READING College achieved a 99% pass rate in this year’s GCSE exams.
Many of the college’s GCSE students are learners who resit maths, English or both.
These include mature pupils, learners who have missed the opportunity to go to university first time round and part-time students.
Top-performing student Vera achieved 7s and 9s across five GCSE subjects.
She will be staying at Reading College to study A-levels in biology, chemistry and maths in September.
“I’ve had a really nice experience and the teachers have been so helpful,” she said.
“Learning online has been an interesting experience but the teachers made sure that everything was accessible, I still can’t believe my results.”
Kai Rapley has retaken his GSCEs for the third time and is delighted to have passed this year.
He wishes to pursue a career in counselling and is also staying at the college to study his A-levels, including psychology.
Kai said: “As someone with a history of coping with mental health issues alongside my studies, I feel that I am well placed to support students in the future who are struggling with the same.
“The college has been so supportive that I would love to be able to help in the same way for others in an educational setting.”
Rahmah achieved five GSCEs including English and maths.
“I am really pleased with my results, these will allow me to spend a year as a teaching assistant in a local school, working with special needs children,” she said.
“I am planning to return to Reading College and study the access to higher education course so I can go to university to become a teacher.
“The tutors here have been so helpful and have really motivated me to turn my life around and I’m looking forward to having a celebratory meal later with my family.”
Adeline Fernandes, who achieved a grade 6 in English and a distinction in a health and social care level two diploma, arrived in the UK from India two years ago.
She will continue to further her level three studies in the subject at the college.
Adeline said she is really happy with her results and wanted to go into radiology or midwifery.
“I have really enjoyed the practical side of the course and the teachers have been so supportive and attentive.”
And Toby Day passed his English and maths at age 46 and is now starting an access to HE courses in law, business and accounting which will help him get to university in the future.
I had enough of manual labour and decided that I wanted to do something using my brain and so I came to Reading College,” he said.
“I had already spent a year here doing functional skills, which led me onto GSCEs.
“Getting to grips with online learning wasn’t easy but the teachers have been brilliant, my daughter and I both picked up our results today and so we’ll be celebrating later.”
Sally Dicketts CBE, chief executive of Activate Learning, congratulated all the students on today’s results.
“You have managed, under difficult and changing circumstances, to stay focused on your studies and have I hope obtained the grades you were wishing for,” she said.
“There are now a range of worthwhile, stretching vocational and academic courses for you to consider undertaking, in order to provide you with the jobs and lifestyle you want for your future.
Ms Dicketts has also offered further support to those pupils who didn’t get what they had hoped saying students can get in touch with them.
