Charlotte Newton HIGH-achieving school leavers in Muswell Hill, Hornsey and Crouch End have a glittering array of careers in mind. As hundreds of 18-year-olds opened their A-level results last Thursday, the Broadway learnt just how ambitious young people

Charlotte Newton

HIGH-achieving school leavers in Muswell Hill, Hornsey and Crouch End have a glittering array of careers in mind.

As hundreds of 18-year-olds opened their A-level results last Thursday, the Broadway learnt just how ambitious young people in west Haringey are.

Becoming a film director, doctor, engineer, economist and nurse were just some of the jobs listed by 18-year-olds in their chosen career paths after they picked up a string of A grades.

At Highgate Wood, two students were accepted by Cambridge University. Jacob Roelofs will read medicine at King's College and Mattin Biglari will read history at Selwyn College.

Mr Roelofs, of Elm Grove in Crouch End, achieved five As in history, biology, chemistry, maths and psychology.

He said: "A-levels are very intensive and hard work and anyone who says they are not is wrong. I chose to do medicine because I want to help people and do a job where I can see the results."

Mr Biglari, of Denton Road, Crouch End, said: "My dream is to be a film director.

"I've got nothing but good words to say about the teachers at Highgate Wood. They even paid for me to have a private philosophy teacher for my A2s."

At Fortismere an astonishing 26 students earned three or more As. Blanka Konopka topped the school's table by achieving five As in history, English, economics, maths and Polish. Ms Konopka, of Colney Hatch Lane, is now planning to read economics at Sussex University.

She said: "I was speechless when I opened my results. It was a lot of hard work and took a lot of revising - but I never thought I'd do so well."

Twins Ben and Charles Ransley, 18, of Fortis Green Avenue, racked up six As and one B between them.

Charles achieved three As in English, maths and music. He plans to read music at King's College, London.

Ben achieved three As in photography, maths and Spanish and a B in English. He is hoping to read English at Edinburgh after re-applying in November.

At Alexandra Park School there were smiles all around as sixth-formers picked up their impressive results.

Joel Freeman, 18, of Palace Gates Road, Wood Green, celebrated straight As in English, media and history. He plans to read English and film studies at Sussex University with a view to working in the film industry.

"I'm really relieved and really happy," he said. "It was a lot of hard work and there was a huge amount of pressure.

"I think it's really unfair to say that A-levels are getting easier because all of my friends worked their socks off to get good results."

Tessa Pollak, 18, of Clifton Road, Bounds Green, achieved two As and a B in English, media and history. Ms Pollak has chosen to do nursing at Middlesex University.

"I chose nursing because I wanted to know that I'll have a job at the end of my degree," she said. "I think the recession influenced my decision because I wanted to know that in three years' time there will be a well-paid job for me."

Sam Kelly got an A and two Bs in maths, chemistry and physics. Mr Kelly of Outram Road, Muswell Hill, chose to do engineering for the same reasons.

Jamie Neale, the 19-year-old backpacker who went missing in the Australian Blue Mountains for 12 days, picked up his results from Alexandra Park School. He achieved the grades he needed to read politics at Sheffield University but would not specify what they were.

o For more on this year's A-level results, see pages 24 and 25.

charlotte.newton@hamhigh.co.uk