​Churcher’s College A Level results 2021

Simon Williams, Headmaster at Churcher's College, shares a letter regarding the A Level results for 2021.

As evidenced by GB’s success at the Olympics, despite all the restrictions and deprivations of the last couple of ‘Covid years’, it is quite amazing what can still be achieved. The A Level results and university entry success at Churcher’s is yet another example of what stunning achievement can be reached despite adversity.

For the whole of their A Level course, this year’s Year 13 cohort have faced obstacle after obstacle to their success. Months of online, remote learning; enforced self-isolation; facemasked lessons and social distancing; everything you can imagine to make learning and achievement difficult.

Last year’s A Level grades were based on predictions of the outcome for each candidate, what they would achieve if everything was going swimmingly. This year’s cohort, however, had to prove their worth; they have been required to provide direct evidence of the standard at which they were working. With Exam Boards scrutinising that evidence there can be real confidence in the grades that have been awarded and that they are a fair reflection of ability and attainment.

With all the differing approaches over the last few years to A Level result ‘calculations’, it is invalid to compare overall school results with previous years but, for the record, those overall results this year are as follows:

Provisional Cumulative Percentage:

A*: 30.8%

A*-A: 70.7%

A*-B: 91.5%

A*-C: 98.9%

A*-D: 100%

A*-E: 100%

That these results are so buoyant, despite all that they have faced, is testament to the stoicism, innovation, inspiration and sheer efforts of the students and their teachers; these hugely impressive A Level grades represent so much more than in years when there has been no global pandemic to contend with.

A Level grades are both an epilogue and a prologue; a conclusion to secondary education and, for almost all students at Churcher’s, the curtain-raiser to their time at university. Once again those students have been hugely ambitious with their applications, applying to the most competitive courses at the most prestigious universities. Their efforts and ambitions have been rewarded. With a knock-on effect from last year, university places this year have been even more sought after than ever but, once again for Churcher’s students, the university entry success rate has been phenomenal.

Commentators are talking about the British success at the Olympics as being the ‘miracle of Tokyo’. In a few years’ time, when we reflect back on the pandemic times, I have no doubt we will also be talking about academic miracles; applauding resoundingly, and without caveat, the A Level students over these last couple of years for their achievements and the remarkable stoicism they have shown during these troubled times.