International School celebrates outstanding results |16 September 2010

Some of the successful students in the school's electronic library: (Back row from left) Saurabh Vishwakarma, Siddanth Mathur, Sushanth Mathur, Richard Larue, Kimberley Taieb, Genevieve Lloyd; (Seated at front, from l to r): Stephanie Mangroo, Nandita Nair, Sanjna Shah, Senuri De Silva, Amelie Johnston

Twenty-seven students have completed the two-year A-level programme and are now in most cases taking up university places both here in Seychelles and around the world.

Two students achieved the new A* result, awarded for the first time this year at A-level for outstanding achievement.
International School policy determines that most students take four A-levels, but some opt to do more while a few take only three subjects to full A-level. Head of sixth form Nayna Kennedy explained that this gives the school the flexibility to work with each individual student to create a personal education plan, leading to admission to the best possible further education route to their selected career.

“The school commits a great deal of resourcing to ensure that all students are comprehensively advised on career options and are able to use their A-level experience as a springboard for further academic and professional success,” she said. 
Advanced level awards are both grade and points-based. For example, a grade A at full A-level is worth 120 points, a grade B is 100 points, and so on. These points totals are used by UK universities to set admission targets for students. The average points total for completing International School advanced level students is 302, equivalent to three grade Bs at full A-level.

The most outstanding A-level students this year were Kimberley Taieb, Genevieve Lloyd and Shalindra Wijegoonewardene.
 Kimberley achieved one A*, one A and two B grades to add to the two AS grades she achieved last year, making a total of 560 points.

Genevieve  achieved one A* grade, two A grades and one B grade to add to one AS achieved last year, again making a total of five subjects at advanced level and generating a total of 520 points.
 
Shalindra gained two A grades and one B grade at both levels, AS and full A-level; her qualifications are therefore spread across six different subjects and deliver 510 points. Genevieve and Shalindra will be studying abroad and Kimberley will continue her studies at the University of Seychelles.
 
IGCSE results were some of the best recorded at the school. Nandita Nair was the highest performer this year with an amazing 11 A* grades and one grade B, making 12 higher passes in total, a new record for the school and, the school believes, a new national record.

Her success was closely followed by Saurabh Vishwakarma and Stephanie Mangroo, who each achieved 10 A* and one A grade.
They were followed by six students – Sushanth Mathur, Siddanth Mathur, Senuri De Silva, Peiyi Johnston, Amelie Johnson and Sanjna Shah – who each achieved 10 or more A*/A grades.  Many other students achieved A* and A grades within their range of results. In total 42% of all passes were in the range A/A*, which is very favourable compared to the average internationally, which is around 20%.
 
The school attained a 99.5% pass rate with all students achieving a range of IGCSE qualifications; 81% of passes were recorded at grade C and above. This continues the run of excellent results for International School students.

Most Y11 (S5) students at the ISS take between nine and 11 subjects at IGCSE, with a number of subjects taken through the school’s extended day programme, where students can elect to take subjects such as economics and business studies after the end of the school day.

Headteacher Jane Lincoln expressed delight at these results: “These outcomes are an outstanding reflection of the hard work and dedication of our students, our staff and the support of the parents. We are especially pleased because, as a non-selective school, these results are comparable to the performance of students in the top 5% of secondary institutions in England and Wales.”

Most of the IGCSE students will remain at the International School, where they will take advanced level programmes for the next two years.