Students at Holy Cross Sixth Form College in Bury have once again produced some outstanding results in their A level examinations; with 104 students achieving at least 3 A*/A grades at A level this summer. An initial study of the A Level results indicates:

An overall pass rate of 99% (national average 97.6%)

54% of all grades are grades A*, A and B (national average 52.2%)

A and A* grades alone at 27.2% This is based on 846 students taking A Levels at Holy Cross in 2010 and it is crucial to recognise that these figures are based on one of the highest retention rates in the country.

A* GRADES: Some excellent individual subject performances achieving the new A* grade: English Language and Literature (29.7%), Further Mathematics (21.6%), Accounting (19.4%), Government and Politics (18.8%), Graphics (17.0%), Economics (11.4%), Film Studies (12.0%) and Art and Design (10.0%). (National average for A* grades is 8.1%.)

 INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES: Michael Thornton achieved an outstanding set of results: 6 grade As at A level in total including 4 at A*. Michael now plans to study Natural Sciences at Cambridge University.

Pictured: nine students who gained 5A*/A Grades at A level:

Lucy Armstrong (Bury Church) including 4 A*, 1 A

Aimee Backhouse (St. George’s RC High School, Salford) including 3 A*, 2 As

Bill Bennett (Woodhey)including 2 A*, 3 As

Chun-Kit Kam (Albion High School) including 3 A*, 2 As

Andrew Pietralski (St. Gabriel’s) including 2 A*, 3 As

Samuel Reade (Parrenthorn) including 2 A*, 3 As

Natalie Rowe (Bury Church) including 3 A*, 2 As

Sarah Shields (Canon Slade, Bolton) including 4 A*, 1 A

Gabriella Sloss (Tottington) including 3 A*, 2 As

A further 41 students achieved 4 grade A*/As. An additional 53 students gained 3 grade A*/As. This totals 104 students achieving at least 3 A*/A grades at A Level – approximately 1 in 8 of our Upper Sixth students.

We would like to congratulate all our students on their A level and AS level results.  We would also like to wish them the very best for their futures whether this is at university, in employment or completing their courses here at Holy Cross College.  Importantly, thanks are due to their parents and carers and their teachers and schools prior to starting here at college for all the support and guidance they have provided over many years.  Pictured are students celebrating their A level results with us today.

Present lower sixth students will be able to access their AS results on-line from home from 8.00 a.m. (or at college from 9.00 a.m.) on Thursday 19th August.  It is crucial that they then complete their A2 choices for the second year of their course.  This will also be done on-line as part of the same process that enables students to access their results.  These choices need to be made no later than Tuesday 24th August. 

All students will then be required to complete their enrolment in person on Friday 27th August.  Appointments for this will be given out to students via tutorials before the end of term.  Please ensure you receive this information.  Please take the time to see your tutor to collect this.  If there are problems with the appointment, please see Admissions to arrange a mutually convenient alternative.  The first day of term for the new upper sixth is Tuesday 7th September 2010.

Senior Tutors may wish to re-enrol individuals in person.  These students will be notified and appointments made.  This will also be the case for students planning to do Further Maths next year.  If you have any questions, see your Senior Tutor or staff in Admissions.

Early Years Practice with EYPS (Top-up)

We have just been informed that the closing date for this course is 2pm on 24th May. Please contact the University Centre for more information.

Here is an update of revised arrangements, only just received recently.

Joanne’s funeral will go ahead on Monday 17 May at 12.30 pm at St Thomas’s Church, Radcliffe (http://www.st-thomas-radcliffe.org/).

There will be a funeral procession, past the college at 1:15 pm. Because of this, at 1.00 pm, we would encourage lessons to stop and staff and students to come down to Wellington Road to line the street on the college side.  We can spread along the whole length of the road towards Market Street if necessary. We would welcome any L6 students, not involved in examinations, to attend at this time. The family have asked that no flowers be thrown.

Examinations will continue as normal for both the morning and afternoon sessions. Catering services on this day will be reduced. A limited breakfast service will be provided but no lunch service. Staff and students are asked to make alternative arrangements for this particular occasion.

Martyn, a past student of Holy Cross talks about his time at the college and the career he has developed in the time since he left:

“I had fantastic time at Holy Cross.  After two years hard work and play, I’d had an invaluable experience that will always be very special to me – a treasured building block in my life and career.  I left with many good friends and looking back, was very well prepared and keen to go further.  After Holy Cross I worked for a ‘Year In Industry’ before studying Engineering at King’s College, Cambridge, where I specialised in Aerodynamics.  On graduating, I joined McLaren Racing Formula One team, where I have been for the last 7 years.  I travelled for 3 seasons as race team aerodynamicist, culminating with a World Championship win with Lewis Hamilton in 2008.  I’m now responsible for guiding the aerodynamic development team to help make us the fastest car on the grid!  I’ve been working hard on this year’s car for a while, so am currently looking forward to what this season may bring and whether or not we’ve done a good job!”

 Martyn went on to say, “Holy Cross offered a great balance between academic and ‘life-skill’ development, from which I benefited greatly.”  We wish Martyn every continued success.

Students at Holy Cross Sixth Form College in Bury received their AS and A2 exam results via text message recently.  About 600 students opted to receive their results via their mobile phones as opposed to receiving their results on paper.  This was very successful and allowed the college to greatly reduce the queues associated with collecting exam results.  Students were very pleased to be given the opportunity to receive their results this way.

Holy Cross College now uses text messages to student mobile phones regularly every day as an important means of communication.  Almost all students carry mobile phones and therefore this is a very effective way of passing important information to them.  In January when the college had to close because of the snow, the students and staff were sent texts each day to let them know whether the college was going to open or not, in addition to messages on the website and local radio. The texting facilities are integrated into the sophisticated IT systems developed by the college’s Software Development Team and make use of the texting services provided by Txttools (www.txttools.co.uk).  Staff can type messages in to the systems for a single student or groups of students and opt for those messages to be sent via text, email and/or displayed on wall-mounted terminals when the students swipe into the college.