As the dizzying pace of changes in A levels threaten to destabilise national results this year, it was “business as usual” for students at Newcastle’s Royal Grammar School (RGS) who once again scored top grades.
In a great set of results, the RGS’s 173 A level candidates have once again achieved at very high levels:
- 30.5% of grades were at the top A* grade
- 65.7% were at either A* or A
- 87.7% were at A*, A or B
- 25 candidates achieved A* in all their exams, of whom:
- 13 achieved A* in 4 exams (all included Further Maths)
- 12 achieved A* in three exams (4 gained A*A*A* plus A)
- 59 candidates achieved all A* or A grades
Headmaster Dr Bernard Trafford, who retires this week, commented:
Context: a challenging new pattern of exams
“To say that such great results are ‘business as usual’ at the RGS is tempting: but these top results have been achieved at a particularly challenging time. Our teachers and students alike have been coming to terms with a new style of linear exam, new syllabuses, new courses: to score at their usual stratospheric level (even a little up on the last two years) does them enormous credit. It shows great resilience on the part both of our hard-working students and of our fantastic teachers who constantly challenge and inspire them.
Courage called for!
“The changes have called for some courage. Our subject departments have made some bold decisions when choosing their new exam syllabuses in terms of changing exam boards and, in the case of History, abandoning the traditional A level in favour of the relatively-recently developed Pre-U course.
The scramble for university places
“Of course, for our ambitious students the exam results are really all about gaining places on highly competitive courses at prestigious universities. Despite the fact that so many were seeking to satisfy very demanding conditional offers, with these results under their belt I’m confident their success rate will be very high.
Leaving a strong school
“As I finally head off into the sunset (this retirement’s been a long time coming!), I’m delighted to leave the RGS confident and academically as strong as ever.”