Examination results
Results 2011: GCSE, A-level and International Baccalaureate
GCSE
91% of candidates scored A*-C grades – the standard measure for success at GCSE – and 46% of those were A* and A grades. The yeargroup scored an average of 9 A*-C passes, with a 100% A*-C success rate in the national statistics.
3 candidates scored all A* and A grades: Annabel Large, Henry Salisbury and Sarah Wright amassed 34 of the top grades between them, and a total of 17 pupils achieved at least seven A* or A grades each. The school sets great store by the core subjects of English, Maths and Science, and pupils are expected to study a modern language at GCSE, at a time when takeup of languages is declining nationally. Over 70% of the pupils secured a pass in at least one modern language, and 98% achieved at least a C grade in all three core subjects.
The school also offers a Pre-Sixth form 1-year GCSE programme for overseas pupils, and of the 14 candidates in this group, 10 scored 4 passes at A*-C, which is a great achievement after just one year’s study for mainstream UK qualifications.
12 subjects achieved a 100% A*-C success rate, including Biology, Chemistry, Chinese, Drama, English, English Literature, Geography, German, Latin, Physics, Textiles and Welsh.
A-level
Out of 25 A-level candidates, 37% were awarded A* and A grades (the A* is awarded to candidates who score more than 90% in their final papers). 13% of those grades were awarded at A*. Stephen Brown achieved 4 A*s, Sam Owens and Martha Tewkesbury were awarded 2 A*s each, and Johnny Wong and Jack Tam were also awarded one each.
64% of pupils scored grades A* – B, and a similarly impressive 85% achieved A*- C. These are the school’s best results since the current A-level curriculum was introduced 10 years ago, and it is significant that all bar 4 of the candidates secured at least one B grade, showing the breadth of their success.
All candidates achieved A*-C in Chemistry, Drama & Theatre Studies, English Literature, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Music Technology, Physics, and Textiles.
International Baccalaureate
The A-level results reinforce the school’s success in the International Baccalaureate; those results were published in July, and the 28 IB candidates achieved an average score of 31.5 points. On the tariff used by UCAS for university admissions, the average IB score of 398 UCAS points is equivalent to 2 A*s and an A – a truly outstanding achievement. When combined with the A-level results, the school’s average points score is 356 UCAS points, equivalent to every leaver achieving 3 A grades.
Results 2010: GCSE, Pre-IB, A-level and International Baccalaureate
GCSE
Impressively, no fewer than 11 candidates scored all A* and A grades: Tom Warrington scored 10 A*s and 1 A, Eleanor Murphy scored 9 A*s and 1 A, and Nicholas Bellamy achieved 8 A*s and 3 As, while Freya Cassia, Nicole Clerk, Bethan Davies, Catherine Davies, Amelia Dunton, Sophie Elliott, Helen Farquharson, Eleanor Murphy and Amy Yu also collected only the top two grades overall.
Many subjects achieved a 100% A*-C success rate, including Biology, Chemistry and Physics, Drama, History, Latin, Textiles and Welsh.
Pre-IB (Pre-Sixth form 1-year GCSE programme for overseas pupils)
Of the 11 candidates in this group, 8 scored 5 passes at A*-C, which is a great achievement after just one year’s study.
A-level
Out of 35 candidates 6 were awarded the new A* grade, which is awarded to candidates who score more than 90% in their final papers. Killian Murphy, George Sturley and Tom White were awarded 2 A*s each, and Ed Evans, Faye Palin-Thomas and Daisy Tudor were also rewarded with the new top grade. Tom scored 2 As in addition to his A*s.
63% of pupils were awarded grades A* – B, which is the school’s best performance since the current A-level curriculum was introduced 10 years ago, and a similarly impressive 82% achieved A*- C, which matches the school’s previous best result since 2000.
In 20 out of 21 subjects pupils achieved a 100% pass rate, and all candidates in half the departments scored a C grade or higher, right across the range of subjects from modern languages and English Literature to Geography and Design Technology.
International Baccalaureate
Rydal Penrhos pupils have also done exceptionally well in their International Baccalaureate examinations this year with 25% of the students achieving 37 points or more which puts them among the top 10% of the 48 000 candidates taking the diploma around the world. Our overall school average increased to 32.2 points, and four pupils achieved the rare distinction of scoring 40 points or more. Mariessa Rahbari scored 40, Lukas Klement 43 and Sophia Muschik 43
Pupil Jenny Southern hit the absolute pinnacle of achievement with a score of 45 out of 45 in her diploma – this is equivalent to six grade A’s at A-level, and this year only 72 candidates out of 48 000 in the world sitting the IB achieved it. She will now go on to Brasenose College, Oxford, to read Medicine.
We are ranked 26th in the UK’s Top IB Schools for 2010. Please click here.
Results 2009: GCSE, A-level and International Baccalaureate
GCSE
Year 11 students at Rydal Penrhos School enjoyed another outstanding performance in their exam results, with 43.3% achieving A*-A grades and 91.0% A*-C [Historically, consistently over 90% A*-C]
A-level
Rydal Penrhos pupils enjoyed great success with their A-level results, showing promise in languages, sciences and dramatic arts. The results in more detail:
55.2% A-B grade [Historically, consistently over 55% A-B]
72.7% A-C
Drama and Physics 100% A and B grade
French 100% A
International Baccalaureate
Pupils on the IB course scored an average of 31.1 points (out of maximum of 45 and a pass mark of 24). This included some outstanding results from a cohort of 50 students, that saw only one person fail to secure the diploma. The highest grade of 7 was awarded in practically every subject and in all subjects Rydal penrhos performed above the world wide average. Nine students scored 35 points or above and the highest score this year was 39 points. These scores allow students to access some of the best universities in the world and several of these now have places to study medicine in the UK.
League tables
We were ranked number 31 in the top International Baccalaureate schools in the UK for 2009 and are featured in the Financial Times’ best independent schools 2009.
Rydal Penrhos School prides itself on helping each pupil to achieve his or her potential and we are delighted with our results, however it is often the case that league tables do not take into account the huge leaps that pupils make during their time at school and the vast improvement in their academic achievements. For this reason, we would advise slight caution when consulting them.