average.

More than three quarters of the borough’s A level students got exams at the top A to C grades.

Some schools showed significant increases in students achieving the top grades.

These increased at Cleeve Park by 13.6 per cent, Bexleyheath School by 9.6 per cent and Welling School by 3.4 per cent,.

At Welling School in Elsa Road, Welling, there was a 98 per cent pass rate with 70 per cent gaining A to C passes.

Star pupils included Si Pui Tuong who achieved four As, Laura Lloyd who gained three As and a place at the Ruskin School of Drawing, at Oxford University and George Jones who also gained three As.

Other Welling School successes were George Dunsford, Grace Hodder, John O'Grady and Bobbie Connolly who all achieved two As and one B.

Diane Khanna, headteacher said: “Once again our A level results have improved.

Ninety-eight per cent of our students gained A to E grades with 43 per cent achieving A and B grades and 70 per cent of students achiving A to C grades.

"Congratulations must go to all our students, parents and staff.”

Trinity School in Erith Road, Belvedere, enjoyed a 100 per cent pass rate again this year and has plans to expand its sixth form provision for 2010.

Headteacher Ian Collins said the results were: “a great boost to the pupils, parents and everyone who learns and works at Trinity School”.

He added: "These wonderful results individually, and as a group, are the well-deserved and expected reward for all their efforts and the excellent learning partnership they have had with their teachers."

At Erith School in Avenue Road, Erith, 61 per cent of results were in the top three grades, up one point, with the school achieving a pass rate of 93 per cent.

Top students included Sydney Heather with As in English literature and media studies and Bs in art and design and film studies and Gemma Cox who achieved an A in English literature, B in sociology, and Cs in history and government and politics.

Lace Murphy gained Bs in media studies and sociology and Cs in English literature and law, while Elisia Longhurst achieved a double A in performing arts and Ds in media studies and film studies.

New headteacher Julie Turner said: “I am delighted.

“Fifty-five of our students of our students have gained university entrance qualifications. I am so proud of them.”

She added: "Politicians who claim some A levels are now easier, can be certain of one thing: our hardworking, high-achieving students don't believe them for one minute.

"They, and their parents, know exactly how tough the two-year journey has been for them.

"The critics should see the students' happy faces and hear their exciting plans for the future, before they make negative comments."

At Blackfen School, in Blackfen Road, Blackfen, the overall pass rate was 95 per cent with 53 per cent of them passed at A to C grades.

Outstanding results were achieved by Holly Shepherd and Kirstie Wright, three As; Amelia Rose, Kerri Luff and Rahana Moshud, two As and one B; Jamie Healy one A and two Bs; Maria Luxton two As and two Cs and Natalie Steephens Two As and one C. Matthew Brown, headteacher, said: “We are justly proud of the achievement of our students.

“The grades achieved are a passport to higher education and future careers.

"The results have been achieved following a great deal of hard work by students, staff and parents."

Beths Grammar School in Hartford Road, Bexley Village achieved its best ever results this year, up 7.4 per cent, with a 100 per cent pass rate and 82.7 per cent of passes at A to C.

Twenty-five students got straight As, with Craig Allison gaining five As in electronics, French, maths, further maths and physics, and Paul Reddington with five As in biology, chemistry, electronics, geography and maths.

Three others, Matt King, Dan Morlan and Sidharth Khandelwal achieved four As.

Craig and Sidharth are off to Oxford to study engineering while Paul will study chemistry at Imperial College London, Matt is going to Edinburgh University to do medicine, Dan will study engineering at Kings College, London, and Erin is off to Cambridge to read history.

Headteacher Jim Skinner said he was very pleased with the results and “delighted they are the best the school has ever achieved”.

And the students thanked the school staff for their hard work and said the results were "definitely a team effort".

Bexley Grammar School in Danson Lane Welling, saw its results rise by 5.3 per cent with 89 per cent of students gaining the top three grades and 69.9 per cent A and B grades.

Megan Joyce and Ben Short both gained four As, while 10 other students achieved three As.

The school also offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) which was taken by 52 students and achieved an average score of 34 points, the equivalent of four A grades at A level.

One outstanding student was Matthew Enright who acheived the equivalent of four As and one B and a place at Warwick University, despite battling leukaemia for much of his time at the school.

Headteacher John Welsh said: "We are all extremely proud of him for having such a positive attitude to life and his studies."

Three IB students, Ben Simpson, Robert Ashcroft and John Remigus have places at Cambridge.

Mr Welsh added: "These results reflect the wonderfully positive attitude of our Year 13 students who not only studied hard but led House activities, clubs, mentoring services and charitable events with incredible enthusiasm.

" Personally I am delighted that they have done so well; they thoroughly deserve their success. "

Townley Grammar School in Townley Road, Bexleyheath, also achieved an 89 per cent top grade pass rate.

At St Luke’s Sixth form College, now renamed Christ the King (St Mary’s) in Chislehurst Road, Sidcup, the percentage of students gaining the top three grades rose to 67. 3 per cent, up four per cent.

Councillor Simon Windle, Bexley cabinet member for schools, said: “Once again our students have excelled themselves.”

Pass rates for each school were Beths Grammar School: 82 per cent (A to C), 100 per cent (A to E);Bexley Business Academy: 50 per cent (A to C), 97 per cent (A to E); Bexley Grammar School: 89 per cent (A to C), 100 per cent (A to E);Bexleyheath School: 59 per cent (A to C), 97 per cent (A to E); Blackfen School: 53 per cent (A to C), 95 per cent (A to E); Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School: 81.2 per cent (A to C), 98.8 per cent (A to E); Cleeve Park School: 57.1 per cent (A to C), 98.6 per cent (A to E); Erith School: 61 per cent (A to C), 93 per cent (A to E); St Luke's Sixth Form College: 67.3 per cent (A to C), 97.4 per cent (A to E); Townley Grammar School: 89 per cent (A to C, 99.5 per cent (A to E); Trinity School: 52 per cent (A to C), 100 per cent (A to E); Welling School: 70 per cent (A to C), 98 per cent (A to E).