SIXTH form students have said they "would have preferred" to have been able to collect their A level grades in person, after a college remained closed on results day.

Colchester Sixth Form, in North Hill, did not open its door to A level students on Thursday, instead choosing to send out results remotely.

The sixth formers received their grades via the college website's platform of Moodle, missing out on the chance to handle a physical copy.

According to Adrian Frost, assistant principal at the college, keeping the site closed on results day is not a new approach. 

Rennovation works currently being carried out at the facility may also have made it slightly more difficult to accomodate students, the college believes.

Gazette: Education - Colchester Sixth Form, in North HillEducation - Colchester Sixth Form, in North Hill (Image: Newsquest)

Despite this, the decision to now allow pupils to collect their results in person and with their friends and teachers, left some feeling disappointed.

Joesph Partridge, who secured three A*'s, said: "I think that I would've enjoyed going to collect them in person, however, I didn't mind not having to get up early in morning." 

Martha Cole, who also landed three A*'s, would have liked to have enjoyed the milestone moment with her friends.

She said: "I probably would’ve preferred to go in and see my friends and experience opening my results with them, but it was fine viewing my results at home."

The trend of opening the results online started in 2018, when students were given the option to either head into the site and get their results physically or view them online.

Gazette: Superstars - Twins Joseph and Thomas Partridge, standing proudly with their resultsSuperstars - Twins Joseph and Thomas Partridge, standing proudly with their results (Image: (Image: Joseph Partridge))

Adrian Frost, assistant principal, said: "We’re a big college and a number of our students live some distance from us.

"A significant number of them are, of course, in employment or away on holiday at the moment - hence the online issue of results, details of which were issued to all students last term and followed up within the last day or two with a reminder.

"We certainly feel it is more comfortable and convenient for students to receive their results at home, amongst family and friends, though we have, of course, made more flexible arrangements where we needed to.

"For example, this morning I met with a student who was unable to access his results online and we looked at them together."