Newport Gwent Dragons’ star Hallam Amos heads roll of honour for A-level students

It was a jolly training session at Rodney Parade for the 18-year-old, who chose to study in Cardiff so he could carry on playing for the Dragons.

He will now follow in the footsteps of Wales’ Jamie Roberts by studying medicine in the capital.

The rugby players exchanged Twitter messages yesterday after Amos learned of his tremendous success .

Dr Roberts, who graduated in July after eight years of studying, congratulated the teenager, adding: “If you need anything re. Medicine, remember to shout fella... Best of luck with it!”

Mr Amos’ three A*s in maths, chemistry and biology and an A in further maths showed his talents off the pitch as well as on it.

Across Gwent, thousands of other youngsters were nervously opening envelopes yesterday.

In Newport, 24.7 per cent of students achieved A* and A grades, while the proportion of students achieving a pass grade was equal to the UK average at 98.1 per cent and remained above the Welsh average of 97.6 per cent. Passes at A* - C were at 78 per cent in Newport, an increase from 77.9 per cent last year.

Staff at Newport High praised the “outstanding” achievements of students; 90 per cent of Year 13 students who entered for an A level or Level 3 course achieved a qualification with 19 per cent of grades A*/A or distinction*/distinction level.

Llanwern High School achieved a 94 per cent pass rate, with ten per cent of students achieving A* - A grades or equivalent.

Four Year 13 boys will be going further afield than student digs around the UK, taking up football scholarships at American universities after training at the school’s football academy.

Pupils at independent Rougemont School in Newport increased their percentage of A*- A grades to 42 per cent.

Outstanding performers included James Hale, from Abergavenny, who took his A Levels a year early, scooping four A*s.

At St Joseph’s RC High School, 80 percent of students achieved A* to C grades and 47 per cent achieved A*to B grades.

Head girl Georgia Price, 18, of Newport, will study combined English at Bristol University this September after achieving A*A*A. Her friend, Hannah Griffiths, 18, will study geography at Bristol after achieving an A* and three As. In Torfaen, 98.3 per cent of pupils gained A*-E A level grades, up from 97.9 per cent last year. The percentage of pupils gaining A*/A grades dipped slightly, but was still above the Welsh figure of 22.9 per cent.

Blaenau Gwent council congratulated their youngsters after 97.9 per cent of students achieved at least one grade A* -E pass, with 72.5 per cent of the total A-Level entries at grade C or above, an increase of nine per cent from last year; 28.6 per cent of students achieved an A* or A grade, a jump from 18.4 per cent the previous year. 82.9 per cent of students achieved at least one A* - C grade A Level.

The county’s education department had been put in special measures, along with Monmouthshire and Torfaen, indicating immediate improvement was needed to education provision.

Coleg Gwent’s pass rate reached 97.5 per cent with the number of students achieving A* and A grades standing at 17.8 per cent. The overall pass rate was down from 97.9 in 2012, although the pass rate for part time learners increased by one per cent to 97.1 per cent.

Students at Crosskeys Campus achieved a pass rate of 98.5 per cent.

A Level pass rates for Caerphilly county borough schools was 97.21 per cent, slightly down on the Welsh average of 97.6 per cent.

The number of A Level grades at A*/A was 14.76 per cent and 66.67 per cent of A Level grades were at C or above.

At Lewis Girls’ School, the percentage of A*- C grades was 75.4 per cent while the overall pass rate was 97.6 per cent. More than 50 per cent of students scored all A* -B. In Monmouthshire, 96.75 per cent of all students passed with grades A*-E while 24.5 per cent of students achieved the top grades of A* and A and 76 per cent achieved A* - C.

At Chepstow School, 35 per cent achieved the top grades of A* or A, with 97 per cent achieving A*-E. Twins Dean and Ben Corbett, both achieved two A* and a C.

There were also smiles of success at Monmouth Comprehensive School where 22 students took the new Welsh Baccalaureate qualification at advanced level with all achieving the award at grade A. The pass rate for A Level and BTEC examinations was 99 per cent.

In Pontypool, Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllw achieved a 6.3 per cent increased in the A*-C pass rate.At King Henry VIII School in Abergavenny, 78 per cent of pupils got A* - C with 26 per cent of all student entries at grades A*/A.

The percentage of student entries achieving grades A* - E was 99 per cent.

Llantarnam School’s A*- C pass rate was 88 per cent, a two per cent increase from last year. At Caldicot School, deputy head Gareth Whitcombe welcomed the results, which include 33 per cent scoring between A* and B and 71 per cent getting A* to C.

At Haberdashers’ Monmouth School for Girls, pupils and teachers celebrated 52.4 per cent A*-A grades. The equivalent figure at Monmouth School was 39.1 per cent.