News

15 August 2019

Hard work and dedication pays off as John Lyon 2019 A-Level students hit 100%

Two years of dedicated A-Level study has paid off for John Lyon’s 2019 A-Level students, with every one of the 218 exams sat by 72 boys awarded a pass.

And with an increase in the numbers gaining A*-C grades – 85%, up from 80% from 2018 – John Lyon’s newest former pupils will soon head to universities across the country, from St Andrews to Imperial College London, via Oxford, to read subjects including medicine, law, architecture, economics, engineering, chemistry, politics and classics.

RESULTS HEADLINES

  • 100% pass rate
  • Nine pupils (13%) achieve straight A*/A
  • A quarter of pupils (26%) achieve two or more A*/A
  • Half of all students (49%) gain at least one A*/A
  • 85% of all exams marked A*-C
  • 60% of all Mathematics papers marked A*/A
  • Every exam in Music, Latin, Classical Greek and Further Mathematics awarded A*/A
  • Two pupils achieve entry to Oxford

The strength of learning and achievement across the whole curriculum stands out. Cornerstone subjects including Mathematics (60% A*-A), English (over 90% A*-C including one paper marked 99%) and the sciences (two-thirds A*-B) show continued strength.

At the same time subjects taken by diminishing numbers of pupils across the country but which remain integral to a John Lyon education have provided exceptional results: no papers were marked lower than an A in Music, Latin, Classical Greek and Further Mathematics; none lower than a B in Drama, Spanish and French; none lower than a C in History, Art and Philosophy.

There are also excellent results for a number of students in the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), which affords students the opportunity to choose their own topic, giving them responsibility for their own learning and development, and teaching new skills such as independent research, project management, reflection and self-directed learning.

Individual success are many. Oxford University will welcome both Arjun Cheema (A* A* A* A* A) and Asher Weisz (A* A* A*), reading Chemistry at Wadham College and Classics at Balliol College respectively.

Alex Richardson (A* A A A) will study Computing at Imperial College London, Dhiren Harji (A* A* A B) and Yenuson Venderkoon (A* A A B) will study Economics at Warwick, Imad Rajput (A A A A) will study Medicine at Imperial and Nathan Cuttica (A A A) will study Philosophy at St Andrews.

After collecting his results, Yenuson said: “It’s been quite exhilarating. It’s one thing to be anxious waiting for exam results but then achieving them, seeing the happiness in everyone else and looking forward to what’s to come is another thing altogether. I’m looking forward to campus life at Warwick University, not only studying what I enjoy and want to do in the future, but having a good time with the new people I meet there.”

As ever, entry to institutions in the University of London is high for John Lyon’s 2019 A-Level students, with places guaranteed at UCL, King’s, Queen Mary and Royal Holloway. Other leading Russell Group universities around the country will enrol John Lyon boys, including Nottingham, Leeds, Durham and Cardiff.

Other students will take up courses at other leading universities and performing arts institutes, take gap years before embarking on the next stages of their lives, go into part-time study alongside the workplace, or move straight into post-school employment.

Reflecting on results day, and how students had performed given recent restructuring of A-Levels, John Lyon Head Miss Katherine Haynes said: “Not only have our Upper Sixth students performed outstandingly, working hard alongside their teachers to achieve their grades, they have done so as A-Levels were being moved to a system in which all exams are taken at the end of the final year and there is much less focus on coursework.

“We have seen our top A* and A grades increase, while nationally they have decreased, and the list of universities many of our students will now attend is illustrious.

“John Lyon prides itself on offering a broad academic curriculum so it is especially pleasing to see success in such a wide variety of subjects, including in subjects that are being offered in a decreasing number of schools. We hope this success in areas such as Music and Classics will inspire younger boys to explore them further in the years to come, alongside core subjects such as Mathematics, English and the sciences.

“We wish all our departing 2019 A-Level students well in their lives and adventures.”