SEVEN students from the Richard Huish sixth form college, in Taunton, have secured places at the elite Universities of Oxford and Cambridge on the back of this year’s A Level results.

They include musician James Morrell, 18, from Wiveliscombe, who moves on to Oxford, and Grace Howard, aged 18, a former Uffculme Community School student, who will go to Cambridge.

James. who previously studied at Wellington School, celebrated triple A* grades in music, English literature, and sociology.

He was heavily involved with EnRICH activities at the college and performed in choir, orchestra, string group, jazz ensemble, and big band, and won the college’s creative writing competition the Ross Paterson Award.

Grace was a student governor at Huish and achieved A* grades in mathematics, further maths, biology, and chemistry.

She is joining Pembroke College to read natural Sciences.

Another class of 2022 student, Andrew Bellfield, aged 18, gained a place to study medicine at the University of Birmingham.

Andrew, who lives in Wellington and previously attended Court Fields School, achieved an A* and two A grades in biology, chemistry, and mathematics.

The state-funded college, which Ofsted graded ‘outstanding’ earlier this year, aims to support all students to achieve beyond what is expected, by providing a wide and broad-ranging curriculum.

Huish progression and learning centre manager Richard Jones said: “Navigating an Oxbridge application in a pandemic was certainly an added challenge for this group of students. They have also faced even more competition for places as many students have deferred their places from previous years making the achievements of this group particularly impressive.”