Mohamed Saeed, 19, and his brother Yusuf, 18, both achieved top marks in Physics, Chemistry and Maths. Yusuf transferred a year ago from another college where he had already obtained an A in Biology – so he now has four A grades.
Both would like to study dentistry, but they made the decision late, so both are taking a gap year first. In November, after medical work experience, they plan to visit Indonesia - the homeland of their mother – and then return to the UK to do paid and voluntary work.
Other triple A students at ICAS include Mohamed Jamalan, Ahmed Shafi, Najmeh Kamali, and Seyed Mirtaleb. At AS level, Israa Abidali, 18, scored three As in Maths, Chemistry and Human Biology – she hopes to do equally well next year and is considering a medical career.
The overall pass rate this year is 95 per cent. Sixth form teachers at ICAS in Willesden High Road are employed by the nearby College of North West London in Dudden Hill Lane, where many adult Muslim students are enrolled on mainstream courses.
Although both are Londoners who grew up in Kingsbury and Cricklewood, the Saeed brothers once spent two years in Indonesia after their Iraqi-born father died suddenly when they were young.
After struggling to bring up two sons and two daughters, their mother had the satisfaction of seeing her elder daughter, now 23, become a doctor like her father.
Both boys did well in their GCSEs and in the first year of A-Levels, but Mohamed lost motivation in the upper sixth, partly due to family illness, which is why he had to take the exams again a year later and found himself in the same class as his brother.
“We weren’t in competition – if one of us had done badly, the other wouldn’t have liked it,” said Mohamed, who attended Kingsbury High School like his younger sister.
“But being together really made a difference because it kept us focussed. We could share notes and ideas when revising and we helped each other.
“We were very happy with the results. We realised we were going to do well because there is a student forum on the internet where you can compare answers if you can remember what you wrote.”
ICAS Head of Sixth Zuher Hassan said both A2 and AS exams showed a hugely improved success rate compared with the past few years. Some A-Level subjects had achieved a 100 per cent pass rate, including Human Biology, Maths, Chemistry, Sociology, Arabic and Religious Studies.
The families of ICAS students come from a range of different countries, including Iraq, Iran and Somalia.
Added Mr Hassan: “We are ecstatic over the results. Initial assessment to make sure a student is on the right course and good learning support are key elements in our sixth form studies. It can really make a difference.”
PICTURE SHOWS:
Yusuf (left) and Mohamed Saeed in happy mood
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