A Level Results - Celebrating the Class of 2021

The Class of 2021 have overcome unprecedented challenges during their A Level course and deserve tremendous credit for the outstanding results that they have achieved this year. As if dealing with three national lockdowns and two extended periods of remote learning wasn’t enough, pupils were also suddenly faced with further uncertainty when, in January, the announcement came that the traditional summer exams were cancelled.

Despite the daunting task of navigating through yet another novel landscape, pupils rose to the challenge of tackling the new assessment pathway with determination, ambition and a great deal of stamina. A series of mostly past paper exams and A Level standard tests, all taken under supervised or invigilated conditions in a much more intense time frame than usual, formed for the majority of pupils the bulk of their ‘Teacher Assessed Grades’. There should be no doubt that this was a very demanding task and, with a great deal of the work assessed via the appropriate exam board mark schemes and grades based solely on the evidence generated, there has been a very high level of rigour throughout the process.

Headmaster, Martin Boden, commented: “I have seen with my own A Level class just how unsettling and challenging this past year has been. All of the pupils in this very talented year group have worked incredibly hard and have adapted to the changing circumstances with steadfastness, creativity and good humour. I am delighted that so many have achieved at such an impressive level following what, in many respects, has been an even more demanding process than in a ‘normal’ year. They fully deserve their success and can now move confidently on to the next stage in their education. This year group has made many outstanding contributions to the broader life of the School on so many fronts; we thank them wholeheartedly and send our very best wishes for the future.”

With the 2021 format and system being so different from previous years, comparisons with past performances are difficult to make. What is clear from these pictures below, however, is that so many of our Year 13 pupils are rightly thrilled with the grades that they have achieved. Tales of amazing individual success abound, but the whole cohort deserves the highest praise for their efforts and, with record numbers being successful in obtaining the grades needed for their first choice university, they undoubtedly have an exciting future ahead of them. Well done to everyone!