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Huge congratulations to last year’s Fifth Form on achieving the best GCSE results the College has ever seen. In a year of uncertainty and change, with well-publicised reforms to the Year 11 examination system, more Wellingtonians have received top A* grades in their GCSE examinations than ever before. Before any remarks have been received, 58.2% of this year’s grades in unreformed subjects are A*, beating the College’s previous record of 54% in 2015.
There were some remarkable results across the academic departments. Drama and Dance both achieved 100% A*/A grades whilst Music, Mandarin and Computer Science received 100% A*-B grades. 61.4% of all Science grades (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) were A* whilst this figure was even higher in History – 68%. Remarkably, 17 of the 20 grades in Art Textiles were A* and, even more remarkably, 51 of the 54 pupils who took Religious Studies received an A* grade. 31 pupils in the Fourth Form (Year 10) took Latin a year early yielding 29 A* and 2 A grades.
In the reformed subjects of English Language, English Literature and Maths, significant change has occurred. Not only have coursework and controlled assessment elements been scrapped, meaning that results depend entirely on each pupil’s performance in terminal examinations, but the A*-G grades of the past have been replaced with a new 9-1 system, with 7-9 apparently representing the ground covered previously by the A and A* grade.
Michael Gove’s aim was to introduce a greater degree of academic rigour to GCSE and to make it more difficult for pupils to achieve the top grades but, despite such unfavourable conditions, 34 pupils achieved a 9 in English Literature, 36 pupils attained the same top level in Maths, and 9s were also scored by 36 pupils in English Language. This equates to almost 20% of grades in the reformed subjects, a remarkable feat when compared to the nationwide picture of just 2% of pupils achieving a 9 in English and 3% getting the top grade in Maths. This meant that there were some outstanding sets of results for pupils, with half of the year group receiving straight A*/A grades in their results. Seven pupils received a clean-sweep of top grades across reformed and unreformed subjects:
- Evie Blaxland – 999A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A*
- Flora Frankopan – 999A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A*
- Margaux Gathy – 999A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A*
- Amy Rickard – 999A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A*
- Rose Rooney – 999A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A*
- Harry Williams – 999A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A*
- Thomas Williamson – 999A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A*
In addition, a further eight pupils secured top grades in all but one of their subjects:
- Zara Anichebe – 998A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A*
- Eden Bray – 998A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A*
- Katarina Frankopan – 998A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A*
- Daniel Harding – 998A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A*
- Sparsh Jain – 999A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A
- Jessica Osborn – 998A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A*
- Hugh Ragg – 999A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A
- Sam Van Druten – 998A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A*
Commenting on the results, the Master, Mr Julian Thomas, said, “No matter which way one looks at these grades, the results which our pupils have received today are simply superb. To have broken the College record for top A* grades in unreformed subjects whilst also dealing with the pressure and strain of being guinea-pigs for the new GCSEs in English and Maths is truly remarkable. With so much talk in the national media about how difficult it would be for pupils to achieve 9s under the new system, I am incredibly proud that so many of this year’s Wellingtonians have achieved it. Let’s not forget, either, that this year group are currently national champions in two sports, and also contains some of the finest musicians, dancers, actors and actresses, artists, writers and film-makers in the entire College. We could not have asked for any more from them over the past three years and I am sure that they will go on to enjoy even greater success in the Sixth Form.”
