Best Schools - Cheltenham College students sign with Gloucester Rugby

Two Cheltenham College students, Charles Tchen and Jack Clement, have been offered professional contracts with Gloucester Rugby, only a few years after joining the academy system.

Clement, who has been offered a long-term contract, initially joined the school as a cricketer, before discovering a passion for rugby during 4th form. He played an integral part in the Cheltenham College XV team that went unbeaten in 2018 and captained the side this year. With some outstanding performances for school and club, he represented England at U18 and U19 level.

Tchen, who also played for Cheltenham College XV in 2018, has been in formidable form this season on the wing for the school and his great potential, particularly highlighted in the sevens arena, has seen him rewarded with a short-term deal.

Supported by the team at Cheltenham College, the pair’s rate of development has been so spectacular that they will now be locking horns with the likes of Danny Cipriani and Billy Twelvetrees in pre-season.

Boys will beat girls in achieving the top grades at A-level when the exam results are published next week, according to a report from one of the UK’s leading education experts

The analysis, by Alan Smithers, of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at Buckingham University, also predicts that the overall number of top grades will go up this year, although this is the first year in England when all A-levels are the new tougher exams.

If his forecasts are correct — and they have been for more than a decade — it will be the third consecutive year that boys have gained more A* and A grades than girls.

Smithers predicts that more than 26% of boys will attain A* and A grades, moving even further ahead of girls. Before 2017, the year tougher A-levels were introduced, girls outstripped boys in achieving the highest two grades for more than a decade.

Overall, however, girls, will still be well ahead in terms of A* to C grades but with boys closing the gap this year.

The report also reveals:

The number of pupils taking maths A-level has slumped, possibly because the new tough GCSE in maths has put off weaker candidates
Girls are opting for social sciences such as psychology and sociology
The number of French A-level entries has plummeted and Spanish has risen.