York pupil earns place at top university

8:10am Monday 18th August 2008

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A STUNNING set of exam results means a York teenager is Oxford-bound – to study at a college that boasts Margaret Thatcher among its famous former students.

Claire Morley collected A-grades in each of the five A-level subjects she took at All Saints’ RC School, York, which have ensured she will be able to take up a place at one of the most prestigious universities in the world.

The 17-year-old from Osbaldwick got the news she was waiting for when she opened her results last week to discover she had scooped top marks in English literature; German; history; philosophy and ethics; and general studies.

Now she will head for Somerville College at Oxford – whose other notable alumni include former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, novelist Iris Murdoch, and TV presenter and ChildLine founder Esther Rantzen – in October to embark on a four-year modern languages course which will see her specialise in German.

Claire did her GCSEs at Archbishop Holgate’s CE School before moving on to A-levels at All Saints, where she also collected a distinction in an advanced extension award for English.

“I did the entrance exam, which was a three-day interview – part of it in German – last December, and although I’d heard some horror stories about it, it went better than I thought,” she said.

“Only one in four applicants get a place, but I was found out just before Christmas that I’d got one as long as I got three A-grades in the main subjects, so it was great to do it with something to spare.”

Meanwhile, sixth forms in East Yorkshire have reported their best-ever A-level results.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council leaders and officials hailed the performance of students, saying that the majority of schools had made significant improvements in students’ average point scores at A level or their equivalents, compared with the 2007 results.

“Some of these schools are already among the highest performing institutions for A-level qualifications in the Yorkshire and Humber region,” said a council spokesman.

“The returns indicate an improvement in average point scores of between 30-40 points for East Riding School sixth forms as a whole. This is the equivalent of one grade higher for each A level student.”

* Have you won a place at Oxford or Cambridge? Phone The Press newsdesk on 01904 567131.