City Academy Hackney celebrates first ever set of A-level results

A-level students at City Academy Hackney celebrate their results (Image: Archant)

Since opening seven years ago, the academy in Homerton Road was judged “outstanding” in all categories by Ofsted inspectors and rated as one of the top five schools in the country for student progress in both 2014 and 2015 by the Department for Education. Today teachers and pupils were thrilled to discover the A* to C grade figure stands at 83 per cent compared with last year’s national average of 77 per cent.

Elton Cas from the Pembury Estate is “happy” with his three A*s in maths, further maths and physics.

“I didn’t even think I’d get two,” he said.

“I’ve done lots of work, staying back at the school library most days after the Easter holidays.

He will now study physics at Imperial College.

Rose Yemeyanova, 18, from the Jack Dunning Estate is also going to study physics at Bath, thanks to her two A* grades in maths and further maths, and an A in physics.

“I felt good to find out my results, and I was a little bit surprised,” she said.

“I’ve worked really hard. I was very stressed in the exam season,

“I want to study physics because I think it explains a lot about the universe and I like knowing things about the universe.

“The national average of women studying physics is 20 per cent so I expect four men for each woman,” she joked.

Alpay Hassan, from Homerton, appeared laid back with his exceptional three A*s in maths, physics and psychology.

“I was alright. I expected it,” he told the Gazette.

“I put in a lot of work, every day since January, going over the exam questions and memorising the text books.

“I’ve been out a couple of times. I’ll probably go out tonight.”

He is another contender for physics, this time at Durham.

William Bradford, 18, from the Barbican, is pleased to have secured a place at St Andrews to study computer science with his A* in maths, and As in further maths and physics.

“My offer was low so I was more confident I would get it,” he said.

“It’s still good to finally get it over and done with.”

Mark Emmerson, Principal at City Academy, said: “I’ve personally taught all of these students, and they have been at the school since Year 7.

“Some of them have interesting backgrounds – students that are refugees or in care or who have come from families with no prior university experience.

“To see the students progress onto high-status Russell Group universities with straight As and A*s has been impressive as that’s what we set out to do in the first place.

“We wanted to offer families in this area a better future through secondary education.

“The pupils have exceeded the expectations we had originally. They have helped create the ethos of the school as a high achieving school that’s not just outstanding but exceptional and is providing world-class results for the families in Homerton - which is a fantastic reflection on their ability and willingness to work hard and fulfil their potential.”

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