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'Boffin' gets seven As at A-level
A self-confessed "boffin" who got seven As in his A-levels has said he was
expecting it.
Eighteen-year-old Alfred Artley from north Oxford got the top grade in Latin,
Greek, maths, further maths, history, French and general studies.
At Alfred's school, Magdalen College School in Oxford, nine other pupils
achieved five A grades.
The headmaster, Andrew Halls, said the top candidates had to take extra
advanced papers to create more challenges for themselves.
Changes next year
Asked if he thought today's A-levels were getting easier, Alfred said: "I
suspect so. I've looked at past papers and they are harder.
He added: "I admit to being a boffin - I guess I have to. I spent more time
working and less time getting wasted than the rest."
Twin sisters Tania and Mahua Bhaduri from West Malling, Kent, both got five
grade As. But unlike her sister, Tania has not got a university place.
Their father, Dr Bim Bhaduri, said his daughter Tania - who got the As in
biology, chemistry, French, maths and psychology - had been rejected from
universities including Oxford, Bristol and Sheffield.
But Mahua, who studied almost the same A-levels as her sister at state
foundation school Tonbridge Grammar for Girls - but took geography instead of
psychology, has earned a place at Imperial College, London.
Dr Bhaduri added: "The system really is a lottery, they can't differentiate
between bright and brighter and this is a problem.
"The two girls both did very well but only one of them got a place to go to
university."
Triplets Antonia, Felicity and Heather Wimbush of Wakefield each got three
As.
The trio, who share a room at home, said "healthy competition" helped them to
achieve their success.
They will now be separating for the first time as they head off from
independent Wakefield Girls High School to different universities.
At independent Abingdon School, Anthony Chan, 18, was also celebrating seven
As.
He got his in physics, chemistry, economics, maths, further maths, Chinese
and accounting.
Anthony, originally from Hong Kong and now living in Abingdon, added: "My
biggest worry was probably Chinese because I have been here five years now and I
have forgotten how to write some of the characters."
He is due to go to Cambridge to study economics.
From next year revised A-levels will see an A* grade awarded to pupils
achieving 90% and above in the exams.
There will be more open-ended essay questions as well as an extended project
to stretch brighter pupils further.
Princess Beatrice achieved an A and two Bs in her A-levels. The oldest
daughter of the Duke of York and his former wife Sarah, Duchess of York, was
said to be delighted with her grades.
The princess, who has dyslexia, scored an A in drama and Bs in history and
film studies.
She attended St George's School in Ascot, Berkshire, where she was head girl.
BBC News
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