Pupils at Downside School are celebrating another strong set of A-Level and BTEC results, with a number securing top grades and places at leading universities across the UK.
The school reported that 35% of pupils achieved three or more A* or A grades, while more than a quarter of subjects awarded grades exclusively at A* or A. Among those celebrating are twins Molly and Ned, who together secured five A* grades and two A grades across sciences and languages.
Other notable results included Maria, Albert, Alexander and Sacha, who each achieved AAA, Franz with AAAB and Abigail with A*AA. Downside School, which is non-selective, said the results reflected the hard work, character and commitment shown by pupils throughout their studies.
This year’s leavers have secured places to study a wide range of subjects at universities across the country. Destinations include Physics at the University of St Andrews, Medicine and Law at Warwick, Engineering at Edinburgh, Accounting and Finance at Durham, Social Sciences at UCL, Liberal Arts at Exeter, Music and Sound Recording at York and Criminology at Cardiff.
The school also celebrated another strong performance in the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), which gives pupils the opportunity to undertake independent research into a subject of particular interest. This year, 78% of Downside EPQ candidates achieved an A* or A grade.
Projects covered subjects including aircraft safety, the impact of social media on teenage mental health, public attitudes towards vaccines and the effects of Western intervention on women in Afghanistan. Other pupils explored political and historical questions, including a project entitled Why Do Democracies Collapse? Lessons from Weimar Germany and 1990s Russia.
Mike Randall, Interim Head at Downside School, said, “Exceptional achievements such as these are worthy of celebration and represent part of a much broader story of ambition, perseverance and success across the year group. At Downside, our educational philosophy is centred on helping every pupil become the very best version of themselves academically, personally and spiritually.
“Whether in the classroom, through the creative arts, in leadership roles, on the sports field, or through the values and reflection that underpin life in our community, we seek to develop confident, compassionate and well-rounded young people. This year’s results are a true reflection of that approach.”
