A day of celebration for Bridgend College students

Bridgend College opened its doors today (Thursday 15th of August) in a special results day celebration event. Students studying A levels or equivalent qualifications were invited into the College’s Cyfleoedd hub to collect their results with their peers.

There were plenty of smiles and cheers as students celebrated their success with family and friends. Amongst these students were some with incredible stories of success and determination.

Charlie Smith came to Bridgend College three years ago after being homeschooled for many years. After initially struggling to adapt to a structured learning environment, she successfully completed a Level 2 in Public Services thanks to her sheer determination and the support from her tutors. She has successfully completed a Level 3 course in Public Services during the past year and is thrilled with her results. Charlie now hopes to go onto University to study Paramedic Science.

Brianna Welfare was overwhelmed with her triple distinction in Creative Media Production and hopes to continue her studies in September at the University of West England, Bristol.

Liam Newman was thrilled with his triple distinction in a BTEC Level 3 qualification in IT. Liam is autistic and has praised the College for its support during his time there.

Liam said:

I don’t think I would have gotten this far if it wasn’t for Bridgend College. They’ve supported me both with my condition and with extracurricular activities. They’ve helped me significantly.”

Liam has secured a place at Cardiff University to study Applied Software Engineering but vows to keep in touch with the College in the future.

Bridgend College’s 6th Form College (partnered with Pencoed Comprehensive School) have had a successful day with the overall results A* – E rising to an impressive 99.4%

Amongst these was Kahlio Mader, who achieved 3 A* and 1 A and will now study Biomedical Sciences at St Hilda’s College at Oxford University this September. Kahlio also won Learner of the Year in Collaborative Courses at Bridgend College’s Annual Awards ceremony back in June 2019.

Lillie-Mai Jones has been accepted to the prestigious London Studio Centre to study BA(HONS) Theatre Dance, having gained an A grade in her A level Dance alongside her other qualifications.

Simon Pirotte, CEO and Principal of Bridgend College said:

We are so proud of the achievements of all our students today, both at Bridgend College and Penybont 6th Form. Some of the results we have seen have been nothing short of incredible and we wish all students good luck and success in the future.”

The College’s other successful provision, Twilight A level courses, have also boasted a significant increase in pass rates.

Law, a popular twilight subject at Bridgend College saw 17 A grades at AS level and 15 A and A* grades at A2 level. This year, the provision has seen a 20% increase since 2018 in A* – A grades and an 11% increase in A* – C grades, both at A2 level. A 7% increase was also seen at AS level in A* – C grades.

Overall, 59 Year 13 students are celebrating their ‘A’ Level results with an increase (based on provisional data), compared to 2018, in the percentage of pupils gaining 3 A*-C grades. 57.6% compared with 46.7% in 2018 (including the WBQ Skills Challenge Certificate). The percentage of pupils gaining 3*-A* to A has also increased – 10.2% compared with 6.7% last year.

Virtually all students at Penybont 6th Form who applied for Higher Education courses gained the grades needed to confirm their place for September.

It’s not too late to begin a University level course this September however.

For students who may have missed out on their grades or have changed their mind about the course they’ve chosen, there are options available at Bridgend College through their clearing campaign. Students will be able to apply through Clearing if they haven’t met the conditions of their offer, haven’t received any offers or if they haven’t made a UCAS application this year.

Bridgend College was crowned FE College of the Year at the 2019 Tes FE Awards and supports over 6,000 learners and employs over 600 members of staff over its four campuses.