Pupils at Rydal Penrhos School once again achieved an impressive 100% pass rate in their A-level exams. 65% of the entries were awarded grades from A*-B, which is the best performance by the school since the introduction of the present A-level curriculum in 2000, and 81% were graded A*-C.
Among the top performing candidates Emily Harrison scored 2 A*s and an A grade, which secured her place at Exeter University to read English and Drama; James Fulker, from Llandudno, achieved 1 A* and 2 As, and will be going to Bath University to study Mechanical Engineering; and Sion Roberts from Llanfairfechan scored 3 As, and will be studying Physics at Edinburgh University.
Almost all the candidates have confirmed places at their chosen universities, including York, Edinburgh, Warwick, Cardiff, Bangor and Swansea. The departments scoring all grades B or above included Economics, English, Further Mathematics, Geography, History, Photography, Physics and Religious Studies.
The results of the International Baccalaureate were published in July, and the average points score of 33.7 represented a significant improvement on last year’s performance for the 25 candidates who sat this year’s IB exams.
The maximum individual score in the IB is 45 points, and Laura Nunez-Mulder, from Holmfirth in Yorkshire, achieved this distinction, making her one of only 108 candidates out of 127,000 across the world to score full marks. She has secured a place to study Medicine at Cambridge University, following a similar path to former pupil Jenny Southern, who scored maximum points in 2010 and is currently studying Medicine at Oxford.
The combined mean UCAS points score for our leavers was 387; this means that pupils left the school this summer with the average equivalent of 2 As and 1 A* each.
Patrick Lee-Browne, the Headmaster, said: ‘We offer both A-levels and the IB in the Sixth form, which allows individual pupils to play to their strengths and choose their own pathway to university entrance. This year the IB candidates have given the best performance of any year group since we introduced the IB in 2003, and our A-level cohort have achieved some of the best results since Curriculum 2000 was introduced.
They will be going on to a wide range of universities to follow demanding degree courses, and they have been well prepared by their time in the Sixth form to make the most of that next stage of their lives. The teaching staff have been fantastic in their willingness to go the extra mile to support and encourage the pupils in readiness for their exams, and everyone should feel extremely proud of the achievements of all our leavers. We’re delighted with these results, and really pleased that so many of the pupils will be going on to their chosen universities.’