STAFF at Isleworth & Syon School were particularly proud of their Year 13 students as they achieved hoped-for results following two years of COVID disruption.

Ben Rawsthorne and Akeel Shah each earned two A*s and one A. Ben has landed him a place at the University of Sheffield and is well-equipped for a history and politics degree, having led the Student Council for a year as head student.

Akeel will continue his studies at the University of Warwick. His art, maths and physics A-levels have prepared him for a future career in engineering.

In fact, engineering is a popular career path for this year’s cohort. Three maths graduates, Tinashe Chituku, Shafayat Mustafa and Jason Zingapan, earned identical grades, one A* and two As, and are off to study at Southampton.

This year has seen more students than ever mixing their pathways, combining A-level courses with vocational qualifications.

One example was Daniel Luwawa, who joined the sixth-form with dreams of breaking into the music industry as a producer or music engineer.

Isleworth & Syon offered him the RSL qualification for Music Practitioners, which focused more on industry and practical skills. The Distinction* he earned in this course – along with his A* and A in A-level courses - set him up for a music technology degree at Kingston University.

Maisie Edwin joined him with a Distinction*, combined with an A* in A level in film and a B in history. She is planning a gap year before resuming her musical studies in 2023.

Headteacher Euan Ferguson, who is retiring, said: “Our young people have coped admirably over the past two years and demonstrated remarkable resilience and a great work ethic.”