The Record 2014 - 2015

REVIEWS OF THE YEAR Academic Report Matthew Albrighton, Deputy Head Academic

Our 2015 leavers maintained our excellent record of sending pupils to the very best universities in the UK and overseas. Around 90% of those who applied through UCAS were successful, most of them (88%) taking up places at a university of their choice (either their firm or insurance option). Of those who accepted places, the vast majority (around 80%) are studying at Russell Group or equally prestigious universities. Six pupils won places to Oxford or Cambridge. At Oxford, Tacita McCoy-Parkhill is studying PPE at Oriel; Lynn Temp, Law with German at Jesus; and Camila Whittaker, PPE at Regent’s Park. At Cambridge, Octavia Akoulitchev is studying English at Sidney Sussex, Lucy Azzi, Law at Pembroke and Harry Sellen, Modern and Medieval Languages at Corpus Christi. Three pupils secured places to study Medicine: Saur Hajiev at Imperial, Beth Reed at Southampton and Oli Cobbold at Manchester. The top five universities are all Russell Group: London (see page 18 for details), Edinburgh, Bristol, Newcastle and Exeter. Many pupils look beyond the Russell Group for specialised courses – this year, three pupils are studying rural and business management at the Royal Agricultural and Harper Adams Universities, and one is studying Early Years Development at Norland College. Three pupils are studying in the US: one at Dartmouth College, an Ivy League university, one at the University of Chicago and one at Columbia University in New York.

Pupils were delighted to have achieved the results they required to secure these impressive university places. A number of pupils achieved outstanding results. At A Level, Harry Sellen achieved A* A* A* A* and A* in the EPQ; and James Avery A* A* A* and A* in the EPQ. In the IB, Lynn Temp, achieved full marks – the maximum point score of 45. Only around 100 candidates in the world secure this result each year. Camila Whittaker and Octavia Akoulitchev also excelled by achieving 44. More than a third of all IB candidates achieved 40 points or more and 62% of Higher Level grades were 6/7. Of all grades achieved by our 2015 leavers – combining A Level and IB – 46% were at the highest levels: A*/A at A Level or Levels 7/6 in the IB; three quarters achieved good grades: A*- B at A Level or Levels 5 – 7 in the IB. At A level, 41% of grades were at A*/A and 68% were A*- B. In the Extended Project Qualification, now taken by most A Level candidates, 45% of grades were at A*/A. Particularly impressive in their GCSE exams were Lucy Cobbold, Eva Cottingham-Mayall, Immy Higgins and Joe Zietman who all achieved 11 A*. Ten candidates achieved 10 or more A* and 10 candidates achieved the top grade in Additional Mathematics (A). Overall, 66% of GCSE grades were at A*/A and 89% were at A*-B. For full lists of all results, see pages 112-115.

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