Highclare School welcomed back its upper sixth form class of 2021 to celebrate their exam results success.
Among the Highclare students celebrating were Caitlin Edgerton, who achieved 2 A*s, 2 As and an A in her EPQ, Hannah Masaun, who achieved A* two As and an A in her EPQ, Skye Langford-Browne and Carina Sandhu, who both achieved 2 As and a distinction.
This year, students have been accepted to study a diverse range of subjects at institutions including Politics and Philosophy, Criminology, Material Science and Engineering at the University of Birmingham, Sociology at Durham University and Linguistics and French at the University of Manchester.
Headmaster Dr Richard Luker said: “I am extremely proud of the exceptional achievements attained by our U6 cohort during another difficult and unique year of study.
“This success is a culmination of a lot of hard work, resilience and commitment from all concerned throughout their educational journey.
“Many thanks to our incredible team at Highclare, all parents and our wider school community who have gone above and beyond supporting our students.
“The way our community as a whole has continued to work and learn during the pandemic has been an inspiration with students displaying exceptional strength of character, engagement, adaptability and dedication as they have worked towards their qualifications.
“Following their assessments students were assigned specific tutors to provide guidance, set bridging work and aid university transition; skills that will stand them in good stead as they embark on the next step of their lives, we wish them all the very best and look forward to hearing of their future successes.”
Students attained an impressive set of examination results, with 57 per cent of pupils achieving A*- A grades (not including EPQ) and 77% passing at A*, A or B.
There were also major successes for GCSE students.
The school achieved a 98 per cent overall pass rate (pupils achieving grades 9 – 4), with half of all grades in the 9 – 7 range.
Among the Highclare students celebrating were Tim Pan with 11 straight grade 9s, including further maths, Madison Ealing with six grade 9s and three grade 8s and Malakai Florey-Meah with five grade 9s and five grade 8s.
Dr Richard Luker added: "We are immensely proud of our GCSE students who have proven that attributes such as resilience, aspiration, empathy, hard work, dedication to academic excellence and the education of the whole person, skills all nurtured during their time at Highclare School, have been crucial to achieving success during this incomparable time.
"The results attained by this year’s GCSE cohort are the culmination of students and teachers displaying an unwavering dedication to the pursuit of success. Through small class sizes and committed teachers, each student is known and valued and grades have been determined in a robust and fair process by teachers who know each child very well.
"Highclare teachers also provided a series of transition and career sessions in all subjects to help prepare pupils for A level and similar Level 3 courses. Pupils were engaged in small groups to develop research, presentation and study skills ahead of the next stage of their educational journey.
"We know that the futures of the GCSE class 2021 will be bright and we look forward to seeing all that they go on to achieve."
