Roedean School, near Brighton, is celebrating excellent exam results and saluting the hard work and commitment of its students, who have risen to the challenge of studying throughout the upheaval of the Covid-19 pandemic over the past couple of years. The all-girls day and boarding school reported record marks, with its pupils’ outstanding grades declared Roedean’s best ever A Level and GCSE results.
Outstanding exam results are only part of the success story at Roedean School, as a number of its pupils completed a gruelling cross-Channel swim during peak exam season to raise money for Ukrainian refugee students.
Record A Level Results
In summer 2022, Roedean School announced that 71% of its Year 13 students have achieved A*-A grades, with 30.5% attaining A* grades. 19 students achieved 2 or more A* grades, and more than half of the year group gained 3 or more A grades. This is a record-breaking proportion of top A Level grades for the School and a triumph for every Roedean student who, despite experiencing three years of disruption to their learning experience, now leaves school with top marks.
Particularly noteworthy are the 5 students who racked up an impressive 16 A* grades and more between them. Many of Roedean’s sixth formers take on an Extended Project Qualification alongside their A Levels, and, this year, 83% of those pupils achieved A*-A grades, which sets a great foundation for their studies at undergraduate level.
In a highly competitive year for university entries, 73% of Year 13s achieved the grades for their first choice universities. Popular choices include Cambridge, Edinburgh, King’s College London, University College London, and the London School of Economics. Bucking the trend of traditional subject interest stereotypes, almost a third of students will pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses at university, as well as an impressive variety of creative arts undergraduate degrees.
Remarkable GCSE Grades
Following the School’s outstanding A Level results, GCSE students have just as much to celebrate. 47.4% of all grades received the highest possible grade (9), which is equivalent to an A** according to the previous grading system. Of the 1,260 GCSEs sat by more than 130 students, 597 have been marked as grade 9s, and 85.3% of all examinations have been marked as grades 9-7, equivalent to A*-A.
Examiners awarded the top grade 9 to a large number of students:
- 40 students achieved 7 or more grade 9s
- 19 students achieved 9 or more grade 9s
- 11 students achieved 10 or more grade 9s, accumulating a shared total of 116 grade 9s.
Roedean Headmaster Oliver Blond congratulated the GCSE year group on behalf of the School, acknowledging their remarkable dedication and performance in spite of the challenges the students faced during the pandemic.
Beyond Academic Achievement
While Roedean School encourages its students to aim high academically, the School’s ethos goes beyond exam results and inspires students to build lifelong creative and critical thinking skills and to pursue passions outside of the classroom.
It’s a tribute to this approach to education that two Roedean GCSE students swam in a cross-Channel relay in the middle of their exam season and still secured top grades. Thought to be the first team of schoolgirls to complete the Channel crossing, the swim saw the students raise £7,000 to support a group of Ukrainian refugee pupils who begin at the School in the autumn term.
While just one shining example of Roedeanians’ well-roundedness, the School reports multiple examples of students who have demonstrated a commitment to dance, drama, art, music, and community activities while also achieving their academic aspirations.
About Roedean School
Roedean School in East Sussex is a forward-facing, dynamic day and boarding school for girls aged 11-18. The School’s unique educational ethos puts personal growth at the heart of each student’s experience, ensuring high academic standards keep company with a range of co-curricular pursuits and experiences that challenge and inspire. During their time at Roedean, girls explore and develop their independence, confidence, and compassion, preparing them for healthy, happy, and successful futures.
Located 10 minutes east of Brighton, Roedean’s 45-acre campus sits on a striking clifftop position, bordered by the sea on one side and a national park on the other. A wealth of recently refurbished facilities, including a golf course, floodlit pitch, 355-seat theatre, and a farm, offers students varied opportunities to get involved in life at the School through sports, creative and performing arts and music, and outdoor activities and adventures.
In line with its holistic ethos, the School has developed strong links with the local community through charitable schemes, partnerships, and outreach programmes. Many students take advantage of the range of opportunities to get involved in volunteering projects, help others, and develop into caring, community-minded citizens.
