Baccalaureate winner Grace becomes UK 'A-level student of the year'

ONE of first students to receive the new award for AQA Baccalaureate was today announced as ‘A-Level Student of the Year 2008’.
Grace Chesterton (pictured), of Nether Stowey, who attended Richard Huish College, in Taunton, received the prestigious ‘A-level Student of the Year’ award through the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) at a seminar in London.
She beat more than 310,000 other examination entrants for it.
Grace was also joint-top student in the country for her performance in a brand new award for the AQA Baccalaureate (Bacc) and received a solid silver medal for this.
There were more than 800 entries for the AQA Bacc this summer and Grace was joint top with one other student.
AQA director general Dr Mike Cresswell said: “We are delighted that the Student of the Year is one of the first to win our new award for the AQA Bacc.
“We are very proud of our new Baccalaureate and believe that it greatly enhances young people’s opportunities in further education and employment.”
A total of six medals were awarded today across six groups of subjects.
Grace was chosen from these top student contenders as the ‘A-level Student of the Year’ on the basis of her academic performance in A-levels taken this year. She has four A grade A-levels and one AS at grade A.
She received a trophy, a cheque for £500, and a certificate to mark the occasion.
As a self-confessed life-long enthusiastic reader, Grace is now studying English language and literature at Oxford University.
The awards presentation was held in partnership with five major companies with an interest in education and lifelong learning.
The main speakers at the seminar were the chairman of new regulators Ofqual, Kathleen Tattersall, and Dr Mike Cresswell.

A-level student Grace is one of top six in the country

A NETHER Stowey student is to receive a national award next week from the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) after gaining four A grades at A level as well as one A grade at A/S level.
Grace Elizabeth Chesterton (pictured), of Bishop Road, was aged 18 when she took the examinations in Richard Huish College, Taunton.
She is one of six top-performing students to become AQA award winners, each of whom will receive a solid silver medal and a framed diploma to mark the occasion at a prestigious ceremony in London on Monday.
Grace said: “I have many hobbies and interests which I have been pursuing both in and out of college.
“I love playing the violin, both classical and folk music, and played in my college orchestra.
“Over the past four years I have also loved helping at a local children’s club and in many other community-related events.
“As a life-long enthusiastic reader, I am really pleased to have been offered a place at Oxford University, where I am reading English.”
Grace won her award in a new category introduced this year, the AQA Baccalaureate Syllabus.
AQA director general Dr Mike Cresswell said: “This event recognises outstanding performance in A-level examinations and celebrates the success of our young people.
“Our award winners have achieved outstanding success, and I congratulate them and wish them every success in the future.
“We are delighted to introduce an award for our AQA Baccalaureate (Bacc) qualification this year.
“The AQA Bacc is an inclusive qualification which recognises and celebrates the achievements of well-rounded students with A-levels and more.”
Also at Monday’s ceremony, the A-Level ‘Student of the Year’ will be chosen from among the six award winners, who will additionally receive a trophy and a framed diploma and a cheque for £500.
The awards are co-sponsored by AQA and a number of companies with an interest in the field of education.
The award winners come from 330,000 full A-level examination entries taken with AQA.