Windermere School is celebrating its eighth year of International Baccalaureate results with a very impressive ninety-seven percent pass rate, the highest ever for the School.
And the records did not stop there. Out of a maximum of forty-five points, this year saw eight students scoring forty points or more, which represents just over a quarter of those who passed the IB Diploma. On a global scale, only five percent of IB students attain a score of forty or more. According to UCAS, this level of success is equivalent to achieving three A Stars at A Level.
Special mention goes to the following students. Miles Blanch and William Chamberlain, who both achieved a score of forty-two; Hynek Halakuc, Sina Nokodian and Alexandra Redhead, who scored forty-one; and Michal Andrzejewski, Jack Wee Ng and Thea Winn-Reed, all of whom scored forty points. Having obtained a starred double distinction in his BTEC in Outdoor Education, Jonathan Harwood may also achieve a score of over forty when this is combined with his IB subjects.
On the strength of these results, many students have already secured places at their chosen universities, seven weeks ahead of the publication of the A-level results: Miles Blanch, Jack Wee Ng and Sina Nokodian have secured places at University College, London; Alexandra Redhead and Thea Winn-Reed have secured places at Durham University; Mohammed Lawan has secured a place at the University of Edinburgh; and Michal Andrzejewski and William Chamberlain have both secured places at the University of Saint Andrews to read Economics and History respectively. Marta and Mariia Zinicheva achieved 39 and 38 points respectively to secure places in the USA and Canada.
An understandably delighted Headmaster, Ian Lavender, was full of praise for the students and the staff, “We are thrilled with this year’s International Baccalaureate results. They represent a culmination of much hard work on behalf of both the students and the staff. There was wonderful atmosphere at the School this morning, as students learned what they had achieved, in many cases achieving beyond what they thought was possible.”
Other causes for celebration for the School were the average score achieved by the students, as well as the results of the bilingual diploma.
The average IB score this year was thirty-four, equalling the previous record, which was set in 2011. To put this into perspective, the average score worldwide in 2015 was thirty. What’s more, results could be even stronger as a number of students at the School were within one point of the next grade boundary in several subjects, which could lead to a re-mark.
Twelve of the students this year gained the bilingual diploma. Representing thirty-nine percent of the students, this is the School’s highest ever percentage in the bilingual diploma.
Ian Lavender added, “The IB continues to provide a fantastic foundation for university and several of the students who left last year have contacted me to say how well prepared they have felt as they embark on their further education courses. I am delighted that so many of our students have, once again, achieved so highly. This success comes as no surprise given their hard work over the last two years.”
The School would like to wish this year’s leavers the very best in all that they do.