The 2019/20 school year has of course been a year unlike any other before it.

Nevertheless, for many Wycliffe pupils this set of A Level results represents the final chapter in what have been rich, varied and fulfilling school careers over many years at the Stonehouse-based institution.

Perfect examples of this are two pupils who each joined Wycliffe in Year 3 back in 2009: Olivia Garrard from Chalford whose A*A*A* (plus an A in her Extended Project Qualification) secure her place at Durham to read Geography, and Robert Denning from Nailsworth whose grades of A*AA allow him to head off to Bath to study Mechanical Engineering.

Overall, in spite of the entirely ‘non-selective’ nature of the Sixth Form at Wycliffe, no fewer than 61% of grades were awarded at A*-B and this was even higher for pupils who had started their careers at Wycliffe Prep School (i.e., before the end of Year 8) for whom 70% of their grades were earned at these highest levels.

The range of university courses and destinations is once again impressive, as can be seen among these other particularly noteworthy individual performances:

• William Salter from Coleford excelled with grades of A*A*A and heads off to Birmingham to read Geology;

• James Colvin of Stroud who, amongst his four A Levels, secured A* grades in both Maths and Further Maths, and (unsurprisingly) will carry on with the same subject discipline at Exeter;

• Sebastian Clarke of Gloucester was awarded A*AA and will take up a place at Newcastle to continue his studies in Modern Languages;

• Nathan Berrecloth from Gloucester, the school’s Rugby captain and 2019/20 Sportsman of the Year, with 4 A grades, goes on to study Computer Science at Birmingham.

• Darcey Scott, from Cirencester who, as well as being a leading light in the Severn Stars Netball Academy, also secured A*,A, A, B to win a place at Birmingham to study Physiotherapy;

• Atolani Oyewumi’s A*, A, A, B allow him to take up his place at Warwick to read Philosophy, Politics and Economics

• Charlene Fong from Hong Kong achieved an A* an A and a B to get her into UCL to study Urban Planning,

• James Clements with A*, A, B goes on to Bristol to read Medical Biochemistry, and

• Saffron Weaver, the Rowing captain, takes her double Distinction* in BTEC Sport and A in DT A level on to start the next chapter of her life training as a rowing coach.

Head of Wycliffe College, Nick Gregory, said: “As will be the case in so many schools today, the process for calculating grades this year has left us with a small but significant number of individual results that have caused some of our pupils notable surprise and disappointment and we will be doing all that we can to support and advise those in that position.

"However, for the vast majority of our Year 13 leavers, their hard work and talent have been appropriately rewarded with some extremely pleasing A Level and BTEC results that now enable those wishing to do so to head off to University destinations and courses about which they are extremely excited.

"As it was last year, the most striking statistic to be drawn from today is that of those children who joined Wycliffe at some stage during the Prep School, almost 3/4 of their A Levels have been passed at grade A*, A or B.”