AMONG students celebrating after the announcement today (Tuesday, 10 August) of A-level results at USP Palmer's College in Grays is 18-year-old Andrea Neville.

Andrea, from Grays, has undertaken A-level courses in English literature, sociology and history and has achieved an extended project qualification (EPQ) that has secured her place at the University of Oxford.

She will study ancient and modern history at one of the world's leading universities this October after receiving four A*s.

She says: "I feel really good about receiving my results but I was nervous waiting to see if I had got into Oxford as the UCAS site crashed."

The application process for the University of Oxford starts in October and Andrea received an offer to study at the university in January, subject to her meeting the entry requirements.

She added: "My teachers have supported me every step of the way and the careers support was amazing. They helped me throughout the process from the application stage right to helping me prepare for the admissions tests.

"The college has really helped me learn how to work independently which has been great preparation for university, but equally I always knew they were there to support me if I needed it."

Seval Fadil, Assistant Principal Academic at USP said: "It is wonderful that Andrea has been accepted to study at the University of Oxford and is a compliment to her hard work throughout her studies.

"The college is proud of its high-quality A-level provision, and having students like Andrea secure places at one of the world's leading universities is a testament to the dedication of our teachers and staff in supporting the aspirations of our students."

Across the two USP (Unified Seevic Palmer's) campuses, at Palmer's and Runnymede Chase, Benfleet there was an A-level pass rate of more than 99 per cent.

English, further maths, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and computing were among the 37 A-Level courses that achieved a 100 per cent pass rate.

Principal Dan Pearson said: "I'm delighted to see such high percentages of successes across our career paths, with many students getting the grades they need for their exciting next steps and future plans."

"These results come on the back of the significant progress we've made over the past couple of years in ensuring our curriculum meets the needs of employers and learners following the merger of Seevic and Palmer's Colleges in 2017.

"The high rates demonstrate how well our students perform without the pressures of exams, which can result in an inaccurate reflection of a student's abilities. The 2021 results and assessment methods represent a move towards a true measure of student performance."

361 students successfully completed their A-Levels at USP College, with the majority achieving the required grade to move on to their intended next steps.

Among successful young people at the Palmer's campus was Brooke Brady, 18 from Grays, a former Grays Convent student.

Brooke achieved grades of A* in maths, further maths and biology while attaining an A in chemistry and will now be attending King's College London to study maths.

Brooke paid tribute to the teaching staff at USP, saying: "hey were always willing to spend time to help. During lockdown they always made sure we had work online and were always making sure we were okay.

"They were always willing to do one-to-ones in their free time and would always respond to emails which was essential when working from home."

Also heading for Kings College where she will study English is former Gateway Academy student Aimee Staines, 18. Of her teachers, Aimee says: "There was a lot of support and the teachers were very approachable and easy to talk to. There was always an open door policy."

Applications are still open for USP courses starting in September 2021, and will open in October for courses starting in September 2022. To find out more, or to apply, visit www.uspcollege.ac.uk, call 01268 756 111 or email [email protected].