The determination and resilience of Year 13 pupils throughout eighteen months of remote learning bore fruit in August.
71% of pupils attained A or A* grades – the best result in the School's history since the introduction of the A* grade. 92% of pupils attained A*–C grades, while the School's pass rate (A*–E) remains at 100%, far exceeding both the national average and the national average for independent schools in 2021.
The Principal said, 'Our Year 13 pupils deserve all the credit in the world for coming through what was an incredibly difficult period to accomplish some remarkable results. Their collective will to succeed, coupled with our outstanding academic and pastoral provision, enabled them to remain on course at a time when there was so much uncertainty surrounding them ... We wish them well on the next step of their journey and our thoughts and best wishes go with them.'
Year 13 pupils in the Ferguson Centre on Results Day
Director of Studies and Deputy Vice Principal Mrs Williams hands out results
Individual highlights – A-level
A brilliant role model for younger members of the School, Richard rounded off his time at Rydal Penrhos with 4 A* grades, in Geography, Maths, Music, and Physics.
In our previous newsletter, Richard and his mother wrote a fantastic article on the school secretary and female mountaineer, Hester Norris.
He is now heading to the University of Durham to study Physics.
Anna was an outstanding leader as Head Girl in difficult circumstances over the last year.
Her studies brought her superb results in the form of three A*s in English Literature, History, and Religious Studies.
Anna is taking a gap year before she decides what to study at university.
Kevin achieved a brilliant 4 A*s in Biology, Chemistry, Maths, and Further Maths, and will go on to study Medicine at Nottingham.
Kevin Farrell collects his results
Like Kevin, Vanessa achieved a fantastic 4 A*s, in Geography, History, Maths, and Physics. Vanessa was also on the shortlist for her entry in the University of Oxford's 2021 Global Essay Competition, administered by the John Locke Institute. Vanessa's essay was in History, a subject that will form part of her Liberal Arts degree at the Northwestern University, Illinois.
Like Richard, Morgan's exceptional A-level results have earned him a place at the University of Durham to study Physics. Morgan took 4 A*s in Maths, Further Maths, Geography, and Physics.
Finally, Oliver Winters-Jones earned a magnificent set of results in the form of 4 A*s in Economics, Maths, Further Maths, and Physics. His will now head to the University of Nottingham to study Maths.
GCSE results were similarly impressive. No fewer than 68% of GCSE candidates secured either A*–A or 9–7 grades, while 93% secured A*–C or 9–4 grades.
Year 11 pupils put in a huge amount of work in uncertain and disrupted circumstances and can be very proud of their achievements.
Individual highlights – GCSE
Year 11 pupils open their results in the Ferguson Centre
22 of last year's 29 Year 13 pupils are going to university this year, with 21 of them securing their first choice of university. Of the remaining seven pupils, six will take gap years, while Rocco Molina-Franco beat hundreds of applicants to earn a place on Qioptiq‘s four-year degree apprenticeship, which will lead to a BSc in Electronic Engineering.
University degrees this year range from Engineering and Physics at Durham to Law & American Studies at the University of Sussex.
Two pupils will head to the States, for liberal arts degrees at the University of Michigan and the Northwestern University, Illinois, while four pupils will continue their education in Wales, for degrees in Paramedic Science at Swansea, Music at Bangor, and Physiotherapy and Business Economics at Cardiff.
Finally, we are particularly excited that Adrian Lewis is heading to Warwick for the university's unique 'MORSE' degree, in Mathematics, Operations Research, Statistics and Economics.
