Year 13 students at Durham High School are celebrating a fantastic set of A Level results, following a tumultuous two years in education. An incredible 69.4% of the results were graded A*-A, with the A*-B grades at 91.8%. Such outstanding results would be commendable at any time, but are even more remarkable considering the context under which the students sat their A Levels this year.
Special congratulations to the following students who all achieved A*/A grades: Saskia Moses, Aaliya Hyder, Verity Place and Jagrup Uppal. Also congratulations are in order for Emma Hunt who will be taking up her Choral Scholarship at University of Oxford, where she will read Music at Somerville College.
The School is thrilled that, overall, the vast majority of students were able to take up their first-choice university or degree apprenticeship offers. They will now be embarking on a diverse and wide range of courses from Accountancy, Veterinary Science, Medicine and Oceanography, to Ancient History and Archaeology, Journalism and Musical Theatre.
They will also be studying in all corners of the country, with students headed to, amongst others, the Universities of York, Bath, Durham, Leeds, Newcastle, City of London and Birmingham.
This is the first set of A Level examinations to have taken place in the UK since 2019, with most, if not all, pupils taking their first ever public exams, after the Covid pandemic led to cancellation of GCSEs in 2020.
Principal, Mrs Simone Niblock, was delighted with the results and praised all the students and staff for their hard work. She said, “We are so proud of our girls for their success today, which highlights their forbearance and strength in character in what has been an unprecedented number of years for them, and all young people across the country.”
“The group had their GCSE examinations cancelled at the last minute, then they went through an extensive period of remote learning during Year 12 and continued to see some disruption throughout this last academic year. Throughout all of this, our superb Upper Sixth showed great diligence, perseverance and resilience, and they deserve to reap the rewards of their hard work.”
“We would also like to acknowledge the brilliant work of our staff, who have been indefatigable in their approach throughout this last two years to ensure we continue to provide the highest quality of learning, and ensure the best possible outcomes for our students.”
“We congratulate all girls on their achievements and wish them well as they embark on the next step of their educational journey.”
