This year we entered our largest ever cohort of students and achieved our best ever A Level and BTEC results. We also managed to sustain our commitment to giving a place at Wallingford Sixth Form to every one of our students who wanted one, and did not withdraw anyone because they were not heading towards impressive grades.

Two headlines that we are especially pleased with are:

• 66% of A Levels were at grade B or higher. That is the best result we have ever had and staff have delivered that with the harder reformed A Level courses.
• 100% of A Levels sat were passed, which was achieved without withdrawing any students either at the end of Year 12 or after the mock examinations. This is the first time we have ever managed this and shows a strong commitment to helping those who struggle with A Levels.

We have no departments in the bottom 25% for value-added nationally. 15 out of 18 are significantly above national average, with 10 subjects in the top 25%. Many departments have really excelled themselves.

It rather looks as if the students’ achievements will place them in the top 20% or so for value-added. That would be for the sixth year in a row.

A record this year is especially impressive. The students and their families always deserve considerable credit for the way they go about their studies and support students. This year, perhaps the staff deserve more of the plaudits. It would be easy in a year of significant change to take the foot off the accelerator. That the teachers put the students first and improved things still further speaks very highly of their care and professionalism.

For A Levels:                                     2018                2019

Number of pupils:                             112                  121

% of entries A* to A:                         25                    25

% entries A* to B:                             56                    66

% entries A* to E                               99                    100

Our vocational courses have done well also. There are no subjects with value-added in the bottom 25% with 6 of 9 adding considerable value compared to students on vocational courses elsewhere. Particular praise goes to Health and Social Care and Applied Science who have done an especially impressive job. Our vocational offer served 50 students who are not entirely suited to the way A Levels are learned.