There were cheers and tears as Richard Taunton Sixth Form College students ended an anxious wait for their exam results.
t level success
T Level Health student Karis Longcroft cried when she learned she’d earned a Merit in her final exam. “I found the course really amazing, it has really good facilities, the teachers are really supportive and you get opportunities to do placements, which I found really helpful because it helped me know that I’m going into a career that I will enjoy,” said the 18-year-old.
The course includes 315 hours of industry placements and Karis said two spells at Southampton General Hospital inspired her decision to become a paediatric nurse. “I originally thought I would do children and adults, but after doing children’s I realised that’s just what I want to do,” said Karis, who is heading to The University of Southampton to study children’s nursing.
“My longest placement was six weeks on the paediatric medical unit and I absolutely adored it. Being able to see that you’re making a real impact on the patients’ lives and actually helping, getting hands on experience, I would say is my highlight of the course.”
a level success
Faris Khan had a double dose of joy when he discovered he’d achieved an A and two Bs in Chemistry, Biology and History and had an offer of a place at The University of Southampton to study Medicine.
“I’m very, very happy and I’m glad my hard work paid off,” said the 18-year-old from Southampton. “I was pleasantly surprised and really excited and happy that I’ll be able to go to Southampton University.”
He paid tribute to the teaching staff who have supported him throughout his time at the college. “I’m not sure if I would have been able to do it or have succeeded as well as I did without their support,” he said. “If ever I needed any help, they made themselves available for me to ask them.”
His ambition is to be a doctor or a surgeon. “This course has helped me massively and I’m not sure if I could have done this at any other college other than Richard Taunton,” he said.
support from teachers
Charlie Morrissey, 18, has his sights on an acting career after achieving a Distinction in Acting, and a Merit in Performing Arts – as well as a Merit in Uniform Public Services. He is heading to St Mary’s University, Twickenham, to study acting.
“I’m really happy to be honest,” he said. “I was hoping for that. I’ve enjoyed the course and I have to thank my acting teacher Rob, who was a massive inspiration and really helped me with my coursework for the acting and performing arts.
“My UPS teacher Tim really helped me and took me around from quite a low pass in my first year to a Merit in my second.”
He said his time at the college has been memorable. “I’ve absolutely loved it,” he said. “I’ve made some great friends and we’ve had some great teaching staff, so it’s been the perfect college for me.”
Jakub Moczek, 17, was delighted with his Distinction in Uniformed Public Services and thanked his teacher Tim for the support he’s had. “He helped us a lot in general, supported us a lot and he makes lessons amazing,” said Jakub, who is aiming for a military career.
career plans
Jack Cullinane, 17, from Southampton, already has an application in for the Royal Marines after achieving a Distinction* in Uniformed Public Services. “I’ve been thinking about it for the past two years and I wasn’t really sure if it was the Marines or the Army or the Navy, but I’ve settled on that now,” he said.
“I’ve enjoyed the course, it’s been fun. I learnt a lot of new things, especially about the services as a whole and the teachers helped a lot. I probably wouldn’t have got the grade I got without them.”
Alex Gibbins-Stark, 18, from Southampton, was delighted with a Distinction Photography, as well as a Merit in Graphic Design and B in Textiles. “I’m kind of shocked I got a D in photography, I’m really proud of that,” he said.
He hasn’t settled on a career yet but knows it will be in the art world. “I enjoyed textiles the most, I got really into that and I was just in the art department all the time and really liked it.
“My teachers were good and the amount of creative support around really helped me.”
Executive Principal Andy Grant paid tribute to the students for their effort. “I want to congratulate all of the students who have seen their hard work pay off,” he said. “The reason we are here is to prepare them for their next step and I wish them well with their careers, whether it be in employment, higher apprenticeships or university.”
He said the college is on hand to help any student who didn’t get the grades they were expecting. “We are very keen to support any student needing help with the University Clearing process and they must not hesitate to get in touch with us over the coming days and weeks if they need to,” he said.
The college is still accepting applications for the new academic year. Find out more about the college’s courses now on the A to Z course list.