Outgoing Isleworth and Syon Head Teacher Finishes on a High Note
Excellent results announced for the school's sixth formers
Akeel Shah (left) and Ben Rawsthorne (right)
Euan Ferguson, the Head Teacher of Isleworth and Syon School who is retiring this summer, has hailed the achievements of the school’s sixth formers after the announcement exam results.
This was the cohort which was unable to sit GCSEs in 2020 and had disruption throughout their studies due to the pandemic.
Despite this some exceptional results were achieved across across a range of academic and vocational courses.
The school is particularly proud of Ben Rawsthorne and Akeel Shah, who have earned two A*s and one A apiece. For Ben, this has landed him a place at the University of Sheffield. He is well-equipped for a history and politics degree, having led the Student Council for a year as Head Student. Akeel will continue his studies at the University of Warwick; his art, maths and physics A levels have prepared him for a future career in engineering.
Engineering is a popular career path for this year’s cohort. Three maths graduates - Tinashe Chituku, Shafayat Mustafa and Jason Zingapan – earned identical grades and will all head to the same university for engineering degrees. Their one A* and two As each have landed them places at the University of Southampton.
This year has seen more students at the school than ever before mixing their pathways, combining A level courses with vocational qualifications. One example was Daniel Luwawa, who joined the Sixth Form from Year 11 with dreams of breaking into the music industry as a producer or music engineer. Isleworth & Syon offered him the RSL qualification for Music Practitioners, which focused more on industry and practical skills than the A level course. The Distinction* he earned in this course – along with his A* and A in Advanced level courses - has set him up for a music technology degree at Kingston University. Maisie Edwin joined him with a Distinction*, which combined with an A* in A level in film and a B in history was a fantastic string of results. She is planning a gap year before resuming her musical studies in September 2023.
Once again, the school’s vocational offer was strong. Three students earned all Distinction*s – the highest possible grades. Both Curran Bains and Hayden Wilson took the CTEC qualification in sport and earned a Triple Distinction* each. They will both advance their studies of how sport can be applied in the real world, with physiotherapy and sports & exercise psychology degrees respectively. This year’s group showed that the vocational courses can help students specialise in their subject areas. Darshpreet Brar took CTECs in business (Distinction* and Distinction*) and applied science (Distinction*) – in September he will read business management at Queen Mary. Arham Jan focused more on IT, earning a Double Distinction* in the CTEC course along with an extra Distinction in applied science. He is going to Brunel University to read computer science.
Euan Ferguson said, “Our young people have coped admirably over the past two years and demonstrated remarkable resilience and a great work ethic. They fully deserve to head off to some of the best universities in the country. We are also delighted that many will enter the world of work via some outstanding apprenticeship routes.
“These young people are inspiring and talented, and we are proud to have helped them on their journey to adulthood. They join some already illustrious alumni, and we look forward to hearing of their future achievements.
“As I retire this summer, it makes me immensely proud to finish my time at Isleworth & Syon School on such a high note. I wish all the students, whatever they have planned, all the very best for the future.”
Cllr Lily Bath, Cabinet Member for Children, Learning and Employment, said, “I want to congratulate every student in Hounslow receiving A-Level results, despite the challenges and disruption to education over the last few years you have remained focused and determined to succeed.
“Having never sat a public examination before these results are an even bigger achievement. They are a testament to the hard work of students and our brilliant schools and teachers that continue to deliver high standards of teaching, recognised by the results each year and Ofsted rating every school in the borough ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Good’.”
Overall top grades for A-level results for England, Wales and Northern Ireland have fallen since last year – with 36.4% of all grades marked at A* or A. This is still higher than 2019 – the last time results were based on students taking exams.
In 2020 and 2021 grades were higher but these were passed on teacher assessment.
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August 19, 2022