A-level results day for Holmes Chapel High School pupils

Headteacher Nigel Bielby said: “Considering where this bunch of students have come from - remember that they’ve had two years of COVID - they’ve done remarkably well.

“I couldn’t be more proud of them. They have shown themselves to be extremely hard working and resilient.”

This year's group were the first cohort of students to take A-Level exams since 2019, after exams were scrapped in previous years due to disruption caused by school closures and online learning during the pandemic.

And they were also the first formal examinations the pupils had taken in seven years.

Theodore Castle, 18, from Holmes Chapel said: “Not only did we not complete our GCSEs, the last exam I sat was my SATs in year six!”

Theodore Castle

Theodore is going to Aberystwyth University to study creative writing after achieving two Bs in theatre and sociology and a C in English language.

Mr Bielby said the school helped to prepare students for the examinations through a number of mock examination periods as well as holding extra revision classes.

He said: “The exams were tough, but they are tough.

“You only become resilient by doing a hard thing - you don’t become resilient by doing something easy.”

Heidi Clayton, 18, from Holmes Chapel was thrilled with her results after achieving a B in history, C in philosophy and Distinction* in media studies.

Heidi Clayton and mum Zoe

She’s going to The University of Hull to study American studies, a four-year-long course which includes a year studying in America.

She said: “I’m not sure where in America I want to go yet, I’m just so excited and happy with my results!”

Max Lavin, 18, from Cranage is going to Brunel University in London to study visual effects and media graphics achieving an A* in photography, D in theatre and C in computer science.

Max Lavin

He said: “I’m really happy with the A* because it’s something I never thought I’d get in my time in school. My results have got me to the place I need to be in so it’s perfect really.”

One student who has decided not to go to university is Laura Williams, 18, from Holmes Chapel who achieved a Distinction* in health and social care and a B in business.

University wasn’t the route Laura wanted to take and in June, she was accepted for a job in customer service at a local farm feeds company.

Her best friends, Abi Burgess (two As in psychology and maths, B in geography) and Samantha Keys (three As in maths, biology and chemistry) are going to university in Cardiff and Bristol, so Laura is already planning to visit them at the weekends.

Laura Williams, Abi Burgess and Samantha Keys

She said: “I’m just going to live my university experience through them, it’s the closest thing I’ve got!”

Other high achievers included Lawrence Manly, 18, from Holmes Chapel who is going to his first choice, The University of Sheffield, to study politics and international relations.

He received two As in politics and psychology and a B in English literature.

He said: “I’m really proud and happy with my results. Online learning during Covid was hard but I kept myself motivated. I know if I kept working hard I would get the grades I needed.”

And after examinations returned to normal this year, Mr Bielby hopes the hybrid model of teaching isn’t something which returns in the future,

He said: “Teaching and learning is a human interaction and happens when people are together.

"I came to work every day during lockdown and the weirdest thing about it was walking around my school everyday and it being empty - it was like a scene from a film.

“The day they all came back I just went and stood outside of a couple of classrooms and I was a little bit teary - I don’t mind saying it. It’s just that buzz which is the most intoxicating thing in the world."