Queen’s College Taunton has achieved its best A Level results ever this year and has topped the tables locally for A*A and B grades over the past few years making it one of the top schools in the South West.
79% of all A Level papers at Queen’s College were graded A* A and B with an impressive 18% awarded the top A* grade. 52% were awarded A* and A grades and 92% were A* -C. All five successful Oxford and Cambridge candidates were able to confirm their Oxbridge places this morning.
18 year old national runner Blair Brown from Corfe in Somerset who won the UK English Schools Track and Field Championships televised on Sky last month is aiming for a place in the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Blair, a sports scholar at Queen’s College, had to compete in the 2000m steeplechase, 1500m, 3,000m and cross country races and win Taunton, county and regional rounds in order to be selected for the UK team as well as still managing to gain A* in Biology, A* in PE and A in Maths.
Blair will be continuing his training whilst studying sports technology at Loughborough University where he wants to develop the technology behind new lines in sports kit for athletes. He came second in the English Schools Track event and qualified for the English Schools Home Internationals where he represented his country aged just 16. He was also placed 6th in the English Schools Cross Country Championships in March and has just been nominated for the Young Achiever’s Award by Somerset Athletics Sports Partnership.
In addition Blair has played for Queen’s College first cricket, hockey and swimming teams (breaststroke) for the past three years. He achieved five wickets against the MCC and was awarded free tickets to Lords where he met the players and was presented with his award on the pitch.
Said Blair: “I realised how much I loved running when I won the Queen’s College Junior School pancake race in Year 4. I represented my school in the National Prep School Finals and now train daily with Taunton Athletics Club doing track and field sessions, gym and pool work and conditioning. I had to miss my final speech day at Queen’s and our leaver’s ball to compete in the UK championships but when I passed the finishing line in first position it was all worth it. I am going to have to earn some money over the summer holidays to help towards university but I cannot wait to go to Loughborough. It has such a great sporting tradition and the quality of the facilities and coaching are excellent.”
Benjamin Judge (18) from Stawell, near Street in Somerset, who joined Queen’s College with an academic scholarship from a local secondary school, is aiming to go on to King’s University College London to study Politics of the International Economy. Ben gained A* in Politics, two As in History and Critical Thinking and B in Maths as well as achieving an A* in his EPQ extended essay. Ben is a passionate debater and has been a core part of Queen’s College’s consecutive victories in the prestigious Bath International Schools Model United Nations for the past two years, where he argued on current world issues such as the situations in Iran and Syria. Alongside his fellow Queen’s teammates, Ben beat 650 students from 55 schools and was awarded the Outstanding Delegate prize. After debating against tough opposition, he also reached the regional final in the English Speaking Union Mace debate. Following on from this, he led the organisation and running of Somerset’s first ever Model United Nations Conference in March 2012, which attracted 170 students, representing 35 teams from other Somerset, Dorset and Devon state and independent schools. Ben also ran 9QUMUN, a Model United Nations conference for Year 9 pupils last year where he helped train younger students from secondary schools around Taunton on how to put forward persuasive arguments on topical issues.
Ben, who is looking forward to becoming “more of a political animal at university” and has his eye set on a career in either politics or law, has also represented the school on the games field in rugby, hockey, tennis and fencing. He has written an Extended Project essay on the extent to which civil liberties have been eroded by terrorism and has undertaken work experience with Taunton Deane MP Jeremy Brown in Westminster where, amongst other things, he worked on a select committee report for constituents who were concerned about the recall of MPs.
Said Ben: “My peers have been a real inspiration here at Queen’s. I have been working in a healthily competitive atmosphere and have been surrounded by focused and driven people who want to succeed which has really spurred me on to do well. My teachers, especially my politics teacher Dr Taylor, have been excellent and their passion for their subjects has really inspired me to push the boundaries and find where I want to go next”.
Said Headmaster Chris Alcock: “Reflecting on what our students have attained shows what a rounded education we offer here at Queen’s College. Not only have they gained excellent academic results, these pupils have been empowered to achieve personal excellence and really follow their aspirations.
“Here at Queen’s College we want to enable young men and women such as these to have the life skills as well as the academic results they need to pursue the careers of their choice and to go on to top universities. Small class sizes, inspirational teaching and a supportive and aspirational environment really does make the difference.”