A-Level results 2012
There have been some exceptional results at City of Westminster College, with many students being accepted by their first-choice HE institution. Principal Keith Cowell says: “We are delighted that so many of our A-level students have achieved the results they need to move on to their chosen course.”
Keith Cowell says there are plenty of options, for students depending on their grades. He says: “Competition for Higher Education places is tougher than ever and our teams of careers and course advisers are on hand to assist students looking for their next step. We’ve a wide variety of options at HE level and have created a useful video on our website to help students navigate Clearing. We encourage anyone who is looking for advice on their next move to visit our website or, better still, come and see us for one-to-one guidance.”
Here are just some of City of Westminster College’s 2012 success stories.
Adeniyi Adelakun, 27, from Westminster, is off to St John’s College Cambridge, thanks to A grades in English Literature and Government & Politics – both studied in just one year. He says: "I’ve had a deal with a music publisher for the past few years, but I'm getting too old to be a DJ! My degree course is in Education and English Literature and maybe I'll become a teacher. I'd definitely recommend City of Westminster College and the secret with A-levels is to treat them like a job: work nine to five and leave partying for evenings.”
Qahira Hayat, 20, from Westminster, achieved As in Chemistry and Biology and B in Psychology and, because her results are better than expected, she is now considering whether to take up her Pharmacy degree place at Kingston or choose another university via Adjustment. Originally from Afghanistan, Qahira missed out on some schooling and joined City of Westminster College in 2009 to take intensive (one-year) GCSEs before moving on to A-levels. She says: “The College was local and convenient for me, but it has been good. I’d recommend it.”
James Childs, 18, from Islington, now has the paperwork he needs to start a journalism course at London College of Communication. He says: "I'd previously failed with my exams but City of Westminster College still accepted me for A-levels, so I knuckled down and got there second time around. My aim is to be a music journalist."
Lily O’Hare, 22, from Lambeth, and classmate Elena Di Lorenzo, 31, from Croydon, are celebrating getting into medical school after achieving the Chemistry grades they needed. Lily, who previously studied Neuroscience at university, joins Barts and The London NHS Trust. Elena, who has a Psychology degree and is taking up a place at Birmingham, says: “I’m studying Medicine because I always wanted this and didn’t have the chance first time around.”
Joel Thomas, 19, from Hackney, took a year out before embarking on A-levels. Now he has the grades he needs to study Sociology and Psychology at Coventry University. He says: "I fell in love with sociology and that's why l decided to return to education. I want to go into counselling or therapy – maybe even sports therapy."
Fadumo Jama, 19, from Brent, is off to University of Westminster to study English Language & Linguistics, having achieved two Bs and a C. She says: “I chose City of Westminster because students said the best things about teachers in this College. My advice to other students is to choose the right course for you and think about the future and where it could take you. It’s important to stay focused.” Ana-Diamond Aaba, 18, from Westminster, starts a Film Studies degree at King’s College, having gained A*, B and C grades. She says: “I moved to the UK in 2010 and even enrolled two weeks late for the start of term. Staff worked with me every step of the way and each time I needed help I got it.”
Access to Business students awarded scholarships to University
It’s been another great result for Access to Higher Education Diploma in Business at City of Westminster College, with five students celebrating scholarship awards with their tutor Hilary Matthews.
These scholarships enable our students to move on to higher education courses in the Business field at University of Westminster and are awarded to candidates who show great potential. Gold Scholarships (worth £4,000) have been awarded to Siobhan Aziz and Adriel Thomas, while Silver Scholarships (£2,000) have been awarded to Raul Hernandez, Edvin Manushi and Julia Ryabchych.
Adriel Thomas, 22, is originally from Vancouver, Canada and begins an Economics degree course this autumn. Adriel, who worked as a waiter to fund the one-year course, says: “I came to the UK around four years ago as a musician, but I didn’t see a lot of future in it. I met a lot of people working in banking and finance, and that made me interested in studying Economics.
“The course has been intense and challenging because it required a lot of work, although I didn’t find the content overwhelming. I’d recommend Access, and thanks to this scholarship I have a pot of money to help take care of costs at university. It’s early days, but I hope to have the chance to work in the UK when I graduate.” Julia Ryabchych, 33, is originally from Ukraine and came to the UK eight years ago to join her family. Having supported herself through College by working as a freelance hairdresser, she will study Accounting with Management. Julia says: “All my life I’ve wanted to move on to higher education. I have an aptitude for maths and numbers – I find them much easier than languages – and this is a field that will enable me to work in any department of any company.
“I didn’t find the Access course too much of a shock and because we were studying for three days a week, this gave me time to manage studying and working. I would recommend this course – and thanks to Hilary and her support with the course and the scholarship application I have enough money now to focus only on my studies!”
City of Westminster College Business and Community Studies Lecturer Hilary Matthews has been assisting students apply for scholarships to University of Westminster since 2006 and a total of 39 Access to Business students have received awards, enabling them to pursue their studies in Business and Management fields at degree level.
Access to HE Diploma is an intensive one-year course accredited by the Open College Network London Region. It is designed for adults (19+) who have missed out on previous education opportunities and want to move on to higher education courses. In addition to Business, City of Westminster College offers Access in Humanities & Social Sciences, Nursing, Photography and Science. There is also a Pre-Access Science & Health Studies programme.