Superb A Level results for diligent King’s Ely students

King's Ely’s hardworking and resilient Sixth Form students have achieved a fantastic set of A Level grades.

Following what has been a challenging 18 months for everyone involved in education, whether learning or teaching, Year 13 pupils at King’s Ely have plenty of reasons to celebrate.

Of the 89 students in the year group, 38 have scored the top A and A* grades in all of their subjects; over two-thirds of grades are A*-A overall and almost 90% are A*-B, meaning 96% of students have secured a place at their first-choice university or institution.

The results will see students taking up places at universities and institutions across the world in subjects as diverse as Economics to Architecture and Linguistics to Sport Science.

Jonathan Shaw, Head of King’s Ely Senior, said: “Our Year 13s were one of the highest achieving cohorts at GCSE and, as such, we always expected a strong performance from them at A Level. We are delighted for our pupils, who have achieved some outstanding results. All schools have faced numerous challenges and obstacles over the last 18 months and these results reflect the hard work and dedication of both the pupils and their teachers. Whilst exams were not sat in the traditional manner, they underwent a rigorous set of assessments to determine their grades. These excellent results are extremely well-deserved.”

David Harris, who has been a student at King’s since joining King’s Ely Junior in Year 7, achieved A* grades in Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. He is off to the University of St Andrews to study Mathematics. David said: “I’m very happy with my results; it feels like all my hard work has paid off. I hope to pursue a STEM related career after University, perhaps in Engineering. I’m a member of the King’s Ely Golf Team and plan to play plenty of the sport at St Andrews. The support I have received throughout my time at King’s has been brilliant, especially so during the lockdowns. What makes King’s special is that each student is treated as an individual person, something I’m not sure happens in every school.”

Katie Wood achieved three A* grades. Katie’s subjects were Spanish, French and Textiles, and she has secured a place at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London to study a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design. She will then be heading to the University of Bristol to study the History of Art and Spanish. Katie, who has been a student at King’s since joining in Year 5, said: “I am so passionate about my subjects and this has been instilled in me by my amazing teachers. They are all so enthusiastic and talented, and genuinely care about each student they teach, which has undoubtedly got me to where I am today. I am the most confident I have ever been, and I feel excited for the next chapter, which is all down to King’s.”

Will Ingless, who has been a student at King’s since joining King’s Ely Junior in Year 6, achieved A* grades in Politics, History and Geography, and is off to the University of Warwick to study Politics with International Relations. Will said: “I was so, so pleased when I received my results. I feel I worked hard and that these grades reflect the work that I put in. It’s certainly been a challenging couple of years for obvious reasons, but I actually feel that I have benefited from the pandemic in a way. I feel more independent as a learner and feel better prepared for university life. King’s has been so supportive in so many ways, and that is because I am known as an individual here, not just a student. I am excited for Warwick, but I am going to miss King’s lots.”

John Attwater, Principal of King’s Ely, said: “Through the pandemic, much was said about the Class of 2021 being a lost Covid generation of students. Their achievements today nationwide show that this is anything but the case. In fact, because of the adaptability, self-motivation, resourcefulness and initiative they have had to show to continue their studies through unprecedented times and uncertainty during their courses, they are probably better prepared for the discipline of university study than many generations before them.

“This reinforces to me that, even in normal times, an off-the peg experience of exam preparation does Sixth Form students no favours in the long run and indeed radically underuses and under-develops the capabilities and skills they will need later on. And it is why I have every confidence that this generation of King’s Ely Sixth Form students, and those who follow afterwards, will have benefitted from a holistic education full of academic, co-curricular and pastoral leadership opportunities, which brings out these skills and has, I am sure, contributed to our students’ success today.”

To discover more about opportunities at King’s Ely, please visit: www.kingsely.org