Press Release
Date: Wednesday 23 December 2009 (NR/10/12)
CCEA honours top achieving students
Celebrating Excellence was the theme of the day at Lisburn Civic Centre for forty students who achieved top marks in their GCE A-level subjects. To commend the hard work of Northern Ireland’s brightest students CCEA hosted a memorable ceremony for students, their proud family and teachers.
These talented students are amongst the top 0.2% of entries for the CCEA Summer 2009 A level examinations. Showing their dedication to learning, the majority of students have now gone on to further their studies at University.
Congratulating all the students personally was Neil Anderson, Acting Chief Executive at CCEA. He commented:
“CCEA takes pride in organising this special ‘Celebrating Excellence’ event, which is now in its eleventh year. It is important we congratulate the hard work of these top achieving students, as well as their family and teachers who supported and encouraged them in their studies.
This year CCEA A level students have again out-performed their counterparts in the UK. 34.5% of CCEA entries achieved grade A, compared to 26.7% nationally. The overall pass rate for CCEA entries reflects this outstanding performance, with 98.4% achieving A-E, compared to a national figure of 97.5%.
These young people should be extremely proud of everything they have accomplished. What they have achieved is no mean feat and should stand them in good stead in their future education and careers.
Lisburn Civic Centre proved to be a memorable location for this fantastic occasion. All students and their family and teachers thoroughly enjoyed the day and will hopefully remember it for years to come.”
Celebrating excellence – GCE awards ceremony
Programme of events:
| Opening Remarks | 11.30am | David McKee, Chairman, CCEA |
| Award Ceremony | 11.40am | Mr Neil Anderson, Acting Chief Executive, CCEA |
| Tim McCall History Award | 12.15pm | Mr Neil Anderson, Acting Chief Executive, CCEA |
| Closing Remarks | 12.20pm | Mr Neil Anderson, Acting Chief Executive CCEA |
| Lunch | 12.30pm | Top Candidate |
Top Candidates – Celebrating Excellence Award Winners
Subject |
School |
Name |
Rank |
Business Studies |
Belfast Royal Academy |
Jessica K Buchanan |
1st |
French |
Belfast Royal Academy |
Julie C A Hamilton |
1st |
Further Mathematics |
Belfast Royal Academy |
Julie C A Hamilton |
1st |
Art & Design |
Dominican College Belfast |
Bronach McGuinness |
Joint 1st |
Government & Politics |
Methodist College Belfast |
Angharad E K Thain |
1st |
History |
Methodist College Belfast |
Emily J Hamilton |
1st |
Art & Design |
Rathmore Belfast |
Aoife S Ryan |
Joint 1st |
English Literature |
Royal Acad Inst |
Nicholas Paul Morrison |
Joint 1st |
Art & Design |
Victoria College |
Rebekah S C Lindsay |
Joint 1st |
Art & Design |
Victoria College |
Scarlett G G Weale |
Joint 1st |
History of Art & Design |
Victoria College |
Scarlett G G Weale |
1st |
Physics |
Victoria College |
Manvi Singhal |
1st |
Biology |
Ballymena Academy |
Amy R Ferguson |
Joint 1st |
Chemistry |
Ballymena Academy |
Laura E Bateman |
Joint 1st |
Music |
Ballymena Academy |
Ross C McQueen |
1st |
ICT |
Dalriada Ballymoney |
Samuel J Campbell |
1st |
Applied ICT (SA) |
St Macnissi's Carnlough |
Aoife Therese Connolly |
1st |
Economics |
Loreto College |
Patrick J Kelly |
1st |
Applied Business (DA) |
St Colm's Draperstown |
Caoimhe M Fullen |
1st |
Health & Social Care (SA) |
Maghera High |
Sheree E Kirkwood |
1st |
Applied ICT (DA) |
St Pius X |
Sinead McGrogan |
1st |
Health & Social Care (DA) |
St Pius X |
Noirin Anne Henry |
1st |
German |
Glengormley High |
Anastasija Medvedeva |
1st |
Home Economics |
Assumption Ballynahinch |
Narsene Mahon |
Joint 1st |
Religious Studies |
Our Lady/St Pats |
Kieran J Bogues |
1st |
Art & Design |
Down High Downpatrick |
Sarah Victoria Willis |
Joint 1st |
Art & Design |
Friends |
Natalie Elizabeth Burton |
Joint 1st |
Technology & Design |
St Patrick's Grammar Armagh |
Seamus K O'Hagan |
1st |
Art & Design |
St Patrick's High Armagh |
Orlagh Bernadette Murdoch |
Joint 1st |
Home Economics |
St Patrick's Academy Dungannon |
Gemma Angela Mason |
Joint 1st |
Biology |
Banbridge Academy |
Gareth Robert Gamble |
Joint 1st |
Chemistry |
Banbridge Academy |
Gareth Robert Gamble |
Joint 1st |
Art & Design |
Our Lady's Grammar Newry |
Laura Doyle |
Joint 1st |
Art & Design |
Our Lady's Grammar Newry |
Rebecca V Hannaway |
Joint 1st |
Biology |
St Columb's College |
David Matthew Neely |
Joint 1st |
Mathematics |
St Columb's College |
Matthew Joseph Lynch-Wong-Chung |
1st |
Applied Business (SA) |
Lumen Christi Derry |
Lauren V M Kelly |
1st |
Chemistry |
Lumen Christi Derry |
Garreth W A McCrudden |
Joint 1st |
Geography |
Lumen Christi Derry |
Garreth W A McCrudden |
1st |
Irish |
Lumen Christi Derry |
Conor G McLaughlin |
1st |
Moving Image Arts |
Lumen Christi Derry |
Neil Gormley |
1st |
Spanish |
Lumen Christi Derry |
Garreth W A McCrudden |
1st |
Biology |
Mount Lourdes Enniskillen |
Fiona P McPartland |
Joint 1st |
Chemistry |
C B Grammar Omagh |
James Anthony Barrett |
Joint 1st |
English Literature |
Loreto Grammar Omagh |
Catherine Bridget McCaffrey |
Joint 1st |
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.
