Portsmouth High School pupils are 'euphoric' as they bag impressive A-level grades

Portsmouth High School students receive their A-Level results. Picture: Chris Moorhouse.

Pupils at Portsmouth High School GDST, in Southsea, have spoken of their ‘excitement’ as they received their exam results despite facing the disruptions of pandemic lockdowns.

All of the youngsters at the high school got into their first-choice university, with 95 per cent of them achieving A* to C grades.

Daisy Cole, 18, from Shedfield, has secured a place to study sociology and criminology at the University of Birmingham having gained an A* grade in sociology and A grades in business, psychology and her extended project qualification (EPQ).

Maddy Oliver is going to Oxford, pictured with her father, Graeme, and sister, Beatrice, at Portsmouth High School. Picture: Chris Moorhouse

She said: ‘I’m over the moon, I was setting myself up for a lot lower so it’s a nice surprise and now I can relax.

‘It was tough because these were the first real public exams we’ve done. I’m off to get a big breakfast and some champagne.’

Daisy, who says she struggled with online learning, dealt with disturbance at home including her grandfather moving in and ongoing construction work, but came out the other side.

A-level, T-level and BTEC results day 2022: Students across Portsmouth area cele...

Students at Portsmouth High School receiving their results today. Picture left to right: Phoebe Harris, Daisy Cole, Bella Mangnall, all receiving four A's. Picture: Chris Moorhouse.

Her mum, Penny Cole, added: ‘My dad was very ill and he moved in, she’s had a lot of disruptions but she worked really hard.’

Headmistress of Portsmouth High School, Jane Prescott, described the atmosphere as ‘euphoric’ as she praised the students for their ‘resilience’ during this tough period.

She said: ‘I'm delighted, they've worked hard and they’ve had a terrible two years.

‘It's been really tough on them, to those who criticise this generation I would say they've shown tremendous resilience, far more than we give them credit for.

As the first cohort of students to sit exams since the coronavirus outbreak, students on today’s A-Level results day are hit with added apprehension.

Maddy Oliver, 18, of Southsea, was joined by her mum, dad and sister today as she secured her place at the University of Oxford to study geography, something she was not expecting after not doing as well as she’d hoped in her mocks.

Maddy said: ‘If anything I’m glad I got that D, it made me work harder.’

‘Today is the first day I can actually get excited about going, I can’t wait,’ she added.