Paul Canlas at St Aloysius’ College

A STUDENT who is going on to study law at Nottingham University after bagging a clutch of top grades in his A-levels said he wants to “make a difference to people like me”.

Akheem Alexander-Spencer, 18, from Angel, scooped two As in sociology and history and a B in English in his A-levels yesterday (Thursday) at City of London Academy Highbury Grove.

He said in future he wanted to become a human rights barrister in order to help people from less advantaged backgrounds including those from black and minority ethnicity groups as well as those from working-class homes, like himself.

“I feel like I can make a difference in the world and want to impact people like me,” he said. “I come from a working-class family and I know how hard it can be for people in situations like mine to do well in school because we need to work twice as hard as those from more advantageous backgrounds.”

Highbury Grove School students Akheem, Dylan, Danial, Farhan, Kathleen and Ivo checking out uni choices; and, below, showing off their grades

Other students to smash their exams include Dylan Mann and Danial Caiado, who both received two A*s and an A for their A-level subjects of physics, maths and chemistry and have taken up places at Birmingham university and King’s College to study physics.

Meanwhile, head girl Kathleen Estuesta, from Canonbury, gained three As and plans to become a GP after taking up her place to study medicine at King’s College in London.

Ms Chambers handing out envelopes at St Aloysius’ College

Ivo Elgueta, 18, is taking a place at Oxford to also study physics after receiving an A* in maths and physics and an A in music.
Farhan Siddique, who got As in biology, chemistry and maths, is taking up a place at King’s College London to study biochemistry and hopes to study “the interaction of our genes and the environment”.

Twenty-six per cent of the students at Highbury Grove School in Canonbury received A* to A grades while 99 per cent received A* to E.

Head Paula Whyte with Charlie Hepper at St Aloysius’ College

Assistant principal Daniel Charlton said: “With these students there was just a determination, the hard work, the resilience, and actually the sense of humour that they’ve retained throughout.”

Central Foundation Boys’ School Year 13 students with Cllr Valerie Bossman-Quarshie

Other schools celebrating their results were Central Foundation Boys’ School in Cowper Street, Old Street, which saw a third of all grades achieved at A* or A standard and two thirds of all grades A* to B. More than 90 per cent of grades were C or above.

Headteacher Jamie Brownhill said: “All of our students leave us with great credit, which goes well beyond the grades and destinations they have achieved.”

City and Islington Sixth Form College in Goswell Road, Angel, recorded 71 per cent of students achieving A* to C grades and celebrated many students going on to Russell Group universities, including Oxford and Cambridge.

Imani Anderson-Wickens at City of London Academy

Among the college’s top performing students were Isobel Rout, Keefe Choong, Amy Lay and Mohammed Yusuf, who all achieved three straight A*s in their exams.

Keefe, 18, who is off to Warwick University to study computer science after gaining A*s in maths, further maths and computer science, said: “I’m happy all the hard work has paid off and I can now enjoy my summer.”

St Aloysius’ College notched up 75 per cent A* to C grades in a solid comeback after a tough few years following a “requires improvement” rating in 2018. In July they were graded “good” by Ofsted.

Headteacher Paula Whyte said: “These results are absolutely first-rate and are yet another step forward on the positive path that this school is now on. They should feel so pleased with what they have ach­ieved.”