We are delighted to celebrate the achievements of our 2023 Leavers who, as a year group, have been fondly described as ‘optimistic, enthusiastic and hard working with a strong sense of community spirit’. These qualities have certainly served them well, with 70% of all grades being awarded at A*- A which is the highest since 2011.

This is particularly impressive when considering this year group was unable to sit their GCSEs, so they faced the challenge of A Level examinations without any prior formal examination experience. Congratulations to our 2023 Leavers on their resilience, determination and hard work!

We are also pleased to share the following statistics which reflect the 2023 Leavers outstanding achievements:

• 42% of students achieved A*-A
• 94% of students achieved A*-B
• 40% of students achieved A* for their Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)*
• 88% have been offered places at their first choice of university

Our Leavers’ will be heading off to a variety of leading universities to read a broad range of subjects. Destinations include Cambridge, Oxford, St Andrews, LSE, Durham, Exeter, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Warwick, Bristol, Cardiff, Royal Holloway, and Liverpool.

Courses being studied are wide ranging and include Medicine, Architecture, Veterinary Science, Classics, Dentistry, English Literature, Computational Physics, History, Psychology, Law, Data Science, Philosophy, Chemistry, Sociology, Modern Languages, History of Art, Geography, Liberal Arts, Ancient History, and Anthropology.  

Congratulations to all of the students who have worked exceptionally hard to gain their places at these universities.

Our 2023 Head Girl, Sienna Wong, has successfully secured her place to read Veterinary Sciences, while Deputy Head Girls Hannah Thorneloe and Anna Wateridge will both be heading to the University of Durham to read International Relations and Classics respectively.

In addition to Sienna’s success in Veterinary Science, STEM subjects have been particularly strong, with Jemima Back securing a place to study Medicine at Exeter and Judy Fong securing her place to study Dentistry at the University of Birmingham.

Twins, Amelie and Celeste Olsoff both have Scotland in their sights, with Amelie securing a place to read Ancient History and Celeste reading International Relations and Modern History both at the University of St Andrews.

Deputy Head Academic of St Mary’s Calne, Mr Michael Smyth commented:

‘We are delighted with this year’s outstanding A Level results which are testament to the hard work of our girls throughout the Sixth Form. In the context of Ofqual’s return to pre-pandemic levels of attainment and the disruption pupils suffered at the start of their studies due to the pandemic itself, I was exceptionally proud of every one of our 2023 Leavers.

Two trends of these results are particularly noteworthy. Firstly, over 70% of grades awarded were A* or A. This is our best performance at A*/A since 2011 and bucked the national trend. It was heavily predicted that there would be a significant squeeze on top grades but, as our unofficial motto, goes ‘Calne Girls Can’ and they certainly did! Secondly, the results were also remarkable in terms of value being added. Objective baseline measures indicate that some pupils outperformed expectations by over two whole grades. On average, pupils achieved 0.8 of a grade higher than expected, which is a school record at A Level.

My thanks go to all the members of staff – academic, pastoral and administrative – who have supported the girls to achieve such excellent results. I truly wish our 2023 Leavers all the very best for their future endeavours where I am sure they will continue to shine.’

Notes:

*The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) allows students to demonstrate their ability to pursue independent study and helps them to develop critical thinking, project management and research skills which prepare them well for the next stage of their education at university.

**Foundation Scholarships are offered to gifted and talented pupils who require financial support to join St Mary’s Calne.