AN A-GRADE student is spending a year as a chorister before taking up a place at the Royal Northern College of Music.

Queens Park High School pupil Cally Youdell applied herself diligently to her studies achieving top grades in drama, English literature, textiles and music.

She has gained a place at the prestigious Royal Northern College of Music for autumn 2009, meanwhile she is spending a year as a chorister at Dublin Cathedral.

Cally was also one of the top five scoring students in the country in textiles earning her personal congratulations from the director general of the exam board, Michael Williams, who said: “Congratulations to Cally and the staff on such an outstanding achievement”.

Headteacher Andrew Firman said: “Cally is an outstanding singer and has performed in all our musicals over the years. I wish her every success in the future.”

In an outstanding set of results, three other students also scored one of the top five marks nationally, again earning themselves recognition from the exams boards.

These students were Kathleen Jackson in art and design and Lucy Jones in both photography and textiles.

April Owens was a top five scoring pupil in photography, who also scored A grades in art and design and textiles. She is planning on taking a gap year in which to work and travel before continuing her studies.

Last year’s A-level results made Queen’s Park High the top performing Chester school in terms of the Government’s “value-added” measures. And the class of 2008 even out performed last year’s students by gaining a higher average points score.

Exceptional results were achieved by a number of students including Michael Randles who gained four A grades in maths, biology, chemistry and physics. Michael has secured a place to read biochemistry at Bristol University.

Robert Williams also gained four A grades in chemistry, physics, maths and further maths as well as grades A in biology and general studies at AS level. Robert is now going to study physics at Oxford University.

Rosie Hawkins also performed exceptionally well gaining three grade As in art, drama and English literature as well as a grade B in history. Rosie will read law at Leeds University.

Results at Queen’s Park High this year continue the school’s record of strong achievement at A Level. Almost half of all grades achieved were at A and B level, with more than a third of all students achieving at least one A grade among their results.

Head of sixth form Andrew Lacey offered his personal congratulations to all students, commenting: “These results are a reflection of the commitment and hard work of the students and their teachers over the last two years.

“We are understandably proud of the high grades that so many students have achieved. We are also just as proud of the wider range of grades both at A2 and AS levels, which show many students are successful in gaining grades above expectations based on their prior attainment.”