Prior Park head teacher highlights opportunities over grades in celebrating student success

On Thursday afternoon, mere hours after she got her A-level results, Claudia Amarilla Rivera was on a plane to start her degree studies at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Maryland, America. She was one of a number of Prior Park students who got their results and are about to commence the next chapter in their lives.

Others will join her in starting a degree in their chosen university and others will start a gap year that will take them as far away as Australia.

Head teacher Paul Martyn said he was proud of the school's recent achievements, boasting a 97% pass rate with 39% of grades being A* to A, surpassing UK thresholds. Over 90% of students are going to their first or insurance choice university, including prestigious Russell Group institutions.

“The students have shown an incredible amount of hard work and resilience over the last two years. I'm just very, very proud of them,” he told the Chronicle.

“We've had an excellent set of results overall, 97% pass rate, of which 39% of all grades have been an A* to A which is incredible. If you compare that to the UK thresholds that have been there for the last few years, we have really surpassed that. So we're very proud there.”

In addition, A* to C results were attained.

However, for Mr Martyn, the pass rate or the grade is not the most important thing.

He believes the most important thing is that the grade now allows “our children to go on to their preferred pathway”.

“So over 90% of our kids are going to either their first or insurance choice university. And I think that's the real measure of the school. It's not, what are the results, but where do they go next?,” he said.

“And what are their opportunities? And that's something that we really want to focus on.”

“It's the reason why we've got so many kids here today, to say congratulations, see them off before they go to their universities.”

Prior Park introduced BTECs to cater to students who prefer vocational subjects and are better suited to a non-exam pathways. BTECs can be equivalent to one, two, or three A-levels.

Mr Martyn explained that, a few years ago, the school recognised that not all of their students want to actually sit an exam-based subject, which was something that Covid really brought to a head.

While a lot of students want to continue into education, and all of them stay in until 18, they don't necessarily want the pressure cooker of two years of study and then an examination.

“So what we did is we went away and we looked at what was what was possible and what was available for our students, and they really showed an interest in wanting to do vocational subjects, but also not just vocational ones, but ones that were going towards where the new economies were,” he said.

“So we started with creative media, and it's been a real boon for us. Really successful. It's become very popular, and we're sending students off to very good universities based on their portfolio work.”

“So we're now starting to see good universities, like Reading, other Russell Group universities, that are looking at their portfolio and they're saying ‘we will take you on a better offering than our A-level students’.”

“So I think BTECs… are growing in popularity as a work pathway into a career. Because I think a lot of people are recognising that A-levels and exams are great for some, but they're not for everybody.”

One such student, who also attained the highest grade in this subject, was Mia Restano.

“I am taking a gap year but my BTEC is really the only one that matters for what I want to do,” she said.

She also got an A-level in English literature. She hopes to study Interior Design and the passion for this subject followed on from doing a project in the BTEC course where she really “enjoyed” the work.

While she may be taking a gap year off and will do some travelling, she will also spend time in a school in Denmark.

This creative media BTEC and the ones in Applied Science and Business, are helping students for a world were careers are changing with the advent of AI, said Mr Martyn.

BTECs are graded differently but widely recognised by UK universities, allowing students to combine them with traditional A-levels without limiting university entry options.

Before she left to board her plane to America, Ms Amarilla Rivera spoke to the Chronicle about her results and said she was “so happy.”

She will start university with an orientation week and classes begin on the August 25.

She is enrolled in a four-year course, including a foundation year, with the intention of majoring in illustration and minoring in animation, possibly incorporating psychology.

She is particularly interested in interdisciplinary studies, such as the combination of textiles and hormone therapy, and hopes to explore similar opportunities at her university, which is near Johns Hopkins University.

Fellow student Anais Kew Pearson will be starting her degree in graphic design at Nottingham Trent University in September. She chose this field because “I feel like it gives me different things to do, so I'm not going to get bored of it.”

After receiving her results, she intends to celebrate by going to the beach with friends and then going to Spain for a party later.

Year 12 student Kitzia Alsina was “extremely happy” with her results on her Spanish A-level. Looking ahead she said “I am extremely excited and I can’t wait for next year,” when she will take her A-levels in English Literature and Religion.

Mr Martyn’s parting words for students are “Stay in touch.”

“Their results are just their results. What's really important to me is the individual, the formation of that person. And we will miss that. We will miss each and every one of them. So stay in touch.”

And to those who are about to start their A-levels in September he has this to say.

“I'll tell you what every other student just leaving will tell them. ‘Don't leave it too late’ start sooner and you'll find it easier.”