Live Blog: West Berkshire A-level results day 2023
Students across West Berkshire will be receiving their A-level results this morning (Thursday).
This year, A-levels are being marked differently as grading in the country returns to pre-pandemic levels.
Our reporters are at schools across West Berkshire today chatting to students about their results and what they plan to do next.
Keep an eye on this blog all day for live updates.
Schools can also send results and pictures to newsdesk@newburynews.co.uk
10am
St Bartholomew’s School
St Bartholomew’s School is “delighted” with the grades its sixth form pupils have achieved in their A-level exams this year
Half of all the grades achieved by St Barts pupils where at A* to B, and over 75 per cent were at C or better.
Nearly 200 students will be taking up places at universities across the country and many others have secured places on competitive apprenticeship programmes.
A St Barts spokesperson said: “To achieve such amazing results at a time of significant grade deflation is testament to the high quality of the teaching and preparation provided by the staff at the school and to the dedication, commitment and sheer hard work of our students.”
22 St Barts students gained at least three A* or A grades or better, with eight achieving this high standard across all four subjects.
Star students Ollie Davey, Joe McClellan, Laura Mills and Aditya Sanyal all managed to attain four A* grades.
Three students who held offers from Oxford or Cambridge have the grades required to start their courses and six students have achieved entry for prestigious medicine and veterinary science courses.
The spokesperson added: “It is worth remembering that this is a cohort of students who were unable to sit GCSE exams due to the pandemic. With this in mind, their performance is truly worthy of celebration.”
10.30am
The Downs School, Compton
Students achieved a “remarkable” set of results, said headteacher Chris Prosser.
A “hugely impressive” 13 per cent of entries gained A* grades; 34 per cent achieved A*-A grades; 64 per cent achieved A*-B grades and 85 per cent achieved A*-C grades.
Mr Prosser said: “I know that for many of our students, waiting for the results has been an anxious time, especially with all the media coverage saying that grades this will will be crashing back down to earth after the pandemic.
“But the students should be incredibly proud, not only of the fantastic results they’ve achieved, but also of the great resilience they’ve shown.
“That they’ve done so well under these really challenging circumstances shows that they are all exceptional, inspiring and talented young people.
“We couldn’t be prouder of them.”
Head of Sixth Form, Pete Hogan, said: “These are amazing results which all the students should be incredibly proud of.
“I’m thrilled that this cohort of students has done so well – it’s been an absolute pleasure to be their Head of Sixth Form and I know the results they’ve achieved will be their springboard to some amazing university courses, apprenticeships and jobs...we wish them all the very best for the future.”
Among them is aspiring actor Veia Zanelli.
She is celebrating two A*s and B and plans to go to drama school.
She said: “I’ll be doing a foundation course this year and then hope to audition for a big drama school.”
Lucy Murray, meanwhile, achieved a Distinction in Drama BTEC, an A* in art and a B in history.
She plans to to do a degree course in film production in Bournemouth.
Murray Horton achieved an A* in maths, an A in economics and an A in computer science.
He is off to the London School of Economics to study economics and philosophy.
Also off to the LSE is Hugo Mirams, who plans to study philosophy having achieved an A* in economics, an A* in politics and an A in philosophy.
11am
St Gabriel’s School
Over 70 per cent of all A-level grades achieved by St Gabriel’s School pupils were A* to B, a fact the school is “delighted” with.
Several students at the private school were pleased with their results and will be going off to study at prestigious universities across the country.
St Gabriel’s head girl Oluchi Akosa, who achieved two A*s and two As, said: “I’m happy with what I got. I’m off to university. I had my UCAS email come through first so I knew I got in so I’m quite happy with the results.”
She will be studying medicine at Imperial College in London and to celebrate she will be going out for dinner with her family.
“This year has been quite stressful but I think I got through it and I’m quite happy with what I got at the end of the day,” she said.
Aspiring professional sportswoman Lucy Finch, who attained two As and a B, said: “I’m feeling great. After seeing everything on the news about all the hard results and everything, I’m really happy that I’ve got my place. It’s all going well so I’m really happy.”
Lucy has already received 11 caps for the England Women’s Under-18 Rugby team, and she captained the team during this year’s Six Nations.
“I’m off to Loughborough and I’m studying history so I’m really happy that I’ve got the grades with everything going on with my rugby,” she said.
“I’m part of the premiership team Loughborough Lightning so it’s good that I’m already going to Loughborough now that I’ve done four weeks of pre-season with them.”
She hopes to become a professional rugby player in the future.
She added: “It’s what I hope to do and hopefully you’ll see me soon on TV.”
Holly Hake was “very happy” with her results, having achieved two A*’s and two A’s. She will study medicine at the University of East Anglia.
“I thought I was going to get worse so it’s always good to get better,” she said. “It was hard work but it was worth it.”
Her twin sister Alice was happy with her four A grades as well. She said: “I got into university and that was the goal.”
She is taking a gap year, but she then hopes to study Medical Engineering at the University of Leeds.
The pair will be attending Reading Festival at the end of the month to celebrate their achievements.
St Gabriel’s principal Ricki Smith said: “Once again, we are delighted with the results that have been awarded to our year 13 pupils, results that have been achieved through lots of hard work, and that allow them to move on to the next stage if their education, whatever that might be.
“Year 13 pupils across the country have done extraordinarily well, particularly when one considers that as a cohort, they had not sat public exams until this summer.
“Education is about putting in place building blocks on a pathway forward; having worked so hard, this group of young people are now ready to embrace their futures.”
11.02am
Kennet School, Thatcham
Kennet School is celebrating a successful set of grades, particularly in STEM subjects.
Exceptionally high grades were reported for maths, further maths, physics, biology and chemistry.
In this year’s cohort, 21 per cent of A-level grades at A* to A and an average grade of B.
The school has congratulated its pupils, including its outstanding results from Austen Fowler who achieved four A*s and Hamza Zahid and Isobel Turner who both received three A*s.
Of all vocational grades, 72 per cent were at Distinction* - Distinction level which bodes well for the roll out of the school’s T-level courses.
Head teacher Grace Rigg said: “Today has gone really well.
“I am really pleased with the performance of the pupils managed to achieve.
“It has been a standout performance.”
When asked about how the school managed the shift back to pre-pandemic grading, she said: “We have been cautious in our predictions in terms of boundaries.
“We used 2019 grade boundaries managing expectations.
“It has been good.”
Hamza Zahid achieved three A*’s in maths, further maths and chemistry. He will continue to study maths at Warwick. He said: “I am feeling really good, my family are happy.
“I will be going out with them tonight.”
Pupils are off to all corners of the country to continue their studies with Laura Golding off to study maths and philosophy at the University of Oxford, Austin Fowler to study computer science at the university of Oxford and Charlie Ward at the University of Cambridge studying natural sciences.
And Holly Cowan will be off to Iowa Central Community College to study criminal justice on a football scholarship.
Austen Fowler achieved four A*s and will be going to the university of Oxford to study computer science. He said he is very excited to get started but for the moment he is happy and relieved to have completed his A-levels. “I was nervous today but now I am feeling good, happy and relieved.”
Charlie Ward was pleased with the grades he got for his A-level maths, further maths, chemistry and physics.
“I can’t really believe it,” he said after collecting his two A*s and two As.
“I am still a bit nervous even though I have done well.”
He will soon be off to study physical natural sciences at the University of Cambridge.
“It is a bit daunting,” he said. “I am really excited, this morning I was so nervous but I am excited.”
Ellie Bazin is celebrating her two A*s and two As.
I feel really great, I was quite nervous this morning as UCAS would not let me log on.
“I will be going to the University of York which is really cool.”
The school did exceptionally well in maths this year.
Head of maths Johnny Harper said he was confident in his students and happy to see them all do so well.
He said: “I am really pleased.
“The whole team worked really hard, mentoring them throughout the course.
“We were confident, we had a good group of students.”
He said he was not nervous for the cohort who were well prepared and tested to do well despite changes to the A-level grade boundaries this year.
“I was not nervous,” he said.
“We knew where they were going and what they needed.
“I am really proud to see them go on to do exciting courses.”
Maths student Laura Golding was pleased with her two A*s and one A and will be continuing her studies of maths at the university of Oxford.
She said: “I am relieved.
“I am going to celebrate and go to lunch with my family and then spend the evening with my friends.
“I ignored the negative news about grade boundaries, I’ve not listened to it.
“I feel pretty good.”
Adrenaline was high amongst a lot of students despite receiving great results.
Josh Stent is off to the University of Southampton to study aeronautical engineering after achieving two A*s and two As.
He said: “I am very happy, still a little nervous.”
Talia Riches achieved two A*s and an A and will be off to study maths and computer science at the university of Bath.
She said: “I am excited to go there, it is a lovely city.
“And I am only an hour away from home.
“I am excited.”
Btec student Jacob Wallace achieved three Distinction*s in business. He said: I feel pretty good.
“It was pretty easy because I did coursework so you just have to put the effort in.”
He isn’t sure where he will be off to next but says he hasn’t written off professional football.
“I could be a pro footballer for, let say Reading?” he added.
Friend Joshua Fearn achieved three Distinction*s
He echoed Jacob’s comments and said: “You put the hard work in and you reap the rewards.
“I am happy to have got my results, I’ll probably be celebrating
“I am happy because we [he and Jacob] have been together since foundation.”
Trinity School, Newbury
Headteacher Charlotte Wilson praised her students’ “commitment, hard work and dedication” and said: “They’ve been brilliant ambassadors for our school; they’ve worked hard throughout their time at Trinity to achieve these results and have been well supported by a committed team of staff.
“Many are moving on to further study at universities across England as other students are going straight into prestigious degree apprenticeships.”
She added: “One student deserves special mention – Andrii Rahozin joined trinity in the summer term 2022 from Ukraine.
“He has achieved A,B, B at A level studying in just one year rather than two.
“Andrii has shown great determination and resilience in all he does, which has included supporting younger students from Ukraine to settle in to a new country and new school.
“He embodies our motto of ‘Personal Excellence and Collective Responsibility.’
“We’d like to thank our staff and parents for their support and dedication of our students over the last two years, enabling them to achieve their very best.”
Among the highest performers were Leah Ashley O’Dell (Di*, A*, A*); Andrew Bruce (Di*, A,A,A)
Leah Berry (Di* A,A,A,B); Ethan Lo (Di*, A,A,A): Francisco Varela (Di*, A*, A,B); Keira Regan (Di*, Di*, B,B); Eleanor Hopkins-McQuaillan (A,A,B,B); Abi-Leigh May (A,A,B)
Alba Rio Rodriguez (A,A,B); Hazel Patterson (A,A,B).
11.41am
Theale Green School, Theale
The Year 13 students at Theale Green School are celebrating
From a GCSE group of just 65 students, two are going to Oxford University with a number of others progressing to Russell Group universities or degree level apprenticeships with global employers including Deloitte and KPMG.
Notable achievements, who between them achieved eight grade A* and three grade A results, include Habeeb Mohammed who will read Mathematics at the University of Oxford, Kyra Radley who will read English Language & Literature at the University of Oxford and Charlotte Pywell who will read Chemistry at the University of York.
Head teacher Charlottle Badarello said: “I am delighted to see this incredible set of results, having taught many of the students over the last four years.
“This is an impressive group of young people, who have been integral to the growth of the school, who have an exciting future ahead of them.
“In schools, we often talk about resilience, and I cannot think of any other year group that have had to overcome so many obstacles.
“I would like to congratulate the students, and of course the staff who have supported them on their journey, and as a community we look forward to celebrating in their future success.”
12.13am
Park House School
Students at Park House School performed “exceptionally” in this year’s A-Level exams.
In a year where grades have gone down dramatically across the country, Park House “bucked the national trend” with some significantly improved results.
This year, 22 per cent of Park House grades were either an A* or A, 53 per cent were A*to B and 80 per cent of all results were A* to C.
James Nicoll achieved three A*s in his A-Level results.
He said: “I thought I was going to get three As so I was quite surprised when I opened them.”
He is “very excited” to begin studying physics at the University of Exeter later on this year. To celebrate, he will be going out in town with his girlfriend and the rest of his mates.
Alexis Sugden attained two A*s, two As and a B. He said: “I can’t really complain with what I’ve got. Obviously I didn’t like to see a B, so I might appeal that, but I’m still happy.
“I knew this year that there was going to be less As and A*s and that worried me a bit, but I’m still happy with my results.”
Alexis will be taking a year out where he hopes to find a job in the science industry, before applying to get into Oxford or Cambridge to study chemical engineering next year.
Unfortunately, he won’t be able to properly celebrate his results as he’s working today.
“I’ve been asked to come out, but work comes first,” he said.
Isabelle Dodridge said she was feeling “very good” about her results, having achieved a Distinction*, A, B and a C.
She will be taking a year out to travel around South East Asia, before going on to study sociology and education at Cardiff University in 2024.
“I’m feeling a bit nervous, but I think everything will be good,” she said.
Max Seaward will be beginning an apprenticeship after finishing his school education at Park House. He said: “I’m feeling pretty good. I got some alright grades so yeah, not feeling too bad.”
To celebrate he will be “getting lit” in The Hatchet pub with his friends.
Other notable Park House students who achieved fine results include James Sherlock who got two A*s and two As and will be studying Economics at the University of Leeds and Laura Sheldon who will be studying computer science at the University of Birmingham after receiving grades of A*, A, A, B.
Lottie Bull will be studying psychology at Cardiff University after securing A, A, B, Nicholas Mackay is headed to the University of Exeter after attaining three As and Scarlett Lynch will be studying law and criminology at the University of Bournemouth after achieving two Distinction* grades, a Distinction and a C.
Park House headteacher James King said: “We are delighted with the results this year, which are a real testament to all of the hard work and commitment of both the students and the staff.
“It is worth noting that this group of students have had the most turbulent time in education and this was the first time they have gone through the full examination process.
“For these students to buck the national trend of declining results in such spectacular fashion is nothing short of amazing.
“They have shown a huge improvement on last year’s grades, with the average grade moving from a C to a B which is a huge leap.
“We are really happy with their outcomes and wish them the very best of success for their futures.”
12.33pm
Little Heath School, Tilehurst
Little Heath School has congratulated its ‘lovely cohort’ of students who all passed in all vocational courses.
Of them, 45% of grades awarded were Distinction or Distinction*.
Overall, the school said academic attainment was high, particularly in comparison to pre-pandemic results.
This year, nearly half the grades achieved in A-level qualifications were A* – B.
A high number of students have secured places on a range of courses at Universities around the country including The University of Cambridge, Bristol and University College London among many others.
Students who have decided to pursue alternative Post-18 pathways will be starting degree apprenticeships with Amazon and higher apprenticeships with Thames Valley Police and Accountancy with James Cowper Kreston.
Head teacher David Ramsden said: “All our staff have enjoyed working with the 2023 Year 13 cohort.
“They have coped well with everything over the last two years and deserve all the success they have achieved.
“They are a lovely cohort and we wish them the absolute best for the future.”
He added: “As a school, we pride ourselves on our strong relationships between students and staff.
“We would like to thank our teachers, leaders and support staff who have worked with our students throughout the last two years helping them to achieve excellent results.
The school has celebrated notable performances from a number of students including Charlie Oke who achieved three A*s and an A, Tasmin Yuille who achieved two A*s and two As and Jacob Taylor who achieved four As.
Josie Gray achieved a Distinction*, Distinction and B and Aliza Asad who achieved two Distinctions and Merit.
Denefield School, Tilehurst
Denefield School students are celebrating their grades too which four students achieving three As or higher in their A-Levels.
Over 84 per cent of students have confirmed university places at their first choice university including several at Russel Group universities.
They will take places on courses from Law to Drama to Midwifery.
Others have secured prestigious apprenticeships including at Mercedes Benz, and one student is heading into the armed forces.
Many Denefield students are also heading into the world of work in ambitious roles, including roles at the air ambulance service.
Denefield’s top achievers have been given a congratulations.
Rachel Corker achieved an A* and two As, Harriet Jackman achieved an A* and two As, Glenn May achieved one A*, two As and a B and Kyra Marshall achieved three As.
2.42pm
The Willink School
The headteacher of The Willink School has called the A-Level results of his year 13 students a “considerable achievement”.
Of the 102 students who took exams, 25 per cent of all grades attained were A* to A, 52 per cent were A* to B, 75 per cent A* to C and 97 per cent of all exams were passed.
Headteacher Peter Fry said: “The Willink congratulates our many students who have achieved so well this year—the schools’ largest year 13 cohort.
“This is a considerable achievement, particularly following the rollercoaster of the last few years, and they thoroughly deserve their successes.
“My thanks to staff not only for their teaching, but also for the outstanding personal advice and guidance provided to students.
“Although mainly due to the readjustment in grades in England post Covid, the proportion of students achieving the highest grades A to B were down on recent years, the results are up compared to 2019.
“We are delighted to report that most of our students have secured the grades they required to pursue a wide range of courses all over the country.”
4.55pm
Mary Hare School
Pupils at Mary Hare School were celebrating today after they achieved a 100 per cent pass rate in all their exams.
The school, specialising in the education and support of deaf young people, has seen its students achieve a 100 per cent pass rate for grades A* to E in A-levels and a Pass to Distinction* in Level 3 Diplomas and BTECs.
Students pursuing vocational qualifications at levels 1 and 2 also excelled, securing 100 per cent passes across all qualifications.
All students have been offered places in their first or second place university choices.
Mary Hare principal Robin Askew said: “Our mission is to secure the future for deaf children and, as is evident in today’s results, our Sixth Form students now have the power of choice for their next steps.
“It is important that special schools like Mary Hare continue to remove barriers to learning and allow the pupils to demonstrate their full potential.
“Our pupils have worked hard to overcome the impact of deafness, such as delayed language development, and have performed at levels equal to their hearing peers.
“Students, their families, and the staff have worked together tirelessly to attain these results, and I extend my gratitude to all for their contributions.
“I hope our students enjoy celebrating today as they look towards a bright future.”
Downe House, Cold Ash
More than 20 per cent of the pupils at Downe House in Cold Ash are heading to Oxford, Cambridge and other top universities this year.
The school said 42 per cent of students achieved three or more A*-A grades. Amongst them, 14 girls achieved an outstanding 4 or more A*-A grades.
Many girls will be on their way to study on courses including fine art, engineering, music and english language and literature at Oxford, natural sciences at Cambridge; PPE and biomedical sciences at King’s College London among other places.
Others will be off to study at prestigious destinations across the world, including Parsons USA, European University Cyprus, and the University of Hong Kong.
Headmistress, Emma McKendrick said: “I could not be more proud of the class of 2023 who are moving on to top universities across the globe after achieving a very successful set of examination results.
“They have made invaluable contributions to school life in every field, have led the School community with distinction, commitment and compassion, and leave us equipped and ready to make the most of the opportunities that they will have.
“They are above all young women who want to make a positive difference and I have no doubt that they will.”
The school said: “We have a strong focus on preparing our students to be ‘world ready’, giving them the knowledge, and the skills and know-how to face their futures with confidence.
“And the Class of 2023 are now all set to do just that.
“We congratulate each and every student on their results and wish them well as they take their next steps beyond Downe House and become part of our global alumnae community.”
