Today is A Level results day and pupils in schools across Reading borough – and just over the border – are celebrating their grades.
We’ll be bringing you updates from the schools as we get them
Denefield School
DENEFIELD School has congratulated its A-level students who collected their results on Thursday, August 18.
It announced that nearly 75% of students have confirmed university places, with some set to attend Russell Group universities, including Oxford.
It also announced that more than 10% had secured prestigious apprenticeships with companies including HP, Thames Water, and AWE.
It noted particular achievement from Luke Funnell, whose three A* grades will see him reading Biochemistry, and Sam Hudspith, whose two A*s and one A grade will see him read History, both at the University of Oxford.
The school said it was “immensely proud” of students, “who have achieved excellent results during such a challenging time.”
Highdown Head
THE HEADTEACHER of an Emmer Green school says it is ‘extremely proud’ of its students as they receive their A level and technical qualifications.
Rachel Cave said the results at the Highdown School came against a backdrop of covid disruption.
In all, a third of results were A*/A, nearly two-thirds (60.7%) were A*-B, four in five grades were A*-C, and virtually all pupils achieved a pass, with 98.1% achieving A*-E grades.
Many of the sixth formers will being going on to university, degree apprenticeships or employment.
“We are extremely proud of our students – they have achieved very highly and, most importantly, are mature and responsible young adults,” Ms Cave said.
“It is important for all to remember that these students have not had a usual academic year.
“Their sixth form has been significantly affected by school closure and this year, all schools have had high levels of staff absence and many students have been ill and isolating for significant periods.
“Indeed, the exam season itself, was hindered for many by covid-related absences.”
She added: “Our students are off to a range of excellent universities, degree apprenticeships and employment. We wish them all the very best, their future institutions are lucky to have Highdowners joining.”
Among the highest attainers are Aaron Grewal, who received A*s in Further Maths, Maths, Physics and an A in History. He is heading to Southampton University to study Mechanical Engineering.
Matthew O’Farrelly received A*s in Computing, Maths, Physics and an A in Further Maths, and is going to Manchester to study Computer Science.
Dylan Cook received A*s in Maths, Further Maths, Physics and an A in Economics. He will study Mathematics at Oxford University.
Three A* grades were achieved by Martha Crowland, who studied Chemistry, English Literature and Maths and is going to Bath University to study Chemistry, and Mia White, who studied Chemistry, Maths, Physics, and will read Natural Sciences at Cambridge University.
Two A* and one A grade were awarded to a number of pupils.
Yashna Modi had A*s in Economics, Maths and an A in Physics (also A* in EPQ). Yashna will be studying Economics & Management at King’s College London.
Lilly Pegg received A*s in English Literature, RE and an A in History, and is off to Glasgow University to read Comparative Literature/Classics.
Jessica Soanes had A*s in Art, Geography and an A in English Language + Literature and also grade B in EPQ. She will take a well-earned gap year before starting university next year.
Kieran Stacey’s A*s in Computing and Maths, and an A in Physics means he will be studying Computer Science at Southampton University.
Two A* and two A grades were achieved by 2A* and 2A Sugitha Nambirajan. The A* grades were in Further Maths, Maths and the As in Economics and Physics. They will be completing a degree level Apprenticeship with Dyson.
Two students achieved an A* grade and two A grades.
Alasdair Sutton received an A* in Government and Politics and As in Geography and History, with an A in Core Maths). He will read Politics & International Relations at Southampton.
Jack Wright had an A* Maths, with As in History and Physics and will be going to Cardiff University to study Mechanical Engineering.
And several pupils had straight As.
Lucas Beeney received them in Biology, Chemistry, and Spanish. He will be studying Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Science at the University of West England.
Tabitha Cairns studied Art and French, with a Distinction in Level 3 ICT and will be reading French and Japanese at Cardiff University.
Luke Holland’s grades were in Geography, Music Tech and Spanish, and he is off to Cardiff University to study Environmental Geography.
And Charlie Mitchell received 3As in Chemistry, Geography and Maths and is going to study Geography at Birmingham University.
Little Heath School
LITTLE HEATH School has commended students as they collect their results on Thursday, August 18.It has announced that 52% of A-level grades were B or higher, as more than two in five students have received at least one A grade or higher and more than one in five have achieved two or more A-grades or higher.
David Ramsden, Headteacher at Little Heath School, said: “All our staff have enjoyed working with the 2022 Year 13 cohort– they have coped so well with everything that has been thrown at them over the last two years, and deserve all the success they have achieved.”
The school thanked “teachers, leaders and support staff who have worked with our students throughout the last two years helping them to achieve excellent results.”
It has also announced that across vocational courses, 100% of students passed all qualifications and 42% of grades awarded were Distinction or Distinction-star grades.
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Students will be moving onto apprenticeship positions with Collins Aerospace and the University of West England, while others go on to read courses at Bristol, Warwick, Cardiff, and Southampton.
Maiden Erlegh
WITH two thirds of them achieving A*-B grades at A Level, pupils at a school in Earley are celebrating today.
Maiden Erlegh School students’ grades are significantly higher overall than in pre-covid 2019.
Paul Gibson, Headteacher said:
“This year group have been through so much.
“To achieve what they have is nothing short of remarkable.
Results are significantly up on all previous measures including the Teacher Assessed Grades in 2021.
With a 99% pass rate, there is much for them all to celebrate.
More than a third of pupils, (36%) achieved an A or A* grade, and an impressive 85% gained a C grade or above.
Mr Gibson continued:
“It is a true testament to the students’ resilience, dedication, and focus.
“I am proud of each one of them and I know they will go on to wonderful careers and flourish, based on the character they have shown.”
There were big smiles for Sean B and George C, both of whom gained 4 A*s; Zainab A and Cameron C who achieved 3 A*s; and Kieran M’s 3 A*s and 1 A.
Ann Cheshire, Head of Sixth Form said:
“Our students’ results today are richly deserved.
“They were an exceptional year group who faced unprecedented challenges.
“I wish all of them every luck for the future.
“I am absolutely delighted for them and their parents.”
Many students will be taking exciting next steps, some going on to Oxbridge, Russell Group Universities, some taking on apprenticeships, and others exploring gap year opportunities.
“There are many success stories,” said Mr Gibson.
“Too many to individually mention, such as students who have lost close family relatives and gone on to gain outstanding results.
“Today, I have been celebrating with them all.”
“Class of 2022, it has been a privilege to call you Maiden Erlegh students – we wish you all the best!”
Reading College
READING COLLEGE congratulated more than 100 students who passed their A Level qualifications on Thursday, August 18.
The Reading College History, Geography and Sociology departments all maintained a 100% pass rate for the second consecutive year, with 80% of history students and 60% of geography students achieving a grade B or higher.
Nine of the 13 A Level subjects at Reading College secured pass rates above the pre-pandemic national average with the majority of subjects securing a 100% pass rate at the college.
Activate Learning’s deputy chief executive officer Cheri Ashby said: “I would like to say a massive congratulations to everyone who has passed their A Levels today and got the grades they need to go onto the next stage of their chosen career pathway.
“I know there are a number of students with offers from some of the best universities in the country and I’m incredibly proud of all the hard work they have put in over the past two years to get where they are.
“What our students have achieved today is nothing short of amazing given the disruption they have experienced to their education during the pandemic.”
Of the students who didn’t receive the grades they’d hoped for, she said: “we will be working with them to find a solution and make sure they are able to progress onto something they want to do.
“We will also be offering our support to students from other schools and colleges that might not have done as well as expected, as we want to ensure every young person achieves their potential.”
Charlotte Green, aged 18, said: “I did Biology, Chemistry and Maths, and it was hard work, but I got ABB.
“It’s amazing, so I’m elated– I’m hoping to do medicine at uni, but I haven’t applied yet.
“I wanted to see what my results were before I applied, so I’m taking a gap year
“We’re going out for dinner tonight to celebrate, since Pizza Express is doing free dough balls for students.”
Adam Khalil, aged 19, said: “My subjects were maths, biology and English literature and my results were an A in Maths a C in biology and I have yet to get my results for English because I did it externally.
“I am just so relaxed, all that stress is gone, and I’m going to my university of choice.
“I’ve already got into KCL to do film studies, it’s all just happening all at once and it’s very overwhelming, but I’m just glad it’s over.”
Daniel Nield, faculty manager and A-Level Law teacher at Reading College, said: “Overall our results are absolutely amazing. Nearly half of our learners got A* to B grades, which is incredible, and all the students that came in today are beaming.
“Our students are going to top universities as well so I couldn’t be more thrilled.”
The college is offering information, advice and guidance to anyone who is unsure as to what to do next after their A Levels. More information is available at www.activatelearning.ac.uk/advice.
St Joseph’s
Students and staff at St Joseph’s, Reading, celebrated a gleaming set of A Level results on the morning of Thursday, August 18.
An impressive 91% of entries achieving A*-C grades and 41% were either A*s or As. The latter is a school record high percentage for externally assessed A Levels.
St Joseph’s will see students study a wide range of disciplines at universities including UCL, Bristol, Warwick, Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff and Bath.
Asha Rajoriya, 18, was thrilled to receive As in English literature and Music A Levels and an A* in drama and theatre studies.
She said: “I was really happy and very relieved. I was actually a little surprised but I’m over the moon.”
Asha will head to the University of Birmingham to study English literature and Film. Although a little nervous to start, she is now excited to get her teeth into the course.
“I don’t know an awful lot about film,” she explained. “So I’m excited to learn more and to develop what I already know.”
Theale Greene School
YEAR 13 students at Theale Green School celebrated a successful results day on Thursday, August 18.
Excited A Level and BTEC students made one final trip into school to collect their results in the morning.
Many will embark on higher education courses, reading a range of subjects at universities such as Bath, York, Southampton, Loughborough, Leeds, Cardiff and Swansea.
Amy McLaren will read Biomedical Sciences at the University of York. The school described her achievements as ‘astonishing’ given that she arrived from New Zealand at the start of Year 11; where she had previously studied very little science.
Jo Halliday, Executive Principal said, “We can never overestimate the impact that lockdown had on this cohort of students in Year 11, and then again in Year 12; their resulting destinations represent the high aspirations and determination they have shown over this challenging period.
“This year group played a pivotal role in putting life back into the school through the House system and sports last summer, and we expressed our gratitude to them for this at their leavers’ assembly.
“We very much look forward to welcoming them all back to present their certificates in December, and we wish them much happiness moving forward”.
Charlotte Badarello, Head of School, said, ”We are really proud of the accomplishments of our year 13 students. This summer’s exams were the first external assessments the group have taken as they were unable to sit GCSEs in 2020.
“The last two years have been incredibly tough, including periods of remote learning, but this incredible group have demonstrated great tenacity and resilience and have made real impact on the culture of learning and wellbeing at Theale Green School.
“This year group will also include students who will be the first in their family to go to university; it is a tremendous achievement, and we are very proud of every one of them.”
The Wren School
THE WREN School has congratulated students on “two incredibly challenging and tough years” as students around the country collect A-level results on Thursday, August 18.
It has announced that 85% of its students will move on to their first choice university or into a high-level apprenticeship.
Principal John Salberg said: “We are proud of each and every one of our students. They have shown huge levels of commitment, resilience and positivity throughout their time in our Sixth Form.
“It is testament to their attitude, hard work and agility, alongside the tireless dedication of our staff that we are able to stand here together with these exceptional young people.
“Today is not just about the grades on pieces of paper, today is about recognising the resilience and
dedication our students have shown, the journey they have been on and how they have come
through it stronger and wiser.”
He said also that the school “couldn’t be prouder of them.”
“We wish all of our students the very best in their next steps of education, learning and employment,
safe in the knowledge that they have nurtured the character and skills needed to excel in wherever
their journey takes them.
“We look forward to hearing about, and following, their next chapters, and
wish them all a safe remainder of the summer.
“Thanks must also go to our dedicated and passionate staff who have worked so incredibly hard
supporting our students, and to our families and the whole of The Wren School community for their
continued support and encouragement.”
For advice about results and where to go next, students can visit: www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org
The Willink School
THE WILLINK School has announced a 100% pass rate for students collecting results on Thursday, August 18.
Of their 89 students, 91% achieved a C-grade or above, and two in three achieving B or higher.
Peter Fry, Head of The Willink School, said:”Congratulations to our students for an outstanding set of results, and making it through an incredibly tough and disruptive two years under the shadow of the pandemic.”
It also announced that more than one in three students, 38%, had received A-grades or higher.
Mr Fry said: “This summer’s exams were the first external assessments this cohort took.
“As expected results were up on the last time exams were set in 2019 and it is particularly pleasing that virtually all our students have secured destinations of their choice.
“This is a tremendous achievementt– they are all exceptional, inspiring, and talented young people and the school couldn’t be prouder of them.”
“I also thank Willink staff who have worked tirelessly to support our students and adapted their teaching to match the changing exam remits.”
For advice about results and where to go next, students can visit: www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org
UTC Reading
THE FUTURE looks bright for UTC Reading students who received their exam results on Thursday, August 8.
The outgoing Year 13 made the trip into school one final time to pick up their A Level and technical qualification results, securing them places on apprenticeships or university courses.
Students at the specialist engineering and computer science college will be heading into apprenticeships at prestigious companies such as BMW, Mini, IBM, Stantec, Royal Navy and QinetiQ.
Others have chosen to study at university, with destinations including Reading, Swansea, Bath, Oxford Brookes and Portsmouth.
Executive Principal of UTC Reading, Jonathan Nicholls, said: “Our students collecting their results today and securing their next destination marks the end of a complex period for this cohort.
“Having not sat their GCSEs and Level 2 qualifications in the summer of 2020 due to the pandemic, this is the first time they have sat exams in this format with all the pressure and expectation that comes with them.
“Their resilience and focus on the process through their time in our sixth form has helped them to today, where they will now take their first major steps into adult life. They have showed flexibility and determination throughout the last two years and I am very proud of
them all.
“It has been our pleasure to support them on the journey to this point. I cannot wait to hear how they progress through the next years of their lives.”
The college’s vision is to ‘transform lives through learning’, collaborating with employers and UTC Reading allows students to prepare themselves for the workplace.
The college is offering information, advice and guidance to students who are unsure about next steps after their A Levels or BTEC Level 3 programmes.
Queen Anne’s School
STUDENTS celebrate results as Queen Anne’s School in Caversham announces more than four in five grades were B or above on Thursday, August 18.
It says that 81% of grades awarded were B or higher, and 96% were C or above.
Of those taking STEM subjects, 94% of exam grades were given C or above.
Head of Queen Anne’s, Elaine Purves, said: “I am thrilled to celebrate the success of these young students today and so proud of my first QAS A Level cohort.
“I would like to congratulate the girls not only on their outstanding academic grades but on their achievements outside of the classroom, whether that’s on the sports pitches, in the concert hall or in giving back to the community.”Since joining Queen Anne’s in January, I have been struck by the confidence and energy of the Upper Sixth students– they truly are leaving us prepared for their next steps into the world.”
Senior Deputy Head, Mark Richards, said: “It’s phenomenal to think that these students undertook a significant proportion of their A Level studies in a remote setting.
“Queen Anne’s was ahead of the game as a Microsoft Showcase School and ensured delivery of the entire curriculum and more.
“This, combined with the impressive commitment and enthusiasm of the cohort, meant that when pupils eagerly returned to normal school life they continued to excel academically,”
Head Girl and Dance Captain, Sophie Bailey, was among the students achieving only A or A* grades, with Sophie achieved A*s in Art and Biology and an A in Chemistry and will go on to study Natural Sciences at Bath.
Queen Anne’s also announced that students would be moving onto a number of prestigious further education insitutions, with the cohort securing places at Oxford, King’s College, London, Princeton University, and Parsons Fine Arts in New York.
Director of Sixth Form, Ben Stephenson, said: “This year group show a fantastic sense of community and are passionate about making a change in the world.
“They were instrumental in launching the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Society and have worked tirelessly on numerous charity fundraisers,”.
