Sixth Formers at Bishop Luffa have achieved impressive results at A Level this year. 57% of all exams entered gained A*-B grades, with 84% gaining A*-C grades. The group of 138 Year 13 students – the largest in Bishop Luffa’s history – achieved a 99.8% pass rate for all the exams entered. 7% of all the exams gained A*, and 29% gained A*-A grades.

Our Sixth Form continues to be hugely successful. There are many great individual achievements from students with a wide range of academic ability. As a group, I am delighted by their impressive pass rate: they have supported each other and together risen to the challenge.  We also have teachers who are skilled and committed to their students’ success. The A* grade is designed to stretch and challenge the most academically gifted students, and I am delighted that 21 students gained at least one of these top grades”.

Ian Thomas, Head of Sixth Form, said, “The exam performance of our students has again been excellent.  They combine hard work and exam success with throwing themselves into the many opportunities to develop personally.  They now  move on to their next stage in life as well-rounded young adults.”  As Hannah Kay, who is going to Nottingham University to study Nursing, said this morning, ‘The hard work has definitely paid off.   Luffa has set me up really well for everything life will throw at me.’

Amongst other excellent results five students achieved two or more A* grades.  Florence Christie (A* in Economics and History, A in English Literature) leaves us to study English at Exeter.  James Holland (A* in Biology and History, A in Chemistry and Mathematics) goes to St. George’s, London to study Medicine, Adam Lack (A* in Mathematics and Physics, A in IT) takes a place at Warwick to read Mathematics.  Felicity Homes (A* in Biology and Mathematics, A in Chemistry) and Jessica Morley (A* in English Literature and Graphics, A in Art and Mathematics) will read Architecture at Oxford Brookes.

A further 15 students passed three A levels with grades of A* or A.   These include a number of students reading Medicine (John Castle to Balliol College Oxford  and Rebecca Moore, who takes up her deferred place at Cambridge), English (Helena Berry to York University and Jessica McKenzie to Exeter) and Law (Georgia Carnegie and Elyssia White to Exeter). Billy Hickman leaves for Cardiff to read Computer Science while Holly Mirams goes to Warwick to study Philosophy and Literature.  Charlotte Page will study French and Politics at Nottingham while at Bath, Imogen Mullett will study Modern Languages and European Studies, Tom Pataillot-Meakin will read Natural Sciences and Charlie Willard, Mathematics.  Harry Meek goes to York to read History.  James Reading will study Mechanical Engineering at Southampton and Louisa Robbins takes a gap year.

About 25 students are embarking on gap years which include doing voluntary work in many parts of the world, working at ski resorts, gaining further work experience and fund raising for university life next year.

 A-Level exams summary for Year 13 students

The UCAS points score for each grade is awarded as follows:

+Calculated by adding together the points score of each A2 entry and dividing by the total number of entries (415).

++Calculated by adding together each student’s A2 score and dividing by the total number of students. Most students take three A-levels; some take two and a few take four. An average A2 points score of 697 means that, on average, every student gained just over two Bs and a C.

+++This points score includes the fourth AS grade that students took in Year 12.