Ex-Spalding Grammar School student wins national exam award for 'exceptional performance'
An ex-Spalding Grammar School is in line for a surprise bonus two months after leaving to study in the USA.
Edward Tranter (18), now at Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania, where he is studying Philosophy, is to recognised for achieving the highest score nationally in one of his subjects.
Cambridge Assessment International Education, which sets the post-16 Cambridge Pre-U exams to help students gain the skills and knowledge they will need for university, is to award Edward with a certificate for his Global Perspectives and Research course.
Edward said: "I was over the moon to receive the award as I was so energetic about doing the Cambridge Pre-University course during my A-Level studies at Spalding Grammar School.
"Cambridge Pre-U was the only one of my courses that allowed for true creativity and that's why I think I was able to achieve such a high mark.
"I would like to thank Mrs Hedges and Mrs Lee hugely for all of their help over the two years as my essay would have been a mess without them."
Edward's achievement comes after finding out that he was one of just 150 British students, including 72 from state schools, to be accepted for the US study programme run by exchange organisations the Fulbright Commission and the Suttons Trust.
"The aim of it is to encourage academically talented British students from low and moderate income homes to consider studying at American universities.
"My road has not been easy, however, as getting into any university is no cakewalk.
"But by performing research, you fall in love with the idea of studying at a particular institution, even before you set foot on its campus.
"The sheer glee of an acceptance into your dream university, a place where you know that you will thrive and be supported, makes the work involved in getting there more than worth it."
Steven Wilkinson, headmaster of Spalding Grammar School, said: "I was delighted to receive the letter regarding Edward’s success and I emailed him immediately at Swarthmore College to pass on my congratulations.
"This particular qualification is very demanding and requires the student to develop global perspectives and reasoning skills before writing a mini-dissertation as an end result.
"It is a qualification that is highly regarded and which a growing number of our students opt to take.
"That Edward was able to secure the highest mark of all candidates internationally is testament to his ferocious intelligence and to the quality of student that Spalding Grammar School is able to produce."
Michael O’Sullivan, chief executive of Cambridge Assessment, said: "I would like to congratulate Edward who has worked so hard to achieve his success.
"This award recognises Edward’s exceptional performance and skills development in a qualification which requires critical thinking and independent research, skills that will be hugely valuable as he continues his studies at university.
"On behalf of Cambridge International, I offer my sincere congratulations to Edward for this outstanding achievement."
Speaking about his studies in the USA, Edward said: "I'm having an absolute blast at Swarthmore College and, for the first time in my life, I've had total control over my learning.
"I've never been so academically challenged but I love it and I'd truly encourage other Spalding Grammar School students to apply to study here."
