A-level Examination Results Summer 2020 – Didcot Sixth Form

Despite national uncertainty and volatility, Didcot Sixth Form, a partnership between Didcot Girls’ School and St Birinus School, is celebrating a year of record-breaking A-Level results. Students in this cohort have worked hard throughout their time with us and have been predicted consistently strong results. We are delighted that the grades most students were awarded today recognise this hard work, and allow our students to go on to ambitious destinations.

These results include excellent performance at the highest grades, with nearly two in five exam entries awarded at grades A or A*. Significantly, two thirds of all exam entries achieved grades A*-B and 100% of grades were awarded an E or above.

A-Level results are strong across the full range of subjects. In Further Maths, over half of grades were awarded A*. Other subjects where 50% or more of grades were awarded at A* or A include Dance, Drama, Music, French, Latin, Physical Education, Maths and Photography.

In summary, for the 149 students who completed their A level studies this year:

• 38% of all entries gained A*-A grades (13% A*)

• 66% of all entries gained A*-B grades

• 86% of all entries gained A*-C grades

• 100% of all entries gained A*-E grades

As a school community, we celebrate the achievements of all of our students but there are some exceptional individual performances that deserve special mention. Two students have gained entry to Oxford and Cambridge Universities: Amelia Norman (A*A*A*A) to study History at Cambridge, and Rose Faure (A*AB) to study Medicine at Oxford. Rose said this morning: "I'm genuinely excited to be going to study something I am so passionate about after aiming for it for so long" and Milly is delighted that after “months of apprehension it's really good to know that I've got to where I want to go".

Heidi Omar achieved four A* grades and is going on to study Mathematics, Owen Pickles achieved A*A*A A and is going on to study Law, and former Head Boy Sam Watson achieved A* A* A* A and is going on to study Computer Science. 36 students – over a fifth of the cohort – have achieved at least three A-grades and are about to embark on successful university careers at a range of Russell Group universities. It is particularly pleasing that the overwhelming majority of students have achieved their first-choice place of university, against a backdrop of unprecedented volatility in higher education.

James Cross, Director of Didcot Sixth Form, said:

“We couldn’t be prouder of our Year 13 cohort today. Regardless of the nature of recent news coverage, I believe each of our students should open their results today with pride: they have been a wonderful cohort, have worked hard since the first day of Year 12, and are destined for success regardless of the adversity they have faced. We are an academic sixth form that is inclusive in its intake, whilst being ambitious for our students and their futures. I'm delighted that we have students going to the top universities, into the world of work, and into ambitious apprenticeships - for example, at the UK Atomic Energy Agency. Behind these results are unique stories of adversity and challenge, sustained hard work and, of course, considerable potential."

Rachael Warwick, Executive Headteacher of Ridgeway Education Trust, which includes Didcot Sixth Form, said:

“In a year that has been challenging in so many ways, I am delighted for our students who have achieved much-deserved success in unprecedented circumstances. We are ready to offer support and advice to any student who would value a conversation about how to navigate their way through their next steps whatever these may be. Congratulations to all of our students of whom we are extraordinarily proud today."

Our Director of Didcot Sixth Form, Mr Cross, was interviewed on BBC Radio Oxford this morning. You can hear the interview by clicking the link below, from 7.15

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08lysg9

A PDF of our press release can be accessed here:

DSF-Press-Release-A-Level-Results-2020.pdf