Press Release
Date: 19 December 2003 (NR/21/03)
CCEA Celebrates Excellence of top performing A level students
Students who achieved the top marks in the summer 2003 A level examinations were today welcomed as guests of honour at CCEA’s ‘Celebrating Excellence’ awards ceremony.
The event, hosted by Northern Ireland’s own awarding body, the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment, is a celebration of the outstanding achievements of thirty-two young people who are the highest performing students in the highest performing region of the United Kingdom.
Speaking at the ceremony, CCEA Chief Executive Gavin Boyd said:
‘CCEA is very proud to welcome these young people, their parents and their teachers here today to celebrate their outstanding achievements. These students are amongst the top 0.2% of entries for the CCEA Summer 2003 A level examinations. This is a remarkable achievement, on which they are to be thoroughly congratulated.
‘This year, CCEA A level students have again out-performed their counterparts in the rest of the United Kingdom. 33.6% of CCEA entries achieved grade A, compared to 21.6% nationally. The overall pass rate for CCEA entries also reflects this outstanding performance, with 98.2% achieving grades A – E, compared to a national figure of 95.4%.
‘The remarkable achievements of the young people here today are testament to Northern Ireland’s excellent education system, and of course to their own hard work and all the support they have received both inside and outside school. They should be extremely proud of everything they have accomplished and CCEA wishes them well for the future.’
CCEA’s ‘Celebrating Excellence’ awards ceremony will take place today, Monday 22 December, from 1.30 – 3.00pm in the CCEA building, 29 Clarendon Road, Belfast. A second ceremony will also be held in the New Year to award those students who achieved the top marks in the summer 2003 GCSE examinations.
Celebrating Excellence – GCE awards ceremony
Programme of events:
1.30 pm Refreshments
2.00 pm Opening Remarks – Dr Alan Lennon, Chairman, CCEA
2.10 pm Awards Ceremony – Dr Alan Lennon, Chairman, CCEA
2.50 pm History Award – Presentation of Tim McCall History Award
2.55 pm Closing Remarks – Mr Gavin Boyd, Chief Executive, CCEA
3.00 pm Top students’ photographs will be taken during this time
Celebrating Excellence – GCE Top candidates 2003
Subject |
Name |
School |
Art and Design |
Deva Evans |
Victoria College |
|
Conor Doyle |
St Mary's Grammar School, Magherafelt |
|
Adrian Margey |
St Mary's Grammar School, Magherafelt |
|
Ciaran O'Brien |
St Mary's Grammar School, Magherafelt |
|
Maria Fitzpatrick |
St Louis Grammar School, Kilkeel |
|
Orla Savage |
St Louis Grammar School, Kilkeel |
|
Adonia Wasson |
St Louis Grammar School, Kilkeel |
|
Simon Winters |
Christian Brothers' Grammar School, Omagh |
History of Art and Design |
Philip Rossi |
BIFHE College Square East, Belfast |
Biology |
Cliodhna Smyth |
Sacred Heart Grammar School, Newry |
Business Studies |
Caitriona Flanagan |
Rathmore Grammar School, Belfast |
Chemistry |
Brendan Gallagher |
Christian Brothers' Grammar School, Omagh |
ICT |
Kelly Donaghy |
St Patrick's Girls' Academy, Dungannon |
Technology and Design |
Helen Kelly |
Victoria College, Belfast |
Economics |
*Michael Turner |
Latymer Upper School, London |
English Literature |
Ruth Doherty |
Omagh Academy |
|
Niamh O'Hagan |
Convent Grammar School, Strabane |
French |
Molly Gorman |
Cross and Passion College, Ballycastle |
|
Mark Kelly |
Ballymena Academy |
|
Mark McCrum |
Ballymena Academy |
Geography |
Nora O'Murchu |
Loreto College, Coleraine |
German |
Heather Loughlin |
Larne Grammar School |
Government and Politics |
Orla Molloy |
Thornhill College, L'Derry |
History |
*Brian Sloan |
Our Lady' and St Patrick's College, Knock |
Home Economics |
Caroline Garvey |
St Patrick's Girls' Academy, Dungannon |
Irish |
Ciaran Bradley |
St Mary's CB Grammar School, Belfast |
|
Finnbar Christie |
St Mary's CB Grammar School, Belfast |
Mathematics |
Timothy McCormick |
Royal Belfast Academical Innstitution |
Subject |
Name |
School |
Further Mathematics |
Ian Wasson |
Bellymena Academy |
Music |
*Megan Boyd |
Sullivan Upper School, Holywood |
Physics |
Ronan Conlon |
St Colman's College, Newry |
Religious Studies |
Rachel Keenan |
Aquinas Grammar School, Belfast |
Spanish |
Niamh O'Hagan |
Convent Grammar School, Strabane |
***Additional
awards:
Brian Sloan, Our Lady and St Patrick’s College Knock: Tim McCall
Award for History
Megan Boyd, Sullivan Upper School: Incorporated Society of Musicians A Level Music Award
Michael Turner, Latymer Upper School: General Consumer Council’s Consumer Skills Award for Best Performance in A Level Economics
Media enquiries to Ruth Maguire on (028) 9026 1216, Mobile 07796947993. E mail rhmaguire@ccea.org.uk
ENDS
Note to Editors
CCEA is the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment.
CCEA places learners and those who have a concern for their educational and personal development at the forefront of its thinking. CCEA's mission is:
"To enable the full potential of all learners to be achieved and recognised"
What we do
CCEA is a unique educational body in the UK , bringing together the three areas of curriculum, examinations and assessment.
Advising Government – on what should be taught in Northern Ireland ’s schools and colleges.
Monitoring Standards – ensuring that the qualifications and examinations offered by awarding bodies in Northern Ireland are of an appropriate quality and standard.
Awarding Qualifications
– as Northern Ireland’s leading awarding body we offer a diverse range of qualifications, such as GCSEs, including the new GCSE Double Award specifications in vocational subjects, GCE A and AS levels, Entry Level Qualifications, and Graded Objectives in Modern Languages.
- CCEA also offers a range of Awards and Certificates in Education, Training and Skills (ACETS) targeted at learners who want to get
the knowledge, understanding and skills needed
to hit the ground running in the world of work.
