Another Year of Outstanding A-Level Success

This year students at Merchant Taylors’ Schools have been rewarded for all their hard work and effort with an outstanding set of A Level results.  Over three quarters of the year group, at both the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools, have achieved A* to B grades.  It is expected that the majority will be awarded their first preference place at some of the UK’s top universities.  Academic subjects are the mainstay of the top grades reflecting the personalised teaching environment and small class size advantage of the Sixth Form.  This achievement is significant at a time when standards are being tightened and grade inflation is being prevented.

Merchant Taylors’ is particularly proud of the accelerated progress students make throughout the senior years.  National data from the A Level Performance System (ALPS), a student focused system which collates data from over 1500 schools, colleges and FEs, demonstrates that students are making the best possible progress through Key Stage 4 and 5 curricula.  Headmaster of the Boys’ School, David Cook, said “ALPS results place our Schools in the country’s top band for value added teaching and learning.  With one of the lowest fees in the UK this is an outstanding measurement for a northern based school. These results, which consistently year on year place us as the leading the school in the region, demonstrate the value and excellence of the education we offer. ”

Headmistress of the Girls’ School, Louise Robinson, is also delighted with the results; she said “I am very proud of the girls’ academic success and impressed by their ability to balance a demanding curriculum with important extra-curricular interests.  We encourage students to enhance their academic achievements through Extended Project Qualifications and a wide range of extra-curricular activities such as sports, drama, music and Duke of Edinburgh awards.”

Top achievers this year are Laurence Duncan and Lydia Seed.  Lydia, with 4A* grades, has gained a place at St Andrews to study medicine.  She balances her academic study with a passion for music and drama.    Talented musician Laurence, who has achieved Grade 8 for trumpet, flute and piano, will go to Warwick to study Maths after achieving 4 A* and 1 A grade.