Council supports more academic exam opportunities for A-level students

The Royal Borough has this week welcomed the increased opportunities for A-level students hoping to go on to higher education to choose more academically rigorous examinations.

Councillors on Tuesday (26 July) heard details of a list of 'facilitating' examinations issued by the Russell Group of Universities which shows students wishing to go on to leading university places the ideal choice of academic subjects from which to choose.

Cllr David Burbage, Council Leader, cited Desborough School in Maidenhead as achieving the highest proportion of pupils - 62% - entering exams of this more academic nature.

Following a motion proposed by Cllr Derek Wilson, members unanimously agreed to write to all secondary schools in the borough encouraging them to offer their pupils as wide a range of exam choices as possible to enable them to go on to academically-based degree courses - with the council publishing annually the proportion of A-level students at each school taking the facilitating exams.

Cllr Burbage said: "We are delighted that there will be even greater opportunities and choice of academic subjects for pupils who wish to take the university route. We measured the percentage of entrants to the rigorous 'facilitating' exams in summer 2010 and Desborough came top of the A-level secondaries in the borough.

"While congratulating Desborough on their success we are also encouraging other schools to follow their example by offering academically rigorous exams as well as some of the more vocational courses which will help to further the students' career aspirations."

Cllr Wilson, a Maidenhead councillor and governor at Desborough School, said: "I am pleased that support for my motion was unanimous, reflecting the importance this council puts on providing all our students with as much opportunity and exam choice as possible to achieve their individual potential.

"Each school will continue to have the freedom to offer a range of courses and teachers will still be able to use their professional judgement to offer the qualifications which they believe are right for their pupils - increasingly, results in the most rigorous qualifications determine positions in national league tables.

"But most importantly we must ensure that all borough children and their parents have the opportunity to choose the right school to achieve the best educational outcomes possible for that young person."

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