Hereford Cathedral School students have enjoyed outstanding successes again in today’s A-Level results, breaking all previous records. This year sees over a quarter of grades being awarded an A*, the School’s best ever outcome in public examinations.
This summer’s results have been impressive across the board, with excellent outcomes in all subject areas. The Maths department boasts superb results this year with almost three quarters of pupils achieving A*/A grades, while in Further Maths two thirds of grades achieved were A*. Over half of grades achieved in English Literature were A*, while in both Music and Drama, 100% of students achieved A*/A grades.
Outstanding individual achievements include Seyi A and Beren G (above), both of whom have achieved their dream of heading to Cambridge University this autumn.
Seyi (right) who achieved a clean sweep of A*s in Chemistry, Maths, Further Maths and Physics, will read Engineering with a choral scholarship at Corpus Christi College, while Beren (left) plans to read Mathematics at Trinity College, having gained A*s in Maths, Further Maths and Physics, and an A in French.
Seyi said: “I’m really excited and so thankful to all of the teachers for helping me along the way.”
With her sights set on engineering, Seyi won an Arkwright Engineering Scholarship in 2021. Alongside her studies, she has led the School symphony orchestra as principal violinist, sang the soprano line in the School’s internationally acclaimed Cantabile Choir, Chamber and Chapel Choirs, as well as leading her fellow pupils as a senior monitor, all of which have enriched her time at the school. “My best memory of HCS has been the music, singing in the choirs, playing in the orchestras and the feeling of camaraderie you get from doing that.”
Beren, who enjoys a diverse range of activities including badminton, rowing, climbing and chess, was similarly grateful to his teachers: “The teaching and support in sixth form at HCS has been really good. Whenever I needed help or had any concerns, the teachers were always there.”
Other top performing pupils include Tom S (above left) who achieved four A* grades in Chemistry, Economics, Maths and Further Maths, Daniel P (A*A*A*A) (above, right) and Sarah G (A*A*A*) (below left). Daniel feels the support he received from his teachers has helped him achieve his full potential: “The support has been really good in the sixth form, not just teaching me exactly what I needed for the course, but also pushing me a little bit further when I’ve been interested in certain topics and reinforcing my knowledge.”
Daniel plans to read Maths and Physics at the University of Warwick while Sarah has won a place at the University of Bath to study Business. Tom plans to take a gap year before studying either Economics or Maths at university.
As well as outstanding outcomes in Maths and the Sciences, the arts subjects have also seen an excellent set of results. One exceptional drama student, Maia C-O (above, right), has won herself a place at the University of Exeter. Having achieved an A* in Drama A-Level and starred as Lady Macbeth on The Courtyard stage earlier this year, this will allow Maia to take her drama studies to the next level.
Maia credits the school’s teachers with putting her on the right path for her hoped-for future career: “I’ve received so much support at this school. From the moment that I joined, everyone has been so friendly. Being a part of the choirs and the drama department, part of Cantabile and the Chamber Choir and also having the opportunity to play Lady Macbeth, and running the Year 7 & 8 drama club – that’s been amazing”.
Another talented pupil, Esme S, will read Music at University of York this autumn and is similarly positive about her experiences: “The teachers have been amazing and really supportive throughout the exam experience and the covid lockdowns, especially in Music. I’m very sad to be leaving but excited for the future.”
Amongst the school’s highest achieving pupils were twins, Cameron and Natalie T (above), who between them bagged seven A*/A grades including an A in EPQ (Extended Project Qualification). Head of School, Cameron, was hugely grateful to his teachers for giving him such excellent preparation for the path ahead: “Seeing all the teachers today and saying thank you has been the best thing about it because they’ve put two years’ hard work in as well as us, so it’s been great!”
Alongside the School’s A-Level successes were outstanding results for Sport BTEC students with almost three quarters of grades awarded distinction and starred distinction. Alex S achieved a double starred-distinction in his BTEC alongside A-Levels in Biology and Chemistry.
Dr Gray, Headmaster, congratulated the students on their exceptional levels of success: “I am absolutely delighted with this year’s record-breaking A-Level results as we celebrate the School’s best ever outcomes in public examinations with over a quarter of grades being awarded an A*.
“Our Year 13 students have worked with incredible determination and industry to achieve this extraordinary level of success. They are an extremely talented, delightful, and conscientious group of young people who have outstanding qualifications to their name. Their results will open up several doors of opportunity for them in educational and employment contexts both now and in the future. Our Year 13 pupils are going to take up places at some of the world’s most prestigious universities including Oxbridge, Russell Group and other highly selective institutions both in the UK and overseas.”
He also acknowledged the challenges this cohort has needed to overcome: “To fully appreciate this year group’s accomplishments, one must also remember that these recent A-Level papers were their first ever experience of public examinations, having had their GCSE and A Level experiences impacted by the pandemic. These results are testament to their resilience, and the expert teaching and guidance from our wonderful and talented teaching staff.”
