Students from across Liverpool headed into schools and colleges today to collect their A-level results .
After months of anticipation, many eager pupils turned up before the doors opened this morning to find out if they had made it into their chosen university or career path.
ECHO reporters have been bringing you all the latest updates this morning as the results came flooding in.
There were a lot of hugs and happy tears at schools this morning, as students rushed to tell their friends and families how well they'd done.
Here's a round up of the results from across the region and some of the days best moments.
Overall results across the city
The overall average A-Level grade in the city improved this year, rising from a C- grade to a C grade, which is just below the national average of C+.
Twelve out of twenty six schools in Liverpool saw an improvement in pupils grades during this period.
There was also a smaller drop in the number of students earning an A*-C grade in the city, at 4.7 per cent. Nationally, this figure fell by 5.5 per cent.
Councillor Barbara Murray, cabinet member for education, said: “Collecting your A-level results is a day that no-one forgets, therefore, everyone will be sending their very best wishes to the students who have achieved their grades today.
“If you have not got the grades you were hoping for, please don’t be disheartened. There are many alternative options available and your school or college will be able to support you through these considerations.
“Our results today show that the city is continuing to make progress, even during a period which has seen changes to how students are assessed.
“As always, I’d like to thank all our teachers and school staff for their commitment. Along with special thanks to families and carers who are a vital part of the wider school family that help our young people achieve their full potential in whichever field they choose.”
The City of Liverpool College
One student who has been on an inspiring journey to get her results today is Kajal Bissessur.
Kajal became a student at The City of Liverpool College when she moved over to the UK from Italy in 2015.
Starting at Level One - a grade pupils need to pass before they do their GCSE's, Kajal has gone on to secure herself a place at the University of Bradford to study Medicine today, after achieving an impressing DDM in Applied Science.
The 20-year-old said: "I've wanted to be a doctor since I was nine so I just worked for it, I just know it was my thing.
"I came here from Italy when I was 16 and I just started right from the bottom. I started from level one to get here."
"It's taken a lot of hard work and support from my personal tutor Vicky, shes always been there for me to help me get through this."
Another student at the college who celebrated an outstanding achievement today is Anosh Usman Shah.
The 20-year-old received an impressive string of results, with an A* in business, an A in biology and an A in chemistry.
She said: "I'm over the moon, I'm so happy. It's taken a lot of hard work, being a bookworm and not having a social life for two months and enjoying my study.
"I'm hoping to do Dentistry at the University of Liverpool next year."
Pyscology and Level One teacher at the college, Ellie Creswell, said: "I'm really pleased with the results especially in Psychology, it's a really difficult subject and we've got an 100% pass rate so we're delighted with the results.
"Our students are really hard working and really resilent. There's often adversity behind them and it's all down to them really, they work really hard to overcome things and we're just so proud of them all.
Speaking of pupil Kajal, Ellie added: "One pupil we are delighted with this year has come from our level one programme and gone right through and now she has been expected onto a medicine programme, we're so so proud of her."
Despite a number of unconditional offers being given to pupils at the college this year, Ellie said it was a "credit to our students that they haven't let it slow them down and they've still gone our and worked really hard, we're delighted."
St Edward's College
Students at St Edward’s College in West Derby, woke up to some great results, with a fifth of year 13 pupils at the college achieving A* - B grades in their A Levels and more than two thirds scoring grades of A*-C.
Strong subjects included Art, Maths and Further Maths, French, Geography and Music, with grades coming in well above the national levels.
Pupils will be taking places at universities across the country, including Oxford, Durham, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Sheffield, Manchester, Lancaster.
Several students will also take up places on performance courses at Conservatoire or academic Music degrees, building upon the College’s strong musical tradition as the only secondary Catholic Cathedral Choir School in England.
It was also the first year in which vocational BTec qualifications have been taught as well as academic A Levels.
The BTecs, in IT and Business Studies, have performed well, with a 96.3% pass rate, a third of all grades at Distinction level.
Principal of St Edward’s College, Stephen Morris, praised the students’ achievements; “I heartily congratulate these super young people on their hard work and the success which follows it.
“St Edward’s seeks to make a positive difference to each student, so that in turn these young adults can make a positive difference in the world around them.
“Not only have they shown themselves up to strong academic achievement, but knowing them well I salute their spirit as very decent, generous and well-intentioned men and women who will bring great credit in the years ahead upon themselves, their families, their school and indeed the wonderful City of Liverpool.
“Congratulations to all - students and staff - who have worked so hard.”
Belvedere Academy
Belvedere Academy also received some fantastic grades, with more than 50% of all A Level grades at A*-B and nearly a quarter at A*or A.
One student who particularly stood out on the day was Fiorella Gallardo Sarti, who is off to Cambridge University to study law.
Pupil Hoi Yu Cheung also achieved three A* and one A in her A-Levels.
Vice Principal Steven Jamieson said: “We’re really pleased with the students’ A Level outcomes which reflect the dedication, tenacity and resilience of our Year 13 cohort this year.
“The great majority of our students have left the academy this morning having successfully obtained their first choice University place and it was pleasing to see so many members of staff on hand to ensure that, for the small minority who are disappointed, other options are always available.
“Over 50% of all A Level grades are at A*-B, with nearly a quarter at A*or A, which again is a tremendous achievement for all concerned at the academy. In terms of other Level 3 qualifications, the second year of BTEC results are extremely positive with over 50% of grades at Distinction or better.
“In addition, 90% of all students who completed an Extended Project Qualification attained either and A or A* grade.”
Liverpool College
112 Liverpool College year 13 students picked up their results. Top performers included those studying art, who recorded a 100% A*-B record, matched by students in French. Overall, just under 80% of all grades were A*-C.
A statement on the college website said: "A particular feature of the results this year were the overwhelmingly positive outcomes for students taking the BTEC in PE.
"Some students have opted for apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships, others are taking a year out to travel and work.
"Congratulations to all our students. They have been a great group and we will miss them."
St Margaret's Church of England Academy
Staff and students are celebrating another fantastic set of A-Level and BTEC results at St Margaret’s Church of England Academy this morning.
The A* to E pass rate is up on previous years, with the majority of subjects in school recording a 100% pass rate at the Aigburth school.
Although the Government’s official figures won’t be released for a few months, it appears that at A-Level, the average grade achieved per entry will have officially increased from C- to C+.
Amongst those picking up their results today was Ewan Thomas. He secured an incredible three A*s in Mathematics, Further Maths and Physics, as well as an A in Computer Science.
Ewan will now go on to study Engineering at Durham University.
Principal Stephen Brierley said: “These results represent a fantastic achievement by all concerned. Such great grades mean that a large number of St Margaret’s students will have met their University offers, and will be enrolling on their first-choice University course in a few weeks’ time.”
He added: “Congratulations to all of our students and staff, everyone has have worked so hard this year to ensure we can enjoy another vintage year of post-16 results.”
Mr Brierley is expecting that today’s results will encourage students who are collecting their GCSE results next week to apply for places in the Sixth Form.
He added: “We still have some places available in next year’s Year 12, and applicants don’t need to go to church to join us post-16. If any prospective students are interested in becoming part of our highly successful mixed Sixth Form, do get in touch!”
Archbishop Blanch
There was both nerves and excitement in the air at Archbishop Blanch on Smithdown Road as pupils eagerly awaited the news.
Student Orla Carson "cried happy tears" when she got her results.
And after achieving A*, A and D, she is hoping to join Merseyside Police in January.
Joe Bonner said he "had a heart attack" when he received his results this morning.
Coming to collect his results with his mum, Shan Bonner, Joe is off to study History and Politics at Edge Hill in September.
Head girl at the school, Lily Kehoe found out she had achieved two As and a B in her A-levels this morning.
She's off to the University of Liverpool in September to study English.
Head of Sixth Form at Archbishop Blanch, Rob Clarke, said: "It's been a solid year of results this year."
St John Bosco Art College
Pupils at St John Bosco Art College in Croxteth had an overall pass rate of 100% A*-E.
Among those collecting their results was Erin Scullin who achieved A, A, B grades and will be going on to study Philosophy, Ethics and Religious Studies at Liverpool Hope University
Isabella Jones achieved A, B, B grades and will be studying English Literature at Liverpool Hope University while Malgorzata Trzeciecka achieved A, A, C grades and will be studying Mathematics at the University of York.
In total, 15% of students achieved the very highest A*-A grades, 41% of students achieved A*-B grades, 72% of students achieved A*-C, with 100% achieving A*-E grades.
Many are now looking forward to going onto university, whilst others will be entering the world of work or embarking on an apprenticeship.
Headteacher of St John Bosco, Darren Gidman, said: “It has been another great year for A-Level results. Through hard work, dedication and the right support from our teaching staff, our year 13 students have done brilliantly and they should be very proud of themselves.
“On behalf of all the staff here, I’d like to wish the class of 2019 the very best in everything that they do.”
All Saints Sixth Form College
All Saints Sixth Form College students have set new standards by achieving the best Key Stage 5 results the College has ever seen.
The College, which is part of the All Saints Multi-Academy Trust, is celebrating the fact that more young people than ever before have achieved the top grades, meaning that a record number will be heading off to some of the country’s top universities and apprenticeships.
Pupil Chloe Shaw "cried with tears of happiness" as she achieved a Distinction in Digital Media and a Distinction* in Business Studies after facing struggling to overcome exam anxiety.
She is now looking forward to studying Business at Edge Hill University and is confident about the future.
Others secured university places in a wide range of subjects from Sociology to Biomedical Science, Law, Psychology, English with Creative Writing and History.
Dave Lancaster, headteacher, said: “Against nearly every measure that we evaluate our Key Stage 5 against, our students have set new standards this year.
“There was a significant increase in the number of A* - B grades at A level and our students continue to perform well above the national average across vocational subjects.”
These results are on the back of a fantastic year for the College, which was recently rated “Good” by Ofsted, who noted that “leaders of the sixth form have a clear vision for its development” and that “students in the sixth form benefit from strong teaching.”
Mr Lancaster added: “It really has been an incredible year for everyone at All Saints Sixth Form College. Not only have we received significant praise from Ofsted, but these results are the missing piece of the jigsaw and are testament to the hard work of staff and students.”
Liverpool Life Science UTC
A student who particularly stood out at Liverpool Life Sciences UTC was 20-year-old Yam Al-Aaloosi.
After surviving a car bomb assassination attempt and fleeing her war-torn home, Yam is celebrating amazing A Level results today.
The teenager gained an A and a B in her biology and chemistry A levels this morning, on top of the three A levels she already completed.
She wants to become a surgeon, but is waiting to get a scholarship to study medicine because of her
To read her full story
Student Courtney White also achieved great grades at the college, with triple distinction stars in health and social care BTEC.
The grades landed Courtney a place to do midwifery at Liverpool John Moores Univesity in September.
She said: “I started looking into midwifery and caring for women at high school, and decided to come to the UTC because of the resources here and it’s got me to where I wanted to be.
“I’ve done two placements at the Women’s Hospital organised by the UTC, and got to learn so much about maternity care and what a midwife does. I wouldn’t have had that experience elsewhere, even though I’d done some volunteering. First hand ward experience was so vital.”
St Hilda's
In a statement on their website the school said they had had a "lovely" results day, with the "vast majority" of students securing their first choice university.
It said: "Our class of 2019 has bettered the results from 2018 across all of the measures and our vocational courses have the very highest average grade of a Distinction*! Nearly a third of all grades are A*, A or B and almost 50% of students gained at least 1 A*, A or B."
The Sefton Park school's statement added: "Many Liverpool students choose to study in Liverpool as we are blessed with many excellent universities in the region.
"However, there is a growing trend for our young people to spread their wings and move to new locations. Bristol, Durham, Nottingham and Sheffield, to name but a few."
North Liverpool Academy
There were some fantastic outcomes for students at North Liverpool Academy.
Derya Duggan is off to Liverpool University to study Engineering. She was particularly pleased with her English A level grade B and her Science A Level results.
Meanwhile Jason Ha gained a grade A in maths, Distinction in Engineering and a C in Physics, which has sent him on his way to study Aerospace Engineering at Liverpool University.
Pupil Daniel Peake gained two Bs and a D and is off to the University of Liverpool to study Politics.
Tim Ogunrin is celebrating his top grades in science and after a year working as a science demonstrator he will be studying Biomedical Science at Sheffield University.
Bellerive FCJ Catholic College
Bellerive FCJ Catholic College students celebrated outstanding successes in today’s A-level results, marking another year of excellent academic and personal achievements for students at the school.
Among the high achievers at the school was Eleanor Cassidy, who achieved two A*s and an A grade in English Literature, Geography and Government and Politics.
Eve Connor also achieved an A* in Mathematics and A grades in Further Mathematics and Physics.
Scarlet Lowther got three A grades in English Literature, Psychology and History and will go to read History at the University of Liverpool.
A future career in journalism beckons for Anna Gorman-Cargill who achieved a place at the University of Liverpool to read Communications and Media with three A grades in English Language, Psychology and History.
Many students at the college took places at university, while others will begin apprenticeships and employment come September.
A gap year is also on the cards for some pupils looking to take a break and review their options before taking their next step.
Niamh Howlett, headteacher, said: ”I am thrilled with the success of our students which is a reward for their hard work and a testament to the support and encouragement of their teachers and parents.
"We set very high standards for our students and they have responded accordingly, achieving results which will allow them to realise their ambitions and follow the careers and further educational pathways of their choice.
"I wish them every success in the future. They take their leave of us and go out into a world instilled with the values of an FCJ education using their talents and gifts to make this a better world.”
Calderstones School
The south Liverpool school said the majority of students had gained places on university courses or apprenticeships of their choice. Among the top performers were Sarmad Buzdar who got AAB grades and is heading to the University of Manchester to study civil engineering.
Phoebe Murray got A*, A and A grades and is planning a gap year, while others to be congratulated by the school included Tom McQuiggan, Emily Wroot, Ishbel Mullan and Jack Marion.
King David, Childwall
A spokesperson said: "We are really pleased that once again, most students got into their first-choice university.
There are also many impressive individual achievements. Sophia Missaghian achieved A*A*A.
"She is an incredibly talented artist and will be studying Art next year.
"Gabriel Starkey and Jacob Glennon both achieved A*AA. Gabriel will take his place at the University of Bristol to study Music, and Jacob is taking a gap year.
"Ellesa Ahmad Nor Hisham and Rachil Dogolazky both achieved AAA and will study Medicine at the University of Lancaster and Physics at the University of Leeds respectively. Abigail Sharples was awarded A*AB and will take up her place to study Children’s Nursing at the University of Birmingham in 2020.
"Michael Ross (AAAB) is an extremely able computer scientist and will be refining his craft at the University of Leeds in September. Rakesh Singh, with AAA, will study Dentistry at the University of Liverpool and Sophie Bracegirdle (A*BB) plans to study English Language and English Literature at the University of Manchester.
"Chloe Bayliss and Emilia Driver (both with ABB) will be taking up their places to study Geography at the University of Liverpool and Psychology at the University of Manchester respectively.
Ben Morris (A*ABC) will study Chemistry at the University of Liverpool. Ekose Obaigbona (AAB) will take her place on an Economics and Mathematics joint honours course at the University of Leeds while Yasmin Safavifard who achieved a Distinction* in Business alongside AB in her A levels will study Business Management at the University of Leeds. Brogan Grugel is delighted to take up her place to study Physiotherapy at the University of Liverpool."
St Francis Xavier's College
St Francis Xavier's College in Woolton saw pupil Patrick Clarke achieve A* A* A, landing himself a place at the University of Oxford to study History and Politics.
Another student, Michael Downes, was awarded A* A A today and will attend University of Liverpool to study Medicine.
While Ellis Downling achieved A A B in her A-levels and will be attending University of Liverpool to study language come September.
One proud parent took to Twitter to share the achievements of his son Jamie Halliwell who he said was "super excited" to have landed a place at the University of Durham in Septmber.
Speaking of his son he said: "This former Headboy twice has worked so hard to get to you! Happy happy day. Here with his proud dad and retiring Headmaster."
