St Swithun’s has a long-standing reputation for academic rigour and success.
Pupils achieve on average almost one grade higher at GCSE than their already significant baseline ability would suggest. At A level their value-added score is approximately half a grade higher with a quarter of all results a grade higher.
St Swithun’s students celebrate excellent A Level results
St Swithun’s School in Winchester is celebrating its strongest set of A-Level results in a non-pandemic year since 2015.
92% of A Levels at the leading all-girls’ school were graded A* to B while 69% were A*/A.
Half of the year group earned grades AAA and above while three-quarters gained AAB or higher. 40% of all U6 students achieved at least one A* grade.
As a result, St Swithun’s students have been accepted into a wide range of the most prestigious universities in the UK including Bath, Bristol, Durham, Edinburgh, Exeter, Imperial College, LSE, St Andrews, UCL and Warwick.
For a third year in a row over 10% of students have earned places at the universities of Cambridge or Oxford.
In the two largest A-level subjects for the year group, just under 80% of students undertaking maths received A*/A while 83% studying chemistry were awarded A*/A. These far exceed the national figures for grades A*/A, 40% in mathematics and 31% in chemistry for girls in England.
Students also achieved highly in in French (75% A*/A), German (100% A*/A), history (75% A*/A), politics (75% A*/A) and psychology (76% A*/A).
St Swithun’s headmistress Jane Gandee said, “These A-level results reflect the energy and curiosity that our students bring to their studies, alongside the unwavering commitment of our staff. At St Swithun's, we aim to develop our students’ ability to think independently and to challenge assumptions both in and beyond the classroom. This has served them well in their A-levels and should do the same at university and beyond.”
Head of Sixth Form, Nick Fyfe added, “We are thrilled with the outstanding results our students have achieved. Their success is not just a reflection of their academic abilities, but also of the personal growth and confidence they have developed during their time in the Sixth Form. Our tailored approach has empowered them, both as students and as individuals.”
Academic, Music and Sport scholar Louisa P will be heading to Cambridge University to study Modern and Medieval Languages after obtaining three A*s. She will be joined by Esther K who achieved four A*s and will be studying Natural Sciences at Cambridge.
Eunice M also achieved an incredible A*A*A*A and will be reading Accounting & Finance at London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
Rhiannon B excelled in her exams and obtained four A*s. She will head to Exeter University to study Natural Sciences.
Head girl Alice E and Deputy Head girl Annabel J are both off to Oxford University to read History after achieving A*A*A and A*A*A* respectively.
St Swithun's School Celebrates Impressive 2024 GCSE Results
St Swithun's School is pleased to announce the achievements of its students in the 2024 GCSE examinations. With a continued commitment to intellectual curiosity and personal development, the school community is proud to celebrate this year's results. In 2024, 80% of grades were 7/A and above, with 30% of results at grade 9 and 58% of entries graded 9/8/A*. Studying a demanding academic curriculum, students completed an average of 9.7 GCSE qualifications each.
Among the school's top achievers, ten students earned all 9/8/A* grades, with over half of the year group gaining six or more grades 9/8/A* and a quarter achieving nine or more grades 9/8/A*.
There were excellent results in biology (70% grades 9/8), design and technology (73% grades 9/8), history (76% grades 9/8, with 52% at grade 9), Latin (71% grades 9/8) and religious studies (78% grades 9/8). There were also particularly strong performances in modern languages, with 79% grades 9/8 in French, 83% grades 9/8 in German and 67% grades 9/8 in Spanish. In mathematics 84% of students earned grade 7 and above, and over a fifth of the cohort also took the challenging IGCSE further mathematics examinations, achieving 88% grades 9/8.
Headmistress Jane Gandee shared her delight at students' successes, saying: "These results are a reflection of our students’ enquiring and focused approach. We are proud of their achievements, which embody the spirit of excellence and curiosity that we strive to cultivate at St Swithun’s. It is especially gratifying to see our students excelling academically while also thriving in activities like sport, music, drama, academic enrichment, volunteering and the Duke of Edinburgh Award. The well-ranging education they receive here will serve them well as they move on to their next challenge."
One of the year's standout performers, Chloe J from Four Marks, achieved nine grade 9s and one grade 8 highlighting exceptional commitment and academic excellence. Chloe plans to continue her studies at St Swithun's, pursuing A Levels in biology, English literature, history and mathematics. She was joined by fellow day girl Megan W from Winchester, who achieved 10 grade 9s and one grade 8 whilst contributing significantly to the school’s academic enrichment programme by introducing and leading a popular Makaton club.
Boarder Claire C from Beijing completed 12 qualifications, earning 11 grade 9s and one grade 8. Not only has Claire excelled academically, but she has also been actively involved in the school community as a language ambassador, and part of school musical productions as well as Swithun and Chamber Choir and mathematics competitions. She will be continuing her studies in the sixth form at St Swithun's, focusing on A Levels in chemistry, computer science, French, mathematics and further mathematics.
Marharyta D, who joined St Swithun’s from Ukraine at the start of Year 10, gained six grade 9s, three grade 8s and one grade 7. Winner of the school’s house music competition, Marharyta impressively plays cello to grade 8 standard. She was also admitted to the Junior Department at the Royal College of Music and will start attending the weekly classes on Saturdays there in September. She plans to study A Levels in mathematics, further mathematics, music and Spanish in the sixth form.
Naomi W achieved ten 9's and two 8's in her GCSE’s. Over the summer she has attended the London SMP Super Maths Camp, where she gained third prize in the challenge competition, and she is currently at the UKMT 2024 National Mathematics Summer School.
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