Despite the difficulties of 2020 and the challenges of creating examination results this year, we are pleased to announce the overall success of our Year 13 students. IB results were released on 5th July and BTEC results became available on 12th August.

 

An impressive 16% of our students scored 40 points or more compared to approximately 7% worldwide. There are a further four students who achieved the equivalent of forty IB points in UCAS tariff points.

 

Our School IB mean score currently sits at 32.7 points, although we are still awaiting some grade reviews for individuals. This is approximately three points above the World average.

 

When the IB examinations were cancelled in March, the IB decided to award results based on student coursework, predicted grades and historical data from schools.

 

Exceptionally, every piece of coursework has been externally marked and graded by an IB examiner this year, reflecting a student’s individual performance. In previous years, where coursework has been under par a student has had the opportunity to improve their final result in the examinations themselves. This was not possible this year. Instead, the IB created an algorithm which also reflected predictions and the school’s historical performance.

 

Although the IB grade distribution curve is in line with previous years’, many schools are unhappy with the results for their students where grades fell below their predictions, causing them to miss their university offers and leaving them with no higher education plans for the next year. This is not the case at Windermere School.

 

As a non-academically selective school, Windermere School prides itself on its IB results over the past 12 years and we were nationally recognised for these in 2018. On the whole, we succeed in maintaining continuity of staff who have a wealth of experience; many are IB examiners and teachers who are involved in the IB grade award process. Our teachers develop an excellent knowledge of our students, supporting a full range of abilities, through our small teaching groups and academic tutoring. This, together with our ongoing experience enabled us to reliably predict grades for the majority of our students.

 

Many IBDP students have secured places at prestigious universities worldwide, including:

• Kacper J secured a place at New York University to read Economics
• Isadora R secured a place at UCL, London to read Biology
• Katriona R will study English and Drama at Exeter University
• Erin K will read English Literature at Edinburgh University
• Amelia E, James H, Josh B and Helena H will be studying at Lancaster University
• Danielle M will attend St. Andrews to read Psychology

 

The BTEC results have just been released and these complete the IBCP qualification. The BTEC results this year were particularly impressive, with half of the cohort achieving the highest grade possible, which is D*D*. This is our best ever set of results for BTEC and all IBCP students who applied to university secured their first choice.

 

Having now received all our results for Year 13, 85% of students who applied to university have secured their first-choice university. This figure is in-line with our five-year average. A further 13% secured their insurance choice and the remainder successfully secured places through the Clearing process. Other students who previously had chosen not to apply this year have decided to apply, have been supported through Clearing and secured good university places and we have also assisted several applications overseas.

 

In addition, two students from last year, Annabelle Bennet and Carl Jeremias, have been accepted to medical schools from September and at least two alumni that we know of are progressing to Masters degrees (Will Chamberlain – Oxford, History and Miles Blanch – ALRA, Acting).

 

 

As always, Windermere School strives to offer, enable and support each student’s individual pathway and we wish all our new Stannites well as they start the next step of their journey.