With Bradfieldians from the Class of 2023 heading off to impressive university destinations such as Imperial, UCL, Durham, Newcastle, Stanford, Bocconi and McGill to study a range of courses from Politics, Classics, International Relations and Psychology to Electronic and Information Engineering, Biomedical Science and Computing, the College could not be more proud of the examination results achieved by our A Level and IB Diploma pupils this past summer as well as those of their GCSE counterparts.
Indeed, 75% of UCAS applicants secured places at their first- choice university and 21% took up their insurance offers with pupils also gaining places through clearing or planning to make applications during their GAP years.
Those studying the increasingly-popular IB Diploma continue to deliver as all of our candidates achieved the full IB Diploma and three of our pupils achieved the coveted Bilingual Diploma. In line with other exam boards, the IB had widely communicated an ambition to bring grade distributions back in line with pre-pandemic levels and the global average has dropped accordingly. However, we are delighted to note that this adjustment has been much less pronounced than we expected and our impressive 36-point average, compared to 30.2 globally and 34.7 nationally, is testament to the energy and resilience of our pupils and staff.
We are incredibly proud of this year group who have shown determination and calm resilience over the last two years to produce these excellent results.
Elizabeth Wells, Deputy Head (Academic)
Over a quarter of our pupils achieved 40 points or more, widely considered to be the gold standard worldwide and above almost any university requirements. One pupil scored the maximum 45 points putting them in the top 1% of all candidates globally. In years gone by, we might have highlighted the 60% of our pupils who have achieved over 34 points, since that was the typical entry level for most Russell Group universities. However, the long-term credibility of the IB qualification is such that many such institutions are now accepting scores in the region of 32 points, a score 74% of our pupils achieved or exceeded.
Our IBDP pupils have a breadth of interest which reflects the values of the College itself and we wish them well in further studies in Politics, Economics, Classics, Business, International Relations, Sports Science, Biomedical Science, Engineering, Languages, History, Psychology and Mathematics, at top universities across the UK, Europe and the United States. Destinations include competitive courses at UCL, Durham, Nottingham, Newcastle, Exeter, Birmingham and Northeastern University.
Fellow Sixth Formers sitting A Level public examinations without modification for the first time since 2019 returned equally outstanding results. 11.3% of grades were A*, 40% A*/A, and 73% A* – B; a great achievement in the context of grading nationally dropping back to pre-pandemic levels.
Five pupils secured 3 A*s or higher (AS level in parentheses) including Darryl (F) who returned A*A*A*A(A*) and headed to Imperial to read Electronic and Information Engineering and Gabriel (D) who returned A*A*A*A(A*) and also joined Imperial to read Computing. Although most pupils will take up places in the UK, it is very much an international arena with a significant group headed overseas, to the US, Canada and Europe such as Stanford (USA), Bocconi (Italy) and McGill (Canada).
A fitting reward for their diligence and their many talents. I salute their achievements and the great efforts of their teachers.
Dr Christopher Stevens, Headmaster
Perhaps even more important than the grade levels and university destinations, these results are testament to a group of young people who have thrived, having worked incredibly hard in some of the most trying circumstances.
“The 2023 leavers worked stoically through years of COVID disruption and sat public exams for the first time in their final term”, said Dr Christopher Stevens, Headmaster. “Their success is a fitting reward for their diligence and their many talents. I salute their achievements and the great efforts of their teachers.”
“We are incredibly proud of this year group who have shown determination and calm resilience over the last two years to produce these excellent results”, added Elizabeth Wells, Deputy Head (Academic). “These results are testament to the diligence of our pupils and the skill of their teachers and support staff.”
This year’s GCSE grades are therefore testament to the maturity and perseverance of the pupils and the commitment of an expert team of teachers and tutors.
Elizabeth Wells, Deputy Head (Academic)
Following the excellent Sixth Form results the College was pleased to see their GCSE counterparts also achieved very strong results. Over a third of all grades were scored 9/8/A*, and 56% were scored 9-7 (A*/A). In the context of grades nationally dropping to 2019 standards, this level of achievement is impressive and is just reward for a talented group of Bradfieldians who have shown resilience and adaptability throughout their time at the College.
12 candidates secured six or more Grade 9s (A*s) and there are many truly exceptional individual performances including Katharina (K) (9999999999A), Grace (K) (9999999997), Luka (C) (9999999987A) and Tony (E) (999999987A)
This year group began their time at Bradfield in 2020 when the pandemic dealt all pupils a cruel blow, in particular to their foundation year at the College. “Learning is a social, emotional experience made harder by remote and socially distanced teaching”, commented Elizabeth Wells. “This year’s GCSE grades are therefore testament to the maturity and perseverance of the pupils and the commitment of an expert team of teachers and tutors.”
