AN academy’s top three student have blazed a trail of top grades in this year’s A Levels with seven A* grades and seven As between them.
Caitlin Houlbrook, a regular in productions at Trinity Academy, in Thorne, left her best performance to last, bowing out of her time at the academy with A*s in theatre studies, English and the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and A grades in history and government and politics.
Caitlin, who has played roles as diverse as Lady Macbeth and Ratty in Wind in the Willows, will now go on to read law at Durham University.
“I will try and join the drama society at university to keep my hand in,” she said. “It’s been a case of juggling and prioritising my school work with performing but it worked for me to do most of my revision in the last few weeks before the exams. There was no way I expected to do this well.”
Luke Pike, renowned for his performances on the sporting field, achieved the same number of top grades – but a year early.
Luke, who is still just 17, gained A*s in English literature, history and EPQ and As in government and politics and German. He plans to take a year out to get experience as a political intern, possibly in the USA and Germany.
They were closely followed by head boy Morgan Wardle, who gained an A* in mathematics and A grades in chemistry, physics and further mathematics, and may take up an offer from Leeds University to read physics.
The top trio led a successful set of results with a rise in overall attainment and some stand-out departmental performances including English, where 83 per cent of all results were A*-B.
Principal David Page said: “We are very pleased with these results, which are just reward for the effort put in by both students and teachers, and the support of their families.
“Our students have demonstrated a tremendous work ethic supported by teaching staff and sixth form leaders, who have created an environment for high achievement coupled with excellent individual support for every student. Our sixth formers have understood and responded to that and the result is the impressive results we see today.”