College’s magnificent 7 celebrate 24 A-grades

Celebrating success . . . Oldham Sixth Form College students (from the left), Anand Varma, Danny Woods, Bethan Lole, Tasleema Begum, Rebecca Chadwick, Elizabeth Fletcher and Jonathan Chadwick.

THESE successful seven were among the first Oldham Sixth Form College students to pick up their A-level results yesterday.

They notched up an amazing 24 As between them, celebrating personal successes as well as helping the college to record its best ever results. The seven headed to the college with jangling nerves to find out if their results were enough to guarantee them a place at university.

A delighted Tasleem Begum, of Lansdowne Road, Chadderton, did the college proud by getting four As — biology, chemistry, maths and psychology. She said: “I was nervous and a bit scared. I found the exams hard, but I was hoping to do well. When I was handed my results, the grades were printed on the front page and it hit me straight away.”

Dashing off to ring her parents with the good news and to accept the offer of a place to study medicine at Manchester, she said: “I’ll be celebrating tonight with a meal for family and friends.”

Danny Woods was also celebrating 4 As, in accountancy, business studies, sociology and maths. He said he was “quietly confident” he would do well, but admitted he was nervous as he ripped open his results, saying: “There is always a doubt.”

He needed three As for a place studying accountancy, auditing and finance at Lancaster University, and it was with a sense of relief he had the hurdle behind him. He said: “I’m over the moon, there is such pressure to get the grades for university.”

He collected his results on his way to work as a climbing instructor and lifeguard for Oldham Community Leisure, but said he was looking forward to the end of the day so he could go out celebrating with his mates.

Twins Rebecca and Jonathan Chadwick collected three As each, qualifying them for places at universities of their choice.

Rebecca, who wasn’t too confident, said she was glad after collecting her results. They will enable her to go on to study psychology at York, after gaining As in biology, psychology and PE.

Jonathan will study medicine at Nottingham on the strength of As in human biology, chemistry and maths.

He said: “It’s great that we have both got the grades we need to get into university after all our hard work.”

College principal Nick Brown praised all the students for their hard work, and said he was “absolutely delighted” with the results.

He said they were the best in the 17 years he had been with the college, and were particularly impressive as the college specialised in sciences and the harder subjects, such as maths.

He added: “We don’t play league table games. We will take students as long as they are prepared to work hard, and they have done absolutely magnificently.”