Last Thursday, thousands of A-Level students were left dissapointed on results day, after many saw their grades substantially lowered by the government’s controversial new moderation system.
Amidst the disappointment, one sixth-form student at Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (BACA) enjoyed a rather more positive day.
After securing his place at university with distinctions in both BTEC Sport and Sport Science, aspiring cricketer Steve Harman found out that he had been accepted into the prestigious Darren Lehman Cricket Academy in Australia, to take part in a 6-month training programme that will see him tour the country before coming back to start uni.
Many players have passed through the Darren Lehman Academy, based in Adelaide, on their way to playing professional cricket, including current England men’s captain Joe Root.
Steve said that getting a place on the Academy’s high performance programme was made possible thanks to BACA’s commitment to allowing students to develop their cricket skills alongside their studies:
“I have been part of the Aldridge Cricket Academy during my time at BACA College, which has made sixth-form enjoyable. The opportunity to play cricket alongside studying for my exams isn’t something that other colleges offer, and now I have the chance to tour in Australia for 6 months playing cricket, before coming back to the UK to go to university.
“All of the staff at BACA College have really supported me throughout the two years I have been here.”
Offering students access to high-level cricket coaching alongside their studies, BACA’s Aldridge Cricket Academy is attempting to address the dearth of organised cricket in state secondary schools.
Described as “a beacon for cricket in the state sector” by ex-England captain Mike Atherton, the Academy hopes its work will see more state-educated youngsters breaking into the top levels of the game. Since 2011, no English batsman from a state school has managed to hold down a regular spot in the national team.
Steve’s excellent BTEC results came after a challenging few months for students and teachers across the country, as they were forced to quickly adapt to new ways of teaching and learning during lockdown.
Steve was keen to emphasise that he felt very well supported with his studies throughout:
“I was able to stay in constant communication with my teachers throughout lockdown which was a great help,” he said.
Overall, BACA’s BTEC students performed incredibly well, with a 100% pass rate for the sixth year in succession and students achieving an average grade of “Distinction” across all courses.
77% of grades were “Distinction” or higher with over 30% at the top “Distinction*” grade.
BACA Principal Bob Speight said: “I am delighted for all of our students who achieved such great outcomes, and full of admiration for how positively they have all coped with the challenges of the last few months.
“It is sad that this terrific year group missed out on some of the experiences associated with the end of their school career. However, it is fantastic that they have achieved the great results that they all deserve that will allow them to move on to and flourish in the next stage of their education.
“We are conscious that some students locally have been affected by the issues surrounding moderation and regrading. Our sympathy goes out to those youngsters and schools and colleges elsewhere adversely affected by this very challenging situation.”
