There are few days that teenagers dread more than A-level results day, where students learn how the last two years of their lives will shape their futures, communicated through a few letters in an envelope.
The tension of walking into college to learn your fate is enough to keep most people awake the night before. For Hayden Bettson-Day, 18, the best solution was get it over with as early as possible.
âI was refreshing the Ucas page at 8 oâclock in the morning, waiting for it to go on,â Hayden said. âSo, it was a definite bit of tension. My mum kept asking: âWhat is it? What did you get?â
What Hayden got was an A* in maths coupled with two As in chemistry and biology, which is enough to be accepted into Newcastle University to study medicine.
The 18-year-old is one of 450 students at Trinity sixth form academy, located in the townâs centre and part of the Trinity multi-academy trust, which has colleges throughout Yorkshire.
Aidan Chiu and Fran Whitehead, two of Haydenâs classmates, spoke about their own relief at their results, having both received A*s in chemistry.
âMy mumâs on the phone to Bristol University,â said Aidan, who plans to study maths. âI have the grades I need, but sheâs still calling them to make sure I got in. I canât believe it.â
Fran, who will now study geology at the University of Exeter, said that the last two years had been difficult, but praised the college for helping her settle and supporting her as she readjusted to a new environment during such a pivotal time in her life.
âI came to this school knowing nobody, but all the teachers and students were really nice and I found my place,â said Fran. âYouâve got lots of support to achieve your potential.â
Not every student was as optimistic about their results, with some planning to go through clearing or committing themselves to return to sixth form to achieve the grades they desired.
In Natalia Ntabolaâs case, the plan was more straightforward: âIf I didnât get into university, I was just going to move out of the country and live somewhere off the grid, to be honest.â
Luckily for Natalia, she and lifelong best friend Sandra Konarska, both 18, got the grades that the pair needed in order to attend the University of Manchester together.
Sandra, who felt that she âmay not have revised as much as she should haveâ despite being awarded a perfect three A*s, lauded the college for the amount of effort and encouragement that they have given her.
âI think the teachers are very rigorous, thereâs a lot of homework to do, a lot of meetings and talks if itâs not done,â said Sandra. âTheyâre very adamant on it being complete, but it works.â
Michael Fitzsimons, the principal of Trinity sixth form academy, attributes the collegeâs success to the ethics of hard work and commitment, but also stresses the sixth formâs commitment to bringing in students from all backgrounds and abilities.
âWe donât ever want people to feel sorry for our kids,â said Fitzsimons. âWhere we are, there is around double the level of disadvantage to the rest of the country, but that doesnât change the expectations. We still hold them to high expectations, but thatâs delivered with a lot of love.â
To get their students ready for the realities of life beyond Halifax, the college funds a âscholars programmeâ scheme to give high achieving students free access to tutors from some of the countryâs top universities, not to coach them through exams, but to help raise their confidence and interviewing skills, increasing their belief that they will not be out of place around any future peers who may have come from a more affluent background.
The college has also helped subsidise trips abroad, including trips to New York City and Brussels. Joe Kirwan, who went on both trips and achieved three As, plans to attend the University of Nottingham. He says that teachers at the college went above and beyond to help him, even ârecommending podcasts and giving me books, trying to make me believe I can do what they think I can doâ.
Now, with the tension of the morning relieved, the students are celebrating in a variety of ways, ranging from meals with their families, playing board games with their friends and having a nap. The majority, as expected, have set off for the pubs in Halifax town centre, including Hayden.
âIâm going for a few pints now,â he said. âIâm going to Newcastle for the next few years and Iâve heard about the nightlife, so I need to start practising.â
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