Kingston Grammar School students achieve a superb set of A Level results

Kingston Grammar School students achieve a superb set of A Level results

We are delighted that KGS students have real cause for celebration today, having outperformed the School’s A Level results achieved in 2019, the national benchmark for this year’s results. Just under 30% of all grades awarded were A*, with 66% of grades at A*-A and 89.2% A*-B. These outcomes are especially pleasing given the decision by the Government and Ofqual that results for A Level and GCSE examinations would return to pre-pandemic levels of 2019, which inevitably meant an especially nervous wait for young people throughout the UK.

These headlines are, of course, made up of numerous individual successes. Particular congratulations go to those who achieved an outstanding 4 A*s: Alistair Anthony, Henry Hill, Martha le Huray, Catherine Monaghan, Chloris Wong and Laura Ziehms.

This is followed by a further 15 students with a very impressive 3 A*s each: Eloise Cross, Oliver Dawson, Daniel Hepburn,  Leon Feltham, Sam Harcourt, James Keywood, Rohan Korpal, Catherine Mullally, Caitlin Oxborrow, Min Suh Park, Frank Pye, Amelie Scott and Daniel Wilding. Rounding off this list are twins Maddie and Millie Good who have secured places to read Criminology and Criminology & Sociology respectively. No need for any puns about the mood in that household today!

While the discussion nationally may be focused on the reduced number of top grades, there is a particular focus at KGS on the exciting opportunities that so many of our students are now about to embark upon. Of particular note are those that continue to secure places on courses at top universities in the face of increased competition from overseas students.

Eloise Cross will take up her place to read History & French at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, alongside Leon Feltham who goes to read Natural Sciences at Homerton. Katie Monaghan will read Natural Sciences at Gonville & Caius, with Chloris Wong reading Engineering at Churchill College. Taking up places at Oxford University are Alistair Anthony who will be reading Classics at St Anne’s, and Caitlin Oxborrow reading Law at Somerville.

With application numbers for medic-related courses higher than ever, we are delighted that Edward Phillips and Amelie Scott have been accepted to read Medicine, and Rohan Korpal to read Dentistry. In addition, Jaewoo Park and Heertthana Peterarulthas will study Medicine, with Alice Lodge studying Physiotherapy, following applications made during their gap year.

We are, as ever, particularly pleased by the broad range of interests shown by KGS students, which is reflected in an increasingly diverse choice of degree course. These include many courses in the creative arts. For example, Fin James will be studying Theatre & Performance at the renowned Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, Luis Knowles will be attending the highly prestigious Music & Sound Recording (Tonmeister) degree course at Surrey, Casper Cook has gained a place to study Fashion Imaging & Illustration at University of the Arts London and Toby Ison will be studying Technical Theatre at Guildhall School of Music & Drama. Xian Leonard will be reading Global Sustainable Development at Sheffield, and both Alexi Cross and Jackson Ginn are going on to study Aerospace Engineering at Manchester.

We also celebrate the increasing number of students exploring opportunities to study overseas including Melker Lannero who will be at the Stockholm School of Economics from next year, Jasmine Levell who is going on to study at the Bocconi University in Milan, and Riya Nathan who will be going even further afield having gained a place at UC Santa Barbara. Joining her in the USA are rowers Lola Crampin and Matilda Drewett who will be taking up full rowing scholarships at Berkeley and Stanford respectively, Matilda having recently been crowned as an U19 Rowing World Champion on top of her academic achievements!

Head Master Stephen Lehec said: “With the national media narrative being one of reduced top grades and potentially disappointed students, I am thrilled that this hardworking and committed cohort of students at KGS have fulfilled their potential with this excellent set of results. With the unfailing support of their teachers and families, they have achieved superb academic outcomes alongside a rich and diverse co-curricular life. This balance is at the heart of what makes KGS such a happy and thriving school and will set these young people up well for the next stage in their lives. As we bid them farewell, we thank them for their good humour, their absolute engagement with life at KGS, and their immense contribution to their communities through charitable and voluntary work. We know that our alumni, our ‘Old Kingstonians’, go on to make a genuine and very positive difference to the world.  We look forward to following their journeys and sharing in their success stories in the future. We are exceptionally proud of them all.”