This year’s students at St Mary’s College in Middlesbrough have achieved the best AS and A Level results in the College’s history. Sixteen subjects have a 100% pass rate, and no fewer than 14 students have gained three or more A grades in their A Levels.

Special mention must be made of the outstanding achievements of Rachel Grandey, who in her two years at St Mary’s has achieved seven grade As at AS, four grade As at A level, and also a Merit and a Distinction in Advanced Extension Awards, the additional qualifications introduced by the Government in 2002 to challenge the most able students. Rachel is now going to read English at Merton College, Oxford.

Rebecca Chislett, Rebecca Newby and Ruth Tunney, who all achieved three grade As, continue St Mary’s long-established tradition of progression to the top Medical Schools, and will shortly be starting their studies at Nottingham, Liverpool and Manchester respectively. Simon Booth, Cheryl Daniel, Aidan Flood, Rachel Frank, Shabeen Hussain, Elizabeth Jayasuriya, Sarah Nattress and Antonio Rago also achieved three grade As, whilst Sarah Kane and Garr-Dao Zhou achieved four, and will now be going to leading universities such as Durham, Leeds and Edinburgh to study subjects ranging from Physics to Religious Studies.

‘The achievements of these students are outstanding’, said the Principal, Don Lillistone, ‘but it is important to remember that there is a wide range of ability in the College. We are not here just for the extremely gifted and talented. A number of our students have significant obstacles to learning, and their achievements should also be recognised’.

A fine example is Hannah Mabbott. At the age of eight, Hannah suffered kidney failure. She underwent a successful transplant but has since had to take heavy daily medication. At the age of 13, Hannah was diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder. All this means that Hannah has had to work harder than normal for her achievements. But her hard work has been rewarded and she now has three A levels in English Literature, History, and Religious Studies, as well as an additional AS in Law. ‘Hannah has been an inspiration to many, and thoroughly deserves her success’, said the Vice Principal, Andy Jankowski.