Success Stories
We are proud of our students and keen to celebrate their achievements. Our students come from a variety of backgrounds and with a variety of needs, so there’s no such thing as a typical èßäAV Birmingham student.  We view our students as individuals with their own unique talents and gifts and do all that we can to provide them with the support to be the best they can. The success stories here provide a brief overview of what èßäAV Birmingham is about and some of the special things our students achieve. These stories show that everyone is unique and that everyone deserves the chance to be successful and make progress in their life.
We always welcome feedback from parents. It is particularly gratifying when parents write to us to express their thanks and congratulate us on what we have achieved in working with their children. Again, we don’t have the opportunity to capture all parents’ comments here but we hope that we can give you an insight into the parental experience of the college
Class of 2024
"My time at èßäAV was filled with constant support and motivation for the task at hand. The Timed Assessments were extremely useful as they helped with spaced repetition of content and my Personal Tutor was very supportive, always helping me see the importance of optimism when it comes to shaping my mindset."
Grades achieved at èßäAV: A*AA Progressed to: University of Debrecen (Hungary) to read Medicine
"With its friendly atmosphere created by the tutors, èßäAV helped me to hone essential skills that can be useful in university and my future career as well. Personally, I found the Timed Assessments really helpful; especially this year as they helped me to prepare for my final exams. Both of my personal tutors this year were always available to help me achieve my academic goals. I believe having a PT can be quite helpful to the students as they can get support and guidance from them."
Grades achieved at èßäAV: A*AA Progressed to: University of the West of England to read Architecture
"My time at èßäAV has been great. The support from teachers is non-stop, the weekly Timed Assessments made sure I was on top of my revision - they helped me see where I needed help in specific topics. Also, the additional workshops were also really useful. I would definitely recommend èßäAV to other students. My short-term ambitions are to get into university. My long-term ambitions are to become a surgeon hopefully one day and help others in need that don’t have access to healthcare and education. I would love to be able to join a healthcare charity."
Grades achieved at èßäAV: A*AA Progressed to: Currently considering the next step on her academic journey
"I wouldn’t have gained these results without èßäAV. The endless support from tutors and teachers really pushed me to the end. The Timed Assignments were absolutely essential as preparation for the exams and learning the content. My Personal Tutor was always at hand for advice and support. I couldn’t have done this without him."
Grades achieved at èßäAV: AAA Progressed to: University of Birmingham to read Policy, Politics and Economics
"As a student in èßäAV, this is certainly a place I feel comfortable in. The small class sizes allow teachers to take care of our individual needs and encourage interactions during lessons; this really helps me with understanding complex content. The diversity at èßäAV also allows me to meet new people from all over the world, gaining new experiences from them and improving my English. The atmosphere here is supportive that gives me a sense of home."
Grades achieved at èßäAV: 9,9,9,9,9,9,8,7,7
Previous years
"I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience at èßäAV through the fun of enrichment (including medical society and playing football), forming amazing new friendships and the constant support from all members of staff. I have truly enjoyed my lessons and the additional revision workshops held by my teachers, the manner and detail in which they taught the course helped me to understand it in a way I couldn’t before. The teachers are so approachable and encouraging, and sincerely wish you perform highly in your exams. The weekly timed assignments allowed me to get used to exam conditions and highlighted which aspects of the specification I struggled with so I could improve upon them. They also enable you to consolidate your notes and practise questions throughout the year."
Grades achieved at èßäAV: A (1-year Chemistry A level resit) Progressed to: University of Leicester to read Medicine
"The weekly Timed Assignment system is a great way to ensure that every topic of my courses were reviewed. I found it a great way to improve my knowledge and highlight areas of weakness which I could address with my subject tutor. èßäAV provided me with a UCAT/BMAT seminar that helped me understand what to do in order to do well in these admissions tests. They also provided me with a mock MMI to practice my interview skills which I further developed with my Personal Tutor."
Grades achieved at èßäAV: AAA Progressed to: Queen Mary University of London to read Medicine
"The teachers were always available when I wanted extra help and needed to ask questions. The extra workshops also enabled me to solidify my knowledge. My personal tutor helped me immensely with my application to university and made sure my time èßäAV ran as smoothly as possible. The weekly Timed Assignments were extremely useful as they enabled me to highlight where my weaknesses in my subjects were. I was then able to go home and turn these weaknesses into strengths and excel as much as possible."
Grades achieved at èßäAV: AAA Progressed to: University of Sheffield to read Dentistry
"The teachers at èßäAV were not only highly experienced, but also provided me with support in overcoming the difficulties I faced while learning. Additionally, the small class size made me more comfortable asking questions and engaging in class. The Timed Assignments were very helpful as they allowed me to identify areas where I need improvement. Additionally, the assignments forced me to revise more frequently, which helped me to understand the concepts faster."
Grades achieved at èßäAV: 9,9,9,9,9,8,8
"I felt great about my results. It shows the hard work I have put in throughout the two years of my A level education. Everyone at the college, including the Principal, tutors, personal tutors, and the librarian create a comfortable environment for students to study. The tutors are always forthcoming with advice, highlighting specific areas I should approach carefully in my weekly Timed Assignments and final examinations. The Timed Assignments allowed me to review my revision progress on a weekly basis which also helped me build create and refine my revision plan. My Personal Tutor was really helpful in ensuring I stayed on track with my studies, meeting regularly to discuss my progress and the challenges I faced in my time at the college."
Grades achieved at èßäAV: A*A*AA Progressed to: University of Warwick to read Economics
"I’m really pleased with my result. èßäAV provided me with endless amounts of support both inside and outside the classroom. I found the Timed Assignments especially useful as they frequently enabled me to practice my exam technique. The regular tests create good habits like ongoing revision which helped me achieve my goals. My Personal Tutor was great and was always available for me to speak openly about worries and concerns."
Grades achieved at èßäAV: A* Progressed to: University of Leeds to read Geography
"My time at èßäAV (having started 4 years ago) was incredible, really transforming not only my grades but my personality from being someone with no motivation and drive to being focused and ambitious and really helping me achieve the goals that I wanted. The Timed Assignments were very useful due to their frequent nature which meant that I was revising weekly, so when it came to exams the bulk of my revision was already done and did not pile up. They also allowed me to identify where I had gone wrong and which topics to focus and improve on. The support I received from my Personal Tutor was great. My Personal Tutor helped me with my Personal Statement, UCAT preparation and mock interviews. Support was also available when choosing my university and course."
Grades achieved at èßäAV: A*A*A Progressed to: King's College London to study Dentistry
"èßäAV provided me with more than just a traditional academic education. It is a place where you can learn from those around you and grow as an individual by pursuing your interests. The college helped me a lot during the university application process supporting me with my Personal Statement and holding mock interviews. The weekly Timed Assignments were extremely useful throughout my time at èßäAV because it gave me an efficient way of understanding my weaknesses, allowing me to focus on them. My personal tutor not only kept track of my academic progress, but he was also concerned with my pastoral needs."
Grades achieved at èßäAV: A*A*A* Progressed to: Imperial College, London to read Chemical Engineering
"The small class sizes helped so much as it meant I could focus more in lessons, allowing for more in-depth conversations and exploration of the topics we studied in class. They allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of everything I was studying and thus gave me more confidence in my studies as a result. Being a student at èßäAV has overall been great for me! I've gained so much confidence and had so many amazing educational experiences whilst I've been here. It's been a fantastic two years and even throughout the difficulties of the pandemic and lockdown the school has been a great support! I've had a wonderful time as a student here."
Grades achieved at èßäAV: A*A*A* Progressed to: University of Birmingham to read International Relations with Spanish
"I received great support from my tutors at èßäAV. The weekly Timed Assignments were excellent in helping me track my progress and ensuring that I consistently pushed myself to get the grades I needed. My Personal Tutor supported me throughout my application to study Medicine, helping me draft my personal statement multiple times and guiding me through mock interview and MMI scenarios."
Grades achieved at èßäAV: A*AA Progressed to: study Medicine at the University of Nottingham.
" The focus and drive of the college was inspiring and self-motivation was heavily encouraged. èßäAV was far more of a steppingstone to university than my previous school. The weekly Timed Assignments were the most valuable part of my study at èßäAV. It kept my pace and motivation high throughout the year and, as my tutors encouraged me to revise every topic for each weekly TA, effectively acted as final exam preparation from the beginning of the year. I could track my progress and immediately adjust my exam technique week by week. "
Grades achieved at èßäAV: A*A*A Progressed to: study History and International Relations at King's College, London.
“Getting into…’ University Guides
Getting into higher education may be the toughest challenge you’ve faced yet. èßäAV’s careers guidance and university entrance guides can help you pick the right course and the right university, and give you valuable UCAS form help. Written by experts with a wealth of knowledge, èßäAV Guides are set out in straightforward language. They give clear, practical advice to help you win a place on the course of your choice.