At an awards ceremony held at the House of Lords on 5 April, Alistair Lexden presented awards for academic excellence to 38 students who achieved remarkable A-level and GCSE results last summerwith some of the highest marks in the country. The recipients - some British, some from overseas - were warmly applauded at the presentation, all having studied at sixth-form colleges belonging to the Council for Independent Education (CIFE), of which Alistair Lexden is President.
He said: “This event recognises and celebrates tremendous academic achievement in our national exams by students from all over the world. It is an important acknowledgement of the success not only of the pupils themselves, but also of their teachers, and of their families who entrust their children to our independent sixth-form colleges.
"At a time of worrying uncertainty about Britain’s future created by Brexit, CIFE and its 20 member colleges will continue to spread the message at home and especially abroad that they intend to play a full part in maintaining our world-class reputation for scholarship and in welcoming international students to the UK, as they have always done."