Superb A Level Results for Burgess Hill Girls

Burgess Hill Girls is celebrating another superb set of A Level results. Maintaining an unbroken 100% pass rate, well over half the girls gained A*-B grades in three or more subjects. This is the essential requirement for admission to the most competitive universities. Over 80% got a place at their first choice university on results day.

The girls’ diverse interests and aspirations, together with expert and individually tailored university application support, means the majority will take up places at their first or second choice universities. Girls applied for 96 distinct university courses from over 50 different universities, both here in the UK and overseas. Course choices ranged widely from Animal Behaviour to Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, from Civil, Chemical and Structural Engineering to Game Art, and from Plant Biology to Film and TV Scriptwriting.

Over 70% of the cohort took at least one STEM subject and many have won university places on STEM courses. Elvie Beaumont, a pupil since Year 9, outperformed her predictions, achieving A grades in Chemistry and Maths, an A* for Fine Art and an A* in her EPQ on immortality. She will take up her place at Manchester to read Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry. Stefanie Hiestermann also beat her predictions gaining A grades in Chemistry and Maths and an A* in German. Stefanie will join Elvie at Manchester to read Chemical Engineering. Rebecca’s straight A*/A grades earn her a coveted place at Imperial College, London to read Mathematics with Statistics for Finance. Georgina Griffiths’ high grades in Biology, Chemistry and Geography secure her a place at Nottingham to read Plant Science.

Liberal Arts, humanities, languages, social science and creative courses remain popular choices and results in these subject disciplines are impressive. Bea Brindle, who joined the school in Year 6 and went on to be Head of Watson House, added a grade to each of her predictions, gaining a straight A*/A profile. She goes on to read Drama and English at Birmingham. Isabel Woodings, a pupil since Reception, also outperformed her predictions gaining straight A grades for Fashion and Textiles, Music and Classical Civilisation. Emma Lawrence outstripped her predictions in all subjects, getting straight A*/A grades in English Literature, Religious Studies and French, and will read Philosophy at Edinburgh. Further exceptional achievements mean that Sophie Rowson will be reading Geography at Bristol, Melody is off to Durham to read Business and Management, Romy McCutcheon gains a place to read Geography at Exeter and Millie Peel-Yates will go on to Bristol to study English Literature.

Results in the Extended Project Qualification were outstanding, with 100% A*-A grades and 75% achieving an A*. The EPQ is a required element of the Sixth Form BOLD programme at Burgess Hill Girls. EPQ topics studied this year included the effectiveness of President Buhari’s government of Nigeria, the thematic similarities between Lautréamont’s ‘Maldoror’ and Tove Jansson’s Moomintroll stories, the impact of the women's rights movement on English literature, the application of psychology to performance anxiety in sports, the influence of childhood experiences on gender identity, gun laws in the USA, the potential dangers for human existence before the holocene epoch, and the environmental impact of a completely vegan society.

Head Liz Laybourn said: “Burgess Hill Girls prides itself on maximising outcomes through its personalised academic programmes, wider challenges and level of individual attention. We encourage young women to take up every opportunity, aim high and take risks, test their mettle and push themselves further than they believe they can go. The range of destinations shows the confidence the girls have to explore broad horizons.”