STUDENTS at Ludlow College have coped well with major changes to A levels.

For the second successive year the college had a 100 per cent pass rate.

But Carl Morris, head of the college, said that the new way of marking A levels based upon exams rather than AS levels and modular assessment had put more pressure on young people.

Staff and parents gathered with many students who were celebrating successful results and securing their chosen places at numerous universities across the country.

“We are thrilled that our students are celebrating such outstanding successes in their A Level results this year,” said Carl Morris.

“Our overall pass rate of 100 per cent, in both our A Level subjects and our vocational Level 3 courses, continues to reflect the exceptional work of both our students and staff.

“We have had a lot to celebrate over the past year with 41 per cent of students succeeded in gaining places at elite Russell Group universities compared with the average of 35 per cent.

“Students are leaving as well-rounded individuals possessing not just academic flair but intellectual curiosity and a desire to learn.”

The Russell Group is made up of 24 top universities including Oxford and Cambridge.

Caring for people will be a family affair for twins Rory and Lucy Naylor. Lucy got the results she needed to study nursing at university is Swansea while her brother will study medicine at Oxford University.

Ffion Gilbert, a former pupil at Wigmore High School, got the grades she required to embark upon five years of study, reading medicine at Bristol University.

Another scientist, Tom Lloyd who was a pupil at Ludlow School, is staying closer to home and will study biochemistry at Birmingham University.

Sophie Burgoyne from Marshbrook near Church Stretton was delighted with her success after struggling in her first year and will go to study law at Cardiff University. She achieved an A grade in law despite the sad and unexpected death of her tutor at Easter.

Hope Williams, also from Church Stretton, will study Drama and Theatre studies at Royal Holloway in Surrey. Excellent grades were achieved despite a poor performance in the mock examinations.

Carl Morris, the Head of College, said students come to Ludlow from a wide geographical area and one of these is Kieran Price from Powys whose results will see him going to Leeds University to read politics.

Matt Stokes, aged 17, will be coming back to Ludlow College, for another year after completing his AS year studying film, media and graphics.

Students had mixed views about the impact of the changes to the marking of ‘A’ levels.

Ffion Gilbert said that it worked well for her but understood the downside in putting everything on an exam while Sophie Burgoyne and her mum Clare thought it could be very unfair on many students putting everything on a single day.

Many students said that waiting for the results had been nerve-wracking and as bad as doing the exams but Matt Stokes said his had been a worry-free summer holiday.

“There is no point in worrying because you do your best and cannot change anything,” he said.