STUDENTS at a Welsh medium school in Torfaen have been successful in securing places at their preferred universities after A-level results were published.

Ysgol Gymraeg Gwynllyw, in Pontypool, said all of its students had gained their first choice university places.

Among those celebrating were Mali Wood who gained four A* grades and will now head to Oxford to study music. She said: “I really want to follow my passion for music and become a musician.”

Classmate Callum Negrotti, who got A* to C grades, will study astrophysics and cosmology at King’s College, London and is aiming for the stars. He said: “I’m delighted I got into King’s – I want to become an astrophysicist and hopefully work for NASA one day.”

Headteacher Mark Jones praised the efforts of students who were facing their first external examinations, due to Covid having disrupted education since 2020.

He said: “It’s a pleasure to see all our Year 13 learners have managed to gain their first-choice places at university. Considering this is the first year that students have sat external examinations due to Covid, it’s pleasing to note that the impact on their results has been minimal. I wish them all the best in their future endeavours.”

Councillor Richard Clark, Executive Member for Children, Families and Education, said: “Congratulations to all the students and their families and I wish they every luck for their exciting futures.”

At Coleg Gwent, which includes the Torfaen Learning Zone in Cwmbran, 97 per cent of A-Level students achieved between A* and E grades, while 88 per cent of BTEC students achieved a pass grade or higher across 48 different vocational subjects.