49% of all grades achieved were A* grades
81% of grades achieved were A* / A grades
95% of grades achieved were A* - B grades
99% of grades achieved were A*- C grades
Students at City of London Freemen’s School in Ashtead are celebrating outstanding A Level results again this year, despite the challenges that the COVID pandemic has brought over the last 18 months. 95% of all grades achieved were A*- B and the percentage of A* grades awarded (49%) continues to be the one of the highest on record. The outstanding results show that Freemen’s is a school which continues to develop and extend itself, building on the School’s historical traditions of academic excellence.
“I extend my congratulations all A Level students on their resilience throughout this challenging time,” said Roland Martin, Headmaster, City of London Freemen’s School. “Our students and those across the country have had both years of their A Level courses impacted by lockdown and the uncertainty around how grades will be assessed and awarded. They have demonstrated huge courage and determination in the face of shifting messages from central Government and have succeeded against a backdrop of disruption.”
“The circumstances around grading this year once again have been incredibly challenging for schools. In the absence of centralised examinations, colleagues have put enormous effort into ensuring that our students were presented with rigorous papers and poured hours of work into ensuring fair and accurate mark schemes for our A Level students in order to produce outcomes which are a true representation of our students’ talents. Despite the challenges for both students and staff, I am delighted with the results.”
“Communication of complex changes clearly and quickly has helped ensure that Freemen’s process for awarding grades was commended. The staff have distinguished themselves, who have diligently and professionally discharged their extended duties, often while balancing the personal complexities that COVID has thrust upon us all.”
Sarah Stewart, Head of Sixth Form commented, “Throughout the last two years the School has made two commitments to the examined students: that the results they were awarded would reflect their demonstrated ability, and that we would be transparent wherever we could in that process. Given this, the students leaving Freemen’s for University and beyond do so with the security that their awards are deserved, they have proven themselves capable of what they’ve been awarded and have done so under rigorous conditions. The fact that they have demonstrated this ability whilst also managing the upheaval caused by the pandemic should be a source of pride to them.”
Freemen’s is incredibly proud of the students have who have received offers for places on a huge range of courses at a number of highly competitive universities, so-called ‘higher tariff providers’. Freemen’s students have again enjoyed Oxbridge success this year, with two students holding offers from Oxford for PPE, whilst four students hold offers from Cambridge for Medicine, Economics, Human Social and Political Sciences and Natural Sciences. Three students have secured places to read Medicine, two Veterinary Medicine and one Dentistry and two students will be reading Architecture.
Philip Woodhouse, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the City of London Freemen's School, commented, “Yet again it has been an exceptional year for education and an enormous amount of effort has been put into preparing for these examinations, let alone given the challenges our students have faced during this very trying period. I congratulate each one on their successes in such challenging circumstances.”
With reference to the exciting new provision for future Sixth Form students, said Mr Woodhouse, “It is a great pleasure to be Chairman at such an exciting time for the School with the visionary Sixth Form facility now complete in the Main House here at Freemen’s, which will ensure that students in the Sixth Form continue to receive the best education possible.”