School’s praise for 100 students heading to next stage
Eighty students from Cramlington Learning Village are heading off to their first choice university after a strong set of results.
A further 20 have been successful in securing degree apprenticeships with high profile employers, including the supermarket giant Lidl, the construction and development company Bowmer + Kirkland, Sellafield Power Station and Northumbria Police.
Head of Sixth Form Ken Brechin said: “This success is the result of a shared effort between students, staff, and families. We wish all of our leavers the very best as they move on to the next stage of their education or careers.”
The students’ choice of work experience has also helped them decide which careers to pursue and support their university and job applications.
Iona Roberts, who received three A* grades and an A, is going to study Medicine at Liverpool University to achieve her ambition of becoming a doctor.
From the age of 16 Iona has been on work experience in various departments of Cramlington Hospital, including A&E and the Cardiology Unit, as well as a GP surgery.
“Since I’ve come to this school, I’ve wanted to be a doctor,” said the 18-year-old. “I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.” Iona is also a volunteer for both the Toby Henderson Trust – supporting children with autism – and Rainbows, the Girlguide group for four to seven-year-olds.
Lily Woodman considered a number of careers before going back to her Primary School for work experience and that convinced her to become a teacher.
“I originally applied to do physio and then I withdrew my application because I didn’t like it anymore. I also considered doing dietetics. At one point I wanted to be a dentist. I know I’ve been through a lot of different things but I’m happy with my final choice,” said Lily, who achieved an A* in Biology and Physics and Distinction* in Sport.
Ollie Smith has worked part-time for Greggs and next month starts his Degree Apprenticeship with Lidl. “It’s a secure job, lots of opportunities to progress, an excellent salary and no student debt,” he said. 
Erik Pettersson is taking a more traditional route, studying Chemical Engineering at the University of Edinburgh after his four A* in Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Physics.
“I’ve had the best teachers I could probably have,” he said. “They’ve been so helpful and spent so much time with me outside of lessons. I couldn’t have asked for a better school.”
His mum Nicola added: “He deserves to get the grades he got because he’s really gone above and beyond.”
She said it was always apparent that Erik was clever, but he has come into his own over the last two years: “I think the A Levels have definitely been the point he realised what he is capable of.”
Co-Headteachers of Cramlington Learning Village (CLV) Jon Bird and Kim Irving said: “We are so proud of our students for their achievements and for the determination and character they have shown over the past two years. These results are the product of their hard work and the support of our dedicated staff.”