Outstanding Performances from Isleworth and Syon Sixth Formers

Excellent results in year when grading was made tougher

Isleworth and Syon Year 13 pupils with their results

August 18, 2023

Isleworth & Syon School has described the results of its Year 13 students as fantastic.

At A level, the top performer was Arjun Notay, scoring three A*s and one A. This follows his clean sweep of A*s at GCSE two years ago and he now heads to Imperial College London to read aeronautical engineering.

Joining him at university this September will be Alexander Pandey and Matthew Nunan, who are heading to Manchester and Sheffield respectively after earning two A*s and two As apiece. Alexander will use his computing A level to study computer science, while Matthew will build on his A level geography learning to continue with the subject.

Deputy Head Student Bryn Horton took advantage of the school’s science and maths A level provision to earn an A* and three As; he heads to UCL to read physics. Similarly, his physics classmate Arham Khalid achieved an A* in that subject plus two additional As – he will study a physics with nanotechnology course. Denzel Mansaray continues the school’s long line of future biomedical undergraduates, achieving straight As on his way to study at UCL.

The school also support students who take a gap year to consider their next steps; one such example is Ahmed Mustafa, who achieved an A* and two As today and is considering a medical route.

The school’s vocational outcomes were also extremely strong. In a competitive employment landscape, the school was particularly pleased with the vocational computing results. Mohamad Rosstom achieved a computing double Distinction* as well as a Distinction in applied science; he is now pursuing an apprenticeship, looking to get some hands-on computing experience via a programming or software route.

He is one of several Isleworthians encouraged towards apprenticeships this year. Zain Muhammad’s Double Distinction* and a Distinction will stand him in good stead to continue his computer science studies at Westminster. Among the business cohort Cristian Johnson Castro will take his Distinction* - plus a Distinction and another Distinction* - to Queen Mary University to read business and economics.

Alexander Standing combined double vocational sport with A level film – he was delighted with his double Distinction* and B grades as he heads off to pursue football coaching and talent development undergraduate degree.

Co-Headteachers Simon Fisher and Jo Higginbottom commented, “Our students’ commitment, resilience, and work ethic has been remarkable. We would like to thank them for their hard work, as well as their parents/carers for their support. Whatever students have planned next, we are proud of their achievements and wish them well. We know many of our students are heading off to some of the best universities in the country - but we are also delighted that many will enter the world of work via apprenticeships or another route. They are inspiring and talented young people, and we are proud to have launched them into their next phase of young adulthood. They join some already illustrious alumni, and we look forward to keeping in touch and hearing of the undoubtably amazing things they will achieve.”

Mr Kevin Burke, Headteacher of Gunnersbury Catholic School, said, “We’re absolutely delighted for our students for achieving such fantastic A-Level and BTEC results. Throughout their years at Gunnersbury, they have worked exceptionally hard, engaged superbly with their teachers in learning, and have always been exceptionally supportive of their fellow classmates. They are an absolute credit to their families and our school. With great pride, we say goodbye to these young women and young men as they leave Gunnersbury to start their university lives or to take up apprenticeship programmes. We wish them well and look forward to hearing of their future success.”

Cllr Lily Bath with successful students at Gunnersbury Catholic School

A Level and Level 3 Vocational students at Chiswick School also performed relatively well.

55% of students who studied Maths A Level awarded an A*-A grade. 33% of grades in all subjects were awarded A*-A which is significantly above the national average. 87% of all the grades were at A*-C set against a national backdrop where results were lower after three years of record increases.

For many of the students, this was the first set of public exams they ever sat but, on the back of these results, students’ destinations include Oxford or Cambridge plus an array of Russell Group universities, apprenticeships, employment and gap years spent volunteering and travelling.

Head Students Amber and Max are both heading to their first choice universities in September. Amber to the University of Leeds to study Biology after obtaining A*AAB and Max to the University of Manchester to study Politics and International Relations after obtaining ABB.

Some other top performers include:
• Zoe A*,A A* will be studying Philosophy and Linguistics at University of Oxford
• Xing A* A* A*, A* will be studying Mathematics at University of Cambridge
• Ahmed A*A,A will be studying medicine at University of Nottingham
• Kyran A*A*,A will be studying Engineering at University of Sheffield
• Sarah, A*A,A,A will be studying English Literature at University of Leeds
• Abdirahman A A A will be studying Chemical Engineering at Queen Mary University
• Jack A*AA will be studying Engineering at Durham University
• Ruby A*AA will be studying Economics and Politics at University of Leeds
• Zeenat AAA will be studying Psychology at University of Warwick
• Alisia A*A*A will be studying Psychology at University of Southampton
• Huda A*AA will be studying Neuroscience at Kings College London
• Matilda A*AA will be study Chemistry
• Olly AAA will be studying music at The Guildhall

Headteacher Laura Ellener said, “Our aim has always been to provide students with an amazing place to learn and to become one of the best schools in the country. Over 50% of all grades in Maths, chemistry, history and philosophy were A*-A which is remarkable and shows that we are well on the way to achieving our dream. These results represent the hard work and determination of students, their families and the staff at Chiswick School.”

Deputy Headteacher, Graham McNamara added, "We are immensely proud to announce this year's outstanding A-level results, a testament to the unwavering dedication and commitment of both our students and staff. Despite the challenges faced, our students have once again risen above and shone brilliantly, showcasing not just academic excellence but resilience and determination. We celebrate each individual's achievements and look forward to seeing the remarkable contributions they will undoubtedly make in the future. Congratulations to all!"

At St Benedict’s in Ealing nine students have achieved straight A* grades in at least 3 subjects, including Eleanor Bowden (English Literature, History and Sociology), Thomas Gordon (Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Physics), and Alice Jenkins (Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics), all of whom are taking up places at Cambridge University. A further 11 students achieved straight A*/A in at least three subjects. The majority of St Benedict’s students will now be heading off to a top 30 UK university, very many to their first-choice institution.

Headmaster, Andrew Johnson, said, “I am hugely proud that St Benedict’s A Level students have worked so hard and have achieved excellent results across the whole range of subjects. They could not have achieved all this without the dedicated and excellent support of their teachers. These results continue the strong upward trend in public exam results at St Benedict’s: the proportion of A* grades (16.3%), and the proportion of A*-B grades (77%) are the best ever achieved in a year when the full A level grading standards have been applied.

Results were strong across all subjects, and were particularly impressive this year in Art & Design (83.3% A*-A), Chemistry (50% A*-A), Geography (48.3% A*-A) and History (47.6% A*-A).

St Augustine’s Priory have exceeded their 2018 and 2019 results with 38% of grades being awarded at A* and A.

In this, the first completely normal year of examinations since 2019, the school achieved all A*s and As in Art and Design, English Literature, Drama, Photography and Geography, with one Year 12 pupil achieving an A* in Mathematics at A Level.

Students are looking forward to going to top universities, with their out-going Head Girl off to read History at Cambridge with grades of A*, A* and A and an A* in her EPQ and Deputy Head Girl achieving a place studying Veterinary Medicine at Nottingham University. A wide and diverse range of subjects are being studied at other universities, from Architecture via Biomedicine, Computer Science and Sociology to Veterinary Nursing at universities such as Durham, Central St Martins, Hartpury, Queen Mary and Bath. The school is particularly proud that students who have been instrumental in developing its unique farm will be pursuing courses in veterinary sciences.

Mrs Christine Macallister, Headteacher said , “We are so pleased to see our young women heading off into the world to make their mark and continue their story. They have been a tremendous year group and an inspiration to the younger girls in the school. These young women have shown that it is possible to come through a pandemic and excel; they are resilient with a love of learning and are now ready to embrace the exciting challenges that await them at university and beyond. Congratulations to them all!”

Councillor Lily Bath, Hounslow Council Cabinet Member for Education, Children, Skills and Employment, was with students from the Gunnersbury Catholic School as they received their results and said: “I want to congratulate our students in Hounslow for their incredible effort. Over 75% of A-Levels awarded were achieved at the top grades of A*- C. They have worked so hard and we are very proud of what they have achieved. I would also like to thank our teachers who work tirelessly to deliver the very best outcomes for our students. We are so fortunate that in Hounslow all our secondary schools are recognised by Ofsted as either ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’. I wish all the students the very best for the future.”

“As we emerge from the recent global pandemic, we recognise the significant impact on our young people both in terms of disruption to learning and in being able to gain opportunities to develop the skills and experience to secure future employment.

"For this reason, Hounslow Council has recently launched the Youth Skills and Employment Guarantee (YSEG). Working in partnership with local business, education providers and the voluntary sector, we plan to significantly increase pathways into employment, removing barriers where these exist and enabling all our young people to secure successful careers. I encourage everyone to visit the YSEG website to find out more.”

Nationally, the proportion of A or A* grades awarded dropped to 27.2% compared to a peak of 44.8% during the pandemic meaning that 100,000 fewer grades were given out at this level.

This brings the level of top grades closer to 2019, the year before Covid-19 when it was 25.4%.

UCAS says that, for the UK as a whole, 79% of those taking A Levels this year gained a place at their first-choice university.