Meet Inverclyde's A-Team

Susan Lochrie • Published 9 Aug 2010 14:00

THE Telegraph can today unveil Inverclyde's very own all-star A-Team line-up.

We bring you the nine talented pupils who have chalked up an incredible five As in their Higher exams.

Education convener Councillor Ian McKenzie believes they will be proud ambassadors for Inverclyde.

He said: "These top students are going to go on to the best universities and when people say 'where did you get these results?' they will say 'Inverclyde'.

"They are a credit to themselves and to their parents who have supported them.

"It says something about our schools when we continually turn out this kind of talent. It was very humbling to be in the company of such clever people."

Port Glasgow student Ryan McIntosh, who attends St Stephen's, said: "It was great to meet everyone. The director of education and Councillor McKenzie congratulated me and said it was a great achievement for me and my family.

"But it is back down to earth with a bump now because I have to go back to work at Next in Braehead."

Councillor McKenzie went on to point out that it is not just the pupils with the top grades Inverclyde should be proud of.

He added: "We have increased our results for pupils attaining three Highers or more. For some pupils the mountain they had to climb was one Higher and they achieved that as well."

It was a record year for Inverclyde schools as pupils achieved some of the best grades since 2004.

A massive 95.8 per cent of fourth-year students got five or more Standard Grades at foundation level, while general pass rates also hit a high.

Meanwhile, an amazing 94.8 per cent of S4 youngsters passed their maths and English at Standard Grade level three and up.

The number of fifth-year pupils achieving more than one Higher this year has increased to 41.8 per cent.

Inverclyde's top class roll call is: Marah Ramadan, Inverkip, Gourock High; Chiara McKitrick, Gourock, Gourock High; Katie McNicol, Kilmacolm, Greenock Academy; Ciaran McDonald, Greenock, Inverclyde Academy; Caitlin McArthur, Greenock, Notre Dame; Andrew McDade, Greenock, Notre Dame; Ilaria Moretti, Gourock, St Columba's High; Ryan McIntosh, Port Glasgow, St Stephen's and Joanna Mitchell, Gourock, Gourock High.

Pupils at St Columba's School in Kilmacolm are also celebrating a record year.

Eight students achieved three Advanced Higher As and their Higher pass rate at grade A was 58.1 per cent.

Rector David Girdwood said "I am absolutely delighted with the success achieved by our pupils. They have been rewarded for their hard work and commitment. I congratulate them, their parents and their teachers. Our new sixth year can look forward to pursuing their Advanced Higher studies with confidence. To those pupils who are leaving us, I wish them very best wishes with all their future endeavours."

Three pupils - Louise Paterson, Megan Girdwood and Rebecca Meredith -- will go on to study at Cambridge University. Rebecca said, "I'm really looking forward to beginning my studies at Cambridge in October. My time at St Columba's has prepared me for the hard work that I'll have to put in there."

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This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 09 Aug 10

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