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Preparation, perspiration and progress: IB and IGCSE Results

02 Sep 2019

Eleanor Prescott Principal

The beginning of the new academic year always starts with us looking back at the final, frantic and (hopefully) fulfilling weeks of the one before, as we review the sterling efforts of those pupils in years 11 and 13 who undertook their IGCSE and IBDP examinations. While this is understandably a tense and often stressful time for our pupils, where months and years of learning must be successfully recalled and channelled into the space of a few short hours, I’m immensely pleased to say that they have performed exceptionally well – and they now have the results to prove it. While a detailed breakdown of both sets of results would make for a very long read, I think that the following highlighted statistics tell a compelling story of our pupils’ efforts:
IBDP
  • 36.6 points (of a maximum of 45) was our pupils’ average score, against the global average of 29 points
  • 1.89 was their Core IBDP elements (ToK, EE, CAS) average score, against the global average of 1.22 points
IGCSE
  • 72% of all grades were 9-7 (A*-A)
  • 51% of pupils achieved eight or more 9-7 grades (A*-A) grades
  • 4 pupils achieved ‘a clean sweep’ of nine A* or 9 grades (with one achieving ten)
For the IB pupils, their outstanding scores have secured them the privilege of attending many of the top colleges and universities around the world. With a strong UK showing for this latest group of newly minted Old Wellingtonians, many of their paths lie in the direction of Russell Group universities such as the University College London, the London School of Economics, University of Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and Exeter, as well as King’s College London. Others are heading towards the United States, to take up courses at the University of California Berkeley, New York University and other prestigious institutions. Wherever they are headed, we wish them the very best of luck.
"It’s been absolutely thrilling to see our leavers achieve their ambitions for securing the next stage of their educational journey. Not only have they achieved excellent results, without fail they have successfully forged their own path ahead, one which excites and intrigues them. For example, we have pupils who achieved very highly in their IBDP results – enough to access top tier institutions around the world – yet have opted to attend less well-known universities in order to study courses that are entirely suited to their personal ambitions. I’m very proud that our pupils have the courage and clarity of vision to choose their educational future based entirely on what is right for them."
Ewan McCallum Head of Sixth Form
For the IGCSE, the strength of the (then) year 11 cohort’s overall academic ability was made clear, as pupils achieved commendable results across the majority or entirety of their subjects, with no single weak point or blind spot. For example, 93% of Chinese examinations resulted in an A*, 78% of Spanish results were a top grade of 9, as were 45% of all English language grades, and 41% of all physics grades. By performing consistently well across the sciences, languages, humanities and sports subjects, they are well placed to start their IBDP course from a position of overall strength.
"It is entirely fitting that our pupils have achieved such excellent results overall. I’m impressed but not surprised, given the diligence, tenacity and sheer hard work they put into their preparatory studies – however, it’s always great to see pupils converting all of this into fantastic exam performances overall.  I think this says a lot about our pupils’ commendable attitude to learning. We rightly talk a lot about the top end achievers, but the entire list of results holds all manner of individual success stories. We have pupils who have developed in English since joining the school 5 years ago to the point where they have nine IGCSEs, with several top-grade results. This just goes to show that a great attitude and a willingness to learn can elevate any pupil to a higher place, which is exactly what this cohort have done for themselves. "
Matt Corke Assistant Head Senior School
The reason that this year, as in previous years, our pupils have been successful in gaining offers to attend excellent and exciting universities around the world is so much bigger than their IBDP points score. Behind each individual pupil’s score is a much grander story, made up of the CCAs they attended, the scholarships and fellowships they mastered, the teams they competed in, the life lessons they learned and a million other small but important elements. These are the things, alongside their daily intake of new knowledge and abilities, that give them an edge and will prepare them for the challenges of higher education and whatever waits for them afterwards. Likewise, our new year 12s are similarly ready for the next step in their education path, no doubt emboldened and buoyed by their success. Results are important, they open doors and serve as handy measurements of progress, but they are indictive of many other things going right in our pupils’ daily school lives. As they learn, grow and think of their futures, we applaud their successes while continuing to spur them on to new and greater achievements.
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