Symonds' twins celebrate

2:35pm Thursday 14th August 2008

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NON-identical twins from a Winchester college were toasting identical A-level grades that will see them both go to Oxford University.

Josh and Sam Folkard were among ecstatic students at Peter Symonds College celebrating outstanding A-level results last Thursday. The 18-year-olds, from Morgan Le Fay Drive, Chandler's Ford, both scooped four As.

"I'm very excited, obviously," said Josh, who got A grades in Chemistry, Maths, German and General Studies and will study law at University College, Oxford. "It's a great opportunity and I'm really pleased the hard work has paid off. I'm pleased for my brother too."

Speaking about any sibling rivalry with Sam, - who got As in Chemistry, Maths, German and Biology and will read medicine at Christchurch College, Oxford - he added: "Rather than an all out war we played off each other which definitely helped. We revised together and worked through things together. We're very close."

The sixth-form college, which is celebrating a 99.2 per cent pass rate for A-levels (excluding General Studies), is sending 37 of its students to Oxbridge.

Neil Hopkins, principal of the college, said: "We're delighted with the results again. It's always one of my favourite days of the year because you get to see so many kids who achieve what they want and the emotions are just amazing. Any institution getting that number 37 students going to Oxford and Cambridge is quite remarkable."

Asked whether he thought A-levels were getting easier, he added: "It's interesting how we're getting all these world records broken in the Olympics but no-one's said the swimming pool has got shorter!

"It's because people are training better and getting better at what they're doing and the same applies to the A-level results. The subjects have not got easier - students are just doing better."

Another pupil, Gareth Anderson, of Roman Road, Basingstoke, was among the top 10 best scoring pupils in the country for history. He said: "History was the subject I found extra hardest so I'm very pleased."

Meanwhile Catherine Landen, of Neilson Close, Chandler's Ford, was one of two students from the college to get the best marks in music.

The college, which is thought to be the largest A-level centre in the country, entered around 2,800 students for A2 and AS papers. The pass rate for AS levels (excluding General Studies) was 94.4 per cent and 72.2 per cent achieved A-C grades.

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