A Level Results 2020
I will always remember this particular year group with affection and pride, firstly for the way they showed so much leadership and resolve during the unprecedented time of the COVID-19 crisis, but most of all for the sense of cohesion, solidarity and friendliness that was at the heart of this talented and well-rounded cohort of students.
When Ben Helme, as Captain of School, spoke so eloquently at the Congrats Assembly in July, it was clear that this view is a two-way sentiment. One really felt that he spoke of behalf of all his contemporaries who much loved their School.
I am glad that the Results day for this year group has gone as smoothly as it could have. There were many excellent grades across the 190 pupils and this endorsement from the Government administered system of awarding the grades means that most will be safely into the first-choice universities. That this will not be true for everyone is both a reflection of a system which cannot be perfect, given the circumstances, but also reflects the undoubted and sensible reaction of many to take a Gap Year whilst the present uncertainty plays out. The excellent Sixth Form and UCAS teams are working tirelessly over the coming days to help those looking to confirm their places or to upgrade through clearing.
Overall, the picture is calm and everything will play out, but the School will do all it can for those who wish to sit Public Examinations live this autumn, or who want to reapply as part of their Gap Year. The overall percentages, as I write, look promising enough 81.4% for A*-B (previous years- 78.7%, 80.8%, 85.7%, 80.1%) and 22.7% for A* (previously 20.6%, 19.5% and 27.7%) and 57.8% for A*-A (previously 54.1%, 58.3% and 61%).
Peter Roberts
Headmaster
