A-level results day – south Warwickshire students celebrate success
STUDENTS across the country will be collecting results for their A-levels and BTECs today (Thursday) following a return to pre-Covid grading.
Results from schools in south Warwickshire and the north Cotswolds will be added to this page as they come in.
The results so far:
King Edward VI School students enjoyed another record-breaking for A-level results with 90 per cent of papers graded A*/B.
The Stratford school said 96 students obtained three A grades or better, including 21 who obtained the grades needed to secure places at Oxbridge colleges.
The school’s stand-out performances were achieved by nine students who obtained four A* grades: Mohsin Ahmed, Rory Armstrong-Ortiz, Matthew Campbell, Daisy Hague, George Halstead, Lucas Kirk, Teertha Nitin, Daniel Reynolds and Jenny Tian.
Headmaster Bennet Carr said: “I am delighted that our students were able to rise to this year’s unique challenges so magnificently.
“These were the first A-level examinations with normal grading since the pandemic and also the first public examinations this cohort have taken due to the cancellation of GCSEs in 2021.
“Indeed, the Secretary of State for Education had warned that those receiving their A-level results should brace themselves for lower grades than last year. For our students to achieve record results in these circumstances is therefore quite remarkable.
“It is not only tribute to their hard work and dedication, but also to that of their teachers who have prepared and taught them so effectively over the last two years.”
Stratford Girls’ Grammar School - 50% A* grades, 80% A*/B grades.
The school said it was especially proud to be celebrating an excellent set of A-level results bearing in mind the uniquely challenging circumstances A-level students faced due to the pandemic. We share our warmest congratulations to all of our students. Our outstanding results reflect not only the willingness of our student to step up to a challenge, but their resilience and determination. This further set of excellent results again act as testament to a thoroughly dedicated teaching staff and their commitment to helping our students secure their brightest future.
Headteacher Jacqui Cornell said: “We are delighted for SGGS students, as they receive their outstanding results, which allow them to move onto their chosen destinations. They are to be commended and congratulated for what they have achieved. Knowing how to manage the exam process can be as important as knowing what to write. This means that not taking the GCSE exams in summer 2021 made studying for and taking A-levels this summer a uniquely challenging experience for all students across the county. We are proud of them all and pleased that they can finally leave the disruption caused by COVID behind.
We further congratulate all those who obtained their place on a competitive course across all universities and apprenticeships, including those who obtained their Oxbridge place, as well as those who secured A*s and/or As across all of their A-levels.
Knowing the circumstances faced by each student prior to this summer's exam, all the staff here are immensely proud of what has been achieved academically, but also the way in which our A-level students have embraced the leadership and enrichment experiences here at SGGS, which shape their futures and personal development. Whatever pathway each individual will be taking, we are confident that each student will be well equipped for the next exciting phase in their life and we wish all of them the very best of luck.”
Alcester Grammar School students also achieved the highest grades in the school’s history in a ‘normal exam year’.
The school revealed:
- 40 per cent of A-level and Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) entries were graded A* or A, while 72 per cent of entries were graded A*- B.
- 91 per cent were graded A*-C.
- 46 per cent of the students achieved grades of at least ABB
- 54 students achieved at least three A grades (up from 26 students in 2019)
AGS headteacher Rachel Thorpe said: “Alcester Grammar School would like to congratulate the 291 students in the Year 13 class of 2023 on their many achievements over their time with us, including A-level results that are the highest achieved by the school in recent history in a ‘normal exam year’.
“It has been well publicised that this year nationally, grades have fallen after adjustments in recent years. However, despite this, AGS students have achieved exceptionally well – recording arguably the second-best results in the school’s history by many measures.
“We wish them all the very best as they head on to whatever they do next, whether it is university, a higher-level apprenticeship, employment, or a gap year. Not only have they achieved superb results academically, but as a group they have shown tenacity, character, resilience and kindness throughout their time with us.”
She added: “My personal thanks go to the staff and parents of the year group, for all their hard work and support of the students.”
At Stratford-upon-Avon School there was delight with this year’s results.
The school said the overwhelming majority of students got the grades they needed to progress to a range of exciting destinations.
Some of the highest achieving students included:
Adam Fulleylove A*,A*,A,A
Oli Golding: A*,A,A,A + A in AS
Mia Ellis-Brook: A*,A,A
Lauren Hartnett: A,A,A,B
Alessia Lanzafarme: A,A,A
Luke Brennan: A,A,B + A in AS
Archie Flynn: A,A,C,A*
Evie West A*,B,B
The following students also were recognised for getting grades which showed they made the most progress from GCSE:
Mia Carless A*,B,B
Oscar Albanese A, A,B
Edan Flanagan B,B,C
Amalia Popescu A,B,C
Headteacher Neil Wallace said: “We are immensely proud of all the work and achievements of our students and wish them all the very best going forwards. Our staff have worked tirelessly to ensure so many of our students are able to progress onto further education and study.”
Mr Wallace also warned about the negative impact on young people of highlighting differences in this year’s results to previous years. He said given that this year’s approach to assessment is different from that of the last three years, performance comparisons would be unfair.
“This year’s cohort were awarded Teacher Assessed Grades at GCSE so this is their first real experience of external examinations,” he said. “As has been widely publicised, this is the first year that grade boundaries have been brought back in line with pre-pandemic thresholds, meaning a reduction in the number of high grades issued by exam boards.
“I suspect that the media, awarding bodies and government are oblivious to the impact this decision, and the sensationalised reporting of it, has on young people and their families.
“The relative reduction in the top A-level grades is not as a result of under performance, but because the grading system has been adjusted in the wake of the pandemic so that the distribution of grades in England is similar to 2019.
“This is scant consolation to those individuals who feel they have missed out on a grade and, in some cases, their first-choice university as a result.
“However, these are demanding qualifications requiring extensive knowledge, skill and application. Everybody involved should be proud of what they have achieved.
“We wish everyone the very best, whether they are now going to university, a higher-level apprenticeship, employment or taking a gap year.”
Mr Wallace added: “It will be interesting to see how the government tries to ensure that employers better understand how different cohorts of students have been graded during and after the Covid pandemic, in order to guard against students being disadvantaged in applications for jobs both now and in the future. This will potentially be an issue for years to come that employers need to be aware of.
“Unfortunately, the cliff edge nature of having a system that relies exclusively on traditional exams makes this a particularly stressful time for students and their families. So many people have struggled to sleep overnight in nervous anticipation of receiving exam results.
“However, particularly with a general election approaching, now is the time for political parties to reflect and build on the best practice that has been developed over the last few years to ensure that we have a system of assessing student performance that is fit for the 21st century. It is time to rethink assessment rather than continue to adhere to an ideological position that regards terminal examinations as the panacea.
“How many workplaces really demand or prioritise a skillset of being able to cram knowledge acquired over several years to write it out on paper in a couple of hours under intense pressure? Exams have their place, but they should only be part of a balanced portfolio of evidence that determines grades in future.
“Let us hope that going forwards the government will be open-minded enough to reflect and learn lessons from the pandemic and see that there are other, more balanced ways of doing things to reflect achievement over time.”
Nearly a quarter of students at St Benedict’s Catholic High School in Alcester secured the top grades – A* and A – in their A-levels.
The school said the number of students getting A*-B grades was also above the results from 2019 – the last set of comparable results before the impact of Covid-19.
Headteacher Luke Payton said: “These results are testament to not only the talents and efforts of each individual student, but also the real sense of community that there is in our school.
“As has been widely discussed, these students have never set a formal, externally marked, set of exams before because of Covid. There was real pressure. Yet, our students, supported by their families and our very dedicated staff, came together to support one another.
“As a result, our students have done themselves, and us, proud.”
The success included:
- Ella Thornton achieved 2 A*s and an A, which has allowed her to go on to study psychology at University of Leeds.
- Maja Ficyk secured two As, a B and a C and will go onto study media, journalism and publishing at Oxford Brookes University.
- Caitlin Libeaut gained two As and a B and will study psychology at University of Warwick.
- Daisy Long achieved A, B and Distinction*. She will now study midwifery at Liverpool John Moores University.
- Harvey Fraser has secured the grades needed to study journalism at Nottingham Trent University with a Distinction* and two Cs.
- Aisling McVeigh got two As and a B and secured a place at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands to study biomedical engineering.
- Luc Simian secured a higher-level apprenticeship at Mettis Aerospace in Redditch.
Mr Payton added: “These results are the keys to unlock the doors to a young person’s future. What is really pleasing is that these students don’t see opening their results as the final step of their education. They have secured some brilliant opportunities for their next steps - and they have the drive, values and talents to really make the most of them.
“We wish them all the very best for the future.”
All of the students who applied to university secured their places, the school said.
Congratulations to all Kineton High School post-16 students on their excellent results – the school reports.
We are so pleased that students at our sixth form performed extremely well this summer across A Level and Applied courses and achieved A*-A: 28%, A*-B: 55%, A*-C: 76% with the overall pass rate being 98%.
We are incredibly proud of all our students’ effort and determination. Headteacher Helen Bridge extended her gratitude to the school’s staff for their dedication and support. Of course, we are also thankful for the support of parents and carers.
Sam Bonfield, Head of Sixth Form said: “I am delighted that the vast majority of students have secured their places at their chosen universities and apprenticeships. Well done to Melissa Morley who will take up her place at Oxford University to read Biochemistry with 3A*s and an A grade and Eniko Kata who will be studying Veterinary Science at Surrey or Liverpool . Thanks to the incredible sixth form team for all their hard work.”
Other exceptional results include: Lewis Mack 2A*A; Michael McCauley 2A*B; Joseph Perrot A*2 A; Ed Smith A*A B; Luke Palmer 3A; Charlotte Palmer 2A, Dist*; Ben Munster A*A B; Oliver Davis A*A B; Annabelle Bailey 3A.
Chipping Campden School
Having missed the opportunity to sit their GCSE examinations in 2021, this year’s students at Chipping Campden School’s Sixth Form were able to celebrate a very successful set of A Levels results.
As usual, this outstanding school and sixth form produced some fantastic individual results. In particular, Connor Honey, who achieved 3 A* grades in Maths, Further Maths and Physics and is delighted to be taking up his place at Oxford University to read Physics. Similarly, Edward Wilkinson, Koti Nayler, Odette Dyer, Charlotte Elliott, Freya Bostock, Emily Willing, Sienna Lorenz, Abbie Morland, Markus Houston, Alice Brown and Alice Parr were just some of those with a string of straight A* and A grades to their name.
Equally outstanding was the strong progress made by so many of our students. Joel Manley, Alice Daglish, Freya Greenslade, Tristan Evans-Cook, Lily-Mae Norton being just some of those who exceeded even the most challenging of target grades.
With grade boundaries back to the very high thresholds of the pre-pandemic era, the school was pleased that overall, nearly a quarter of all A-Level grades awarded to students at the school were either A* or A (23%), with over half achieving A* – B grades (51%) and over three quarters achieving A* - C grades (77%).
Once again, such strong results are expected to place the school significantly above the national average, not just in terms of outcomes, but also in terms of destinations to Oxbridge and the Russel Group Universities. Typically, around four in 10 of all Chipping Campden School students go on to Russell Group universities, compared with one in 10 nationally.
With such impressive results, most Chipping Campden School students can take up their places at their first-choice university despite the increased competition. These range from students reading Physics at Oxford University, Chemistry at Durham University, Mathematics at Sheffield University, Psychology, Politics and Ancient History at Liverpool University, Law at Warwick University, Maths and Physics at Bristol University, Modern Languages at Southampton University, Classical Studies at Exeter University, Geography at Lancaster University, Law at Cardiff University and Business Management at Loughborough University.
The school’s principal, John Sanderson, said, “I am extremely proud of all that our students have achieved in the context of a very challenging two years. So many have worked extremely hard and clearly been rewarded for their ability to adapt and maintain a sustained focus on their learning. I’m pleased that so many now have the qualifications and skills they need to go on to the next stage of their learning.” He also praised the dedication and commitment of staff who have gone above and beyond on so many occasions, as well as emphasising the support given by parents in ensuring so many students successfully navigate these very demanding times and qualifications.
