Press Release

Date: Wednesday 22 December 2010 (NR/10/12)

Celebrating our top students

Celebrating Excellence was the theme of the day at Lisburn Civic Centre for 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 2010 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 Anne Marie Duffy, Director of Qualifications at CCEA. She commented:

CCEA takes pride in organising this special ‘Celebrating Excellence’ event, which is now in its twelfth year. It is important that we recognise and celebrate the success and hard work of these top achieving students. It is also fitting that we pay tribute to family and teachers who supported and encouraged these young people in their studies.

A-Level students in Northern Ireland continue to perform at the highest levels, with 9.3% of CCEA entries awarded the new A* grade. The overall pass rate for CCEA entries reflects this outstanding performance, with 98.1% achieving A*-E

Students here today should be extremely proud of everything they have accomplished. I wish them every success in their future education and careers.

Lisburn Civic Centre once again proved to be a memorable location for this fantastic occasion. Students, family members and teachers thoroughly enjoyed the day and will remember this important celebration for years to come .

Amy Taylor, past pupil of Coleraine High School, achieved top in History and Biology. She commented:

I really enjoyed the awards ceremony today and being presented with the Tim McCall History Award was a real honour. I am currently studying Medicine at Dundee University but I will always maintain my interest in history .

Amy Taylor, previously of Coleraine High School, celebrates in the snow after the A-level awards ceremony. Not only did Amy come first in Biology and History, she also received the special Tim McCall History Award for outstanding achievement. Amy is currently studying Medicine at Dundee University.

Zoe McQueen and Abigail Nelson, Ballymena Academy

Music Top Candidates Abigail Nelson (left) and Zoe McQueen (previously of Ballymena Academy). Abigail is now studying Medicine at Queens University and Zoe is also studying Medicine at Edinburgh University.

Top Candidate in Religious Studies Jennifer Williamson (previous pupil at Dalriada School) with Religious Studies teachers Mabel Morrison (left) and Susan Gregg. Jennifer is now studying Economics & International Development at Bath University

Caoimhin McCartney and Martin Curlin (former St Columb’s College students) received Top Candidate awards for A-level Art and Design. They are pictured with CCEA’s Director or Corporate Services, Martin Quinn.

Technology and Design Top Candidate Paul Johnson (previous pupil at Portora Royal School) is pictured with CCEA Vice Chair Helen McClenaghan. After achieving an impressive four A* grades at Portora, Paul is now studying Aeronautics and Astronautics at Southampton University.

English Literature Top Candidate award winner Susanna Louise Elliot is pictured with CCEA’s Director of Qualifications, Anne Marie Duffy, Friends School Principal Mrs Dickson (left) and Teacher Mrs Black. Susanna is currently reading Jewish Studies at Mansfield College, Oxford.

Top Candidates – Celebrating Excellence Award Winners

Subject	School	Candidate Name	Rank
Art & Design	Antrim Grammar School	Gillian Fleming	Joint 1st
French	Aquinas Grammar School	Jennifer H M Clarke	Joint 1st
German	Aquinas Grammar School	Jennifer H M Clarke	Joint 1st
Art & Design	Aquinas Grammar School	Jenny Gallagher	Joint 1st
Art & Design	Aquinas Grammar School	Marion McGuigan	Joint 1st
Art & Design	Aquinas Grammar School	Susannah Wilson	Joint 1st
Art & Design	Ballyclare Secondary School	Julie Dorrian	Joint 1st
Applied ICT SA	Ballyclare Secondary School	Louise K Williamson	1st
Mathematics	Ballymena Academy	Andrew R Swann	Joint 1st
Music	Ballymena Academy	Zoe E McQueen	Joint 1st
Music	Ballymena Academy	Abigail R Nelson	Joint 1st
Art & Design	Banbridge Academy	Barbara Blane	Joint 1st
Art & Design	Banbridge Academy	Jonathan Graham	Joint 1st
Art & Design	Banbridge Academy	Alice Lynn Montgomery	Joint 1st
Art & Design	Banbridge Academy	Alan Taylor	Joint 1st
Art & Design	Banbridge Academy	Karen Waddell	Joint 1st
Art & Design	Banbridge Academy	Hollie McDonald	Joint 1st
Chemistry	Belfast Royal Academy	Olivia C Burke	1st
Mathematics	Belfast Royal Academy	Gavin M Abernethy	Joint 1st
Physics	Belfast Royal Academy	Olivia C Burke	1st
ICT	Bloomfield Collegiate	Victoria E Potts	1st
Applied Business SA	CB Grammar School	Dominic McGoldrick	Joint 1st
Irish	Coláiste Feirste	Somhairle Tomas Mag Uidhir	Joint 1st
Biology	Coleraine High School	Amy G S Taylor	1st
History	Coleraine High School	Amy G S Taylor	1st
Economics	Coleraine Academical Institution	Adam D J Collins	1st
Art & Design	Cookstown High School	Diane Collins	Joint 1st
Religious Studies	Dalriada School	Jennifer E Williamson	1st
Art & Design	Dominican College	Emma Curran	Joint 1st
Art & Design	Dominican College	Ciara O'Hagan	Joint 1st
Art & Design	Down High School	Jamie Holmes	Joint 1st
Art & Design	Down High School	Rachel Norah Cadden	Joint 1st
English Literature	Friends School	Susanna Louise Elliott	Joint 1st
Spanish	Friends School	Laura Jane Burns	Joint 1st
Art & Design	Friends School	Jenny Barr	Joint 1st
Art & Design	Friends School	Mary Alexandra Pengelly	Joint 1st
Art & Design	Glenlola Collegiate	Sarah Brown	Joint 1st
Applied Business SA	Grosvenor Grammar School	Christopher D Cahoon	Joint 1st
History of Art	Latymer Upper School	Thomas Dilke	1st
Health & Social Care DA	Limavady High School	Rachel D Hanna	1st
Applied ICT DA	Lisneal College	Stacey M Falconer	1st
Health & Social Care SA	Loreto Grammar Omagh	Megan Marie McElhatton	1st
Art & Design	Lurgan College	Vanessa McMinn	Joint 1st
French	Methodist College	Thomas D L Oliver	Joint 1st
Spanish	Methodist College	Thomas D L Oliver	Joint 1st
Art & Design	Methodist College	Lucy McIlwaine	Joint 1st
English Literature	New-Bridge Integrated College	Zakk R Massey	Joint 1st
French	Omagh Academy	Emma L Beattie	Joint 1st
Further Maths	Omagh Academy	Jamie S R Beacom	1st
Art & Design	Our Lady & St Patrick's College	Nicola Quinn	Joint 1st
Business Studies	Our Lady & St Patrick's College	Gail G Whyte	1st
Art & Design	Our Lady's Grammar School	Kim McConville	Joint 1st
Art & Design	Our Lady's Grammar School	Hannah O'Rourke	Joint 1st
Moving Image Arts	Portadown College	Kathryn Anne McClure	1st
Tech & Design	Portora Royal School	Paul D Johnston	1st
Art & Design	Rainey Endowed School	Gemma Maxwell	Joint 1st
Art & Design	Rainey Endowed School	Alison Palmer	Joint 1st
Art & Design	Rainey Endowed School	Clare Porte	Joint 1st
Art & Design	Rathmore Grammar School	Maria Mallon	Joint 1st
Mathematics	Regent House	Jordan R Millar	Joint 1st
Govt and Politics	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	Conor Shevlin	1st
Applied Business DA	St Colm's High School	Laura Quinn	1st
Art & Design	St Columb's College	Caoimhin McCartney	Joint 1st
Art & Design	St Columb's College	Ciaran Nelis	Joint 1st
Art & Design	St Columb's College	Martin Carlin	Joint 1st
Art & Design	St Mary's Grammar School	Grainne Cassidy	Joint 1st
Irish	St Michael's College	Liam A Mohan	Joint 1st
Home Economics	Sullivan Upper School	Rachel Sian Louise Strong	1st
French	Wallace High School	James Samuel Thompson	Joint 1st
Geography	Wallace High School	James Timothy Pow	Joint 1st
Geography	Wallace High School	Claire Louise Smyth	Joint 1st
German	Wallace High School	James Samuel Thompson	Joint 1st
Art & Design	Wellington College	Hannah Clarkson-Dornan	Joint 1st

Celebrating excellence – GCE awards ceremony

Programme of events:

Programme for event

Opening Remarks - 12.30pm

Award Ceremony - 12.40pm

Tim McCall History Award - 1.15pm

Closing Remarks - 1.20pm

Lunch

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.