Academic life
Exam results & Careers
A-level summary
In 2019:
- 29% of pupils earned Grades A-A* (2018 22%)
- Our pass rate improved to 99%
- 84% of Grades awarded were A-C (2018 – 69%)
- 60% of Extended Project Qualifications were awarded Grades A or A*
- All Upper Sixth pupils seeking to go to university in October 2019 gained places; over half at Russell Group or Times Top 35 universities.
| A-level results | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| Overall pass rate | 99% | 96% | 98% | 97% | 99% |
| % A* to B Grades | 66% | 57% | 54% | 44% | 59% |
| Overall Grade distribution | A*/A 36% B 30% C 20% D 8% E 5% U 1% | A*/A 34% B 23% C 22% D 10% E 7% U 4% | A*/A 21% B 33% C 23% D 14% E 7% U 2% | A*/A 22% B 22% C 25% D 13% E 14% U 4% | A*/A 29% B 30% C 25% D 9% E 6% U 1% |
GCSE summary
“I’m so pleased with what I got. I put in a lot of effort and it paid off, I’m really excited to be joining the Sixth Form”.
Frankie Shepley, Lower Sixth
In 2019:
- 36% of pupils earned Grades of 7 to 9 (A or A*)
- The overall pass rate (Grades 4-9) increased to 92%
- Very strong performances for pupils identified as underachieving and receiving interventions
- 72% of Set One Mathematics achieved IGCSE Grades of 8 to 9
- 78% achieved Grades A or A* at Drama IGCSE
| GCSE results | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| A*-A or 7 – 9 | 40 | 30 | 30 | 41 | 44 | 36 |
| A*-B or 5 – 9 | 68 | 58 | 61 | 67 | 76 | 57 |
| A*-C or 4 – 9 | 90 | 83 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 92 |
| A*-E or 1 – 9 | 100 | 99 | 98 | 98 | 100 | 100 |
Careers
- Careers Education at St Edmund’s is provided for all year groups via PSHEE, Tutor Time and one-off events.
- This year Careers Education has expanded to include year groups from Form 7 to Upper Sixth.
- Every year, all Upper Fifth pupils are invited to attend a bespoke Transition Project which includes preparation for life beyond school, the world of work and Sixth Form.
- This year St Edmund’s hosted its first Careers Fair
- Careers experts, industry professionals and visitors are invited in to add independent and first-hand enrichment to the curriculum. In addition to Foundation events, ex-pupils remain in contact with the school and become contributors,
- Group briefings and workshops are organised for pupils throughout the year.
- St Edmund’s has a close working relationship with careers professionals who regularly attend events and visit to meet with the pupils.
- Parents are briefed and invited to talks to gain a better understanding, for example, of psychometric profiling, individual careers meetings, subject choices and the UCAS application process.
Students leave St Edmund’s well equipped to access stimulating careers. The curriculum inspires intellectually flexible, articulate, confident thinkers. Teachers develop pupils’ abilities to adapt to change, to think quickly and assess multiple perspectives simultaneously. These traits are high on the appreciation ladder for recruiters and employers.
We understand that everyone’s journey beyond school is going to be, and ought to be distinctive, and reflect the person and his/her preferences and ambitions. Careers provision does not guide all pupils towards university education: there are many routes for pupils to explore, and discussion is encouraged.
Careers Education at St Edmund’s includes a careers investigator survey, online profiling, exploration and employability modules, Open Days, links to useful websites and more. Pupils can also follow a Facebook page (Careers and Progression at St Edmund’s) which regularly features employment opportunities.