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STUDENTS and staff at St Joseph’s, Reading, celebrated a gleaming set of A Level results on Thursday morning.
A third of grades awarded were either an A* or A, with many students achieving better scores than they had first anticipated across a broad range of subjects.
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St Joseph’s will now see their leavers head to some of the country’s finest universities, including Cambridge, UCL, Birmingham, Warwick, York, Bath, Southampton and the Royal Academy of Music.
Students will read subjects ranging from mechanical engineering, economics, philosophy, neuroscience, marine biology and international relations.
Izzy Everett, 18, was delighted to receive A*s in drama and her extended project qualification (EPQ), an A in philosophy and a B in English.
She said: “I feel really good, I did better than what I thought in philosophy – I only expected to get a B.”
Her grades will take her to the University of Birmingham, where she will study philosophy.
Izzy added that she actually preferred sitting exams to the coursework element of her assessments, citing the ‘adrenaline rush’ as something she thrives off.
Jai Bahra, 18, is headed to the University of Southampton to read mechanical engineering after picking up an A* in maths, As in physics and chemistry, and also completing an EPQ.
He explained: “Some of the exams were tough, I – and the rest of the country – thought physics was hard, so I’m really relieved and happy with my results.”
Laura Stotesbury, head at St Joseph’s, said: “I want to congratulate Year 13 on achieving these results today. It is remarkable that these students, who have never taken external examinations before and are facing stringent grade boundaries despite disruption to learning, have achieved so much; individually and collectively.
“Only one small part of that achievement will have been captured by the grades they received in results envelopes today. They have worked extremely hard and should be proud of their success – in the exam hall and beyond.
“I wish them the best of luck as they move on to the next stage of their education or into the workforce.
“My heartfelt thanks go to our remarkable staff; they have guided and supported our students over the last two years with unfailing energy, encouragement and enthusiasm.”
