100% of the pupils passed at the school, with a staggering 87% gaining all A*s and As and 57% of students achieving all A*s.
Top GCSE marks go to five Bristol girls: Anastasija Bates, Philippa Jones, Alice Gargan, Alexandra Uren and Charlotte Carter.
Top swimmer, Anastasija Bates from Redland, who has been chosen for the Great Britain Training and Development Synchronised Swimming Squad and hopes to represent Great Britain in the 2016 Olympics, has also managed to gain 2A*s and 7As in her GCSEs. Anastasija, who is a member of Bristol Central Swimming Club, has swum recently in the British Championships where she swam a technical duet with her partner Charlotte Frost. She has taken part in an open competition internationally and won the Winn Cup for commitment to sport at Badminton. Anastasija intends to train as a full time athlete before going into medicine and this summer is undertaking work experience at the BRI.
Said Anastasija: “Fitting in my synchro swimming commitments has been a real challenge but the staff at Badminton have been really supportive. If I manage to get into the senior Great Britain world competitions, I receive funding from the Lottery and British Gas, but it is not much, so I will need to work part-time lifeguarding. However that doesn’t put me off – I am really ambitious. I train every day and eat more than my Dad! I am lucky to have swum extensively, not only in Badminton’s pool, but also at Crystal Palace where Tom Daley trains, as they have a deep diving pit which we need for lifts, and at the High Performance Army Centre in Aldershot.
Philippa Jones, who wants to be an investment banker, is well on the path to her dream having received a stunning 9A*s in her GCSEs. Captain of both the netball and hockey teams at Badminton, Philippa, aged 16, is one of the youngest girls playing for Clifton Ladies U18 Hockey Team and plays four times a week. She has been awarded both the Vitrix Ludorum and Ovation Cups for her sporting achievements and is also a keen fencer. A grade 5 violinist, grade 5 singer and a member of the school choir and Schola Cantorum, Philippa has also undertaken work experience at an investment bank, a law firm and worked as a classroom assistant in her local primary school. Philippa is aiming to read Economics and Management at university and would like to be involved in investment in renewable energy.
Alice Gargan from Clifton is also aiming for a career in medicine and would like to work in genetics following gaining a tremendous 9A*s. She will be spending her summer undertaking work experience in the genetics department at Bristol Children’s Hospital and has also spent time in the paediatrics department and in A&E. Alice is a keen synchronised swimmer and came third in the national championships in 2009 and first in the club championships. In 2008, she came first in the nationals and first at the South West regional finals and swims five times a week at Bristol University and Filton. Alice is also plays Goal Attack for the school netball team, Defence in the first hockey team and is also a member of the rounders team. She is a grade 5 pianist and grade 3 saxophonist and has won speech and drama awards. She has just finished her Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award, helps coach the juniors in rounders and athletics and loves art, especially textiles.
Academic scholar, Alexandra Uren from Stoke Bishop, has had a difficult year with the death of her Grandmother in the middle of her mock exams, but that has not stopped her from gaining 7A*s and 2As. Alex, who is a grade 5 violinist and grade 3 singer is also grade 7 in speech and drama. She plays Wing Defence in the first netball team and Centre Back in hockey and also plays hockey for Old Bristolians. A keen sailor, Alex has also completed her Level Two RYA powerboat course and has a Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award. She has been awarded both the Junior Vitrix Ludorum price and the junior sports prize. As she is interested in a medical career, Alex has undertaken work experience at the Bristol Children’s Hospital shadowing an orthopaedic surgeon and over the summer has been working in the immunology department at Taunton Hospital with AIDS and HIV sufferers and in the pathology department at Southmead. She intends to work at a care home next year and do Chemistry, Biology, Latin and Religious Studies and Philosophy for her A Levels.
Clay pigeon shooter, Charlotte Carter, who is a boarder at Badminton, has hit the target with 7A*s, 1A and 1B in her GCSEs. A keen scuba-diver and kick boxer, Charlotte has a bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award and is a great swimmer. She won the Iris Murdoch Senior Award this year for creative writing and is planning a career in neuroscience – brain surgery in particular. She is going to do work experience at St Georges Hospital in London with a neurosurgeon over the summer and is taking Biology, Chemistry, English and Maths for her A Levels.
Badminton School has achieved the top results of any school in the South West for the past fifteen years and is currently one of the top schools in the country.
Commenting on the impressive results, Badminton’s Headmistress, Jan Scarrow said: “Badminton is an expert in educating girls and understands not only how girls learn but also how to provide the emotional support they need to achieve their full potential.
“We have some inspirational staff at the school who provide a stimulating and happy environment which is ideal for learning. Coupled with small class sizes and plenty of individual attention, it is not surprising that students here are able to achieve some pretty impressive results.
“However, it is the girls themselves who really make the difference and our congratulations go to all our students who have worked so hard.”