Students at Roedean School have secured outstanding A Level results, defying national predictions that the 2023 UK cohort would see lower grades.
The independent all-girls school in Brighton and Hove also bucked trends in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) subjects. 55% of Year 13 students took Mathematics, and over 20% took Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology.
Roedean is a day and boarding school for girls aged 11 to 18. Students board in one of six Roedean houses, which Tatler has described as “the swankiest boarding facilities in the country, perhaps in the universe.”
Day students and boarders enjoy a rich education at Roedean, packed with academic learning, co-curricular activities, and opportunities to thrive.
Brighton And Hove Schools Celebrate Top Results
On Aug. 17, 2023, students up and down the country received their A Level results. Schools throughout the Brighton and Hove area reported impressive outcomes. Many Year 13 students got the grades needed to attend their first-choice universities.
Roedean School is a Brighton and Hove school with plenty to celebrate this year. Roedean’s Year 13 students achieved an impressively high standard of grades. Notably, 55.5% of grades were an A* or A. On top of this, 28.2% of all grades were an A* (compared to 22.4% in 2019).
These results are truly exceptional, especially considering the educational disruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the fact that the students did not sit GCSE exams.
Roedean School’s A Level Results Highlights
With 90 students, Roedean School’s Year 13 cohort is the largest in more than 10 years. The students demonstrated remarkable strength across all A Level subjects.
These are some of the highlights of Roedean School’s A Level results:
- Nine students (10% of Year 13) achieved straight A* grades. Those 9 students shared 29 top grades between them.
- Nearly a third of the students achieved all A* and A grades.
- More than half of Year 13 achieved at least one A* grade.
- The proportion of A* grades surpasses all prior A Level outcomes for Roedean School (excluding the pandemic-affected years).
Roedean School’s Talented Artists
Roedean reported a healthy proportion of students taking languages and humanities subjects. In addition, this year, the Art Department pioneered a new educational offering with impressive results.
Roedean’s Sixth Form students had the option to complete their Art A Level in Year 12 and move on to a BTEC Level 3 Foundation course in Year 13. This approach is exceptionally rare in schools. Typically, only universities offer this qualification.
Two Roedean students, Betty and Anthea, achieved a Distinction and a Merit in their BTEC Level 3 Foundation course. Betty also achieved three A* grades in Art, Maths, and Physics. She is studying Architecture at Edinburgh University this autumn.
Student Success Stories
Roedean’s Year 13 students have worked hard to secure their grades for the next stage in their educational journeys. Many are going on to study at university this autumn.
Four Roedean students — Alyssa, Ellen, Gabby, and Lea — achieved the necessary grades to accept offers from Oxford and Cambridge. Gabby will study History and Politics at Peterhouse College, Cambridge, while Lea will study Human Social and Political Science at Cambridge’s Selwyn College.
Sylva, Maddie, Phoebe, and Jemima have secured sought-after places to study medicine at prestigious universities. Jemima, one of Roedean’s head girls, was also a member of the School’s charity relay swim team, which swam across the Channel to France in 2022.
And Sabina, who joined Roedean as an HMC East European Scholar, will begin her undergraduate studies at the IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems in Austria. She is reading Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. Earlier this year, Sabina also played a key role in Roedean’s Project 125 Moldova.
Come October, Keira — who achieved three A* grades in Art, Politics, and Spanish — will undertake an exciting Liberal Arts and Sciences degree at Birmingham University.
The majority of Roedean students will start degrees at their first-choice universities. The most popular choices are University College London, Imperial College London, Edinburgh, Southampton, and Leeds.
But not every student is moving on to university. For instance, Karena is taking up a double bass performance scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music.
Meanwhile, Millie will start at the prestigious Norland College in the autumn. Her goal is to become a trained nanny — Norland graduates have looked after the children of celebrities and the royal family.
Upcoming Open Days at Roedean School
Families who are interested in visiting Roedean in Brighton and Hove may wish to attend one of the School’s Open Days. These events are great opportunities for girls to get an overview of life at the School.
Roedean’s next Open Day takes place on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023 (10 a.m. — 1 p.m.). Families can book a place at the event through the School’s online platform.
Roedean is also holding a Sixth Form Open Evening on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023 (at 4 p.m.). The evening is the ideal occasion for students to explore the School’s bespoke Sixth Form curriculum.
The School hosts a range of engaging Experience Days throughout the year. Upcoming events include:
- STEM Day — Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. This event is suitable for girls who will be aged 11 or above in 2024 or 13 or above in 2024-25.
- Hockey Masterclass — Monday, Nov. 6, 2023. This event is suitable for girls who will be aged 11 or above in 2024 or 13 or above in 2024-25.
- Netball Masterclass — Wednesday, March 6, 2024. This event is suitable for girls who will be aged 11 or above in 2024-25 or 13 or above in 2024-26.
Roedean School’s New Head Niamh Green
Niamh Green, the new Head of Roedean School, says she is “incredibly proud” of the Year 13 cohort’s achievements, especially given the “educational context of their A Levels.”
“These are the first public examinations they have taken, and I am thrilled that all their hard work resulted in fantastic grades,” she said.
“Not only have they been successful academically, but they have also thrown themselves into so many other areas of school life and made a difference both within our community and beyond. I am delighted for them, and extremely grateful to all my colleagues for supporting them so well.”
Green joined Roedean at the start of the 2023 summer term. She previously worked at Mayfield School in Dagenham before moving to the Brighton and Hove area.
Green has more than 20 years of experience working in top girls’ boarding schools in various academic and pastoral roles. These roles include:
- French and German teacher.
- Head of Department.
- Deputy Head.
- Acting Head.
Green describes an all-girls’ education as one that provides a safe space for students to grow, while empowering each individual to “become a strong, independent, resilient young woman ready to face the world.”
Boarding At Roedean School: The Six Roedean Houses
Roedean offers its boarders a true “home from home,” where students can relax, study, and socialise in cosy yet elegant surroundings.
The six Roedean houses — Keswick, Lawrence, and Houses 1 to 4 — are each decorated beautifully, with an eclectic combination of traditional and modern features. The Daily Telegraph says Roedean “arguably boasts the most stylish boarding house refurbishment ever to dazzle the independent school sector.”
Designed to offer plenty of personality and character, Roedean houses have a range of spaces where girls can spend time with friends, play games, or catch up with peers and staff after a busy day of school.
Roedean houses feature:
- Common rooms.
- A “snug” on each floor, with a kitchen.
- An “Old Dining Room” (ODR). Tea takes place in the Roedean houses’ ODRs after lessons have finished.
- Bedrooms with bespoke fittings. Junior boarders share bedrooms, and boarders in Years 10 to 13 each have a single room. Many rooms in Roedean houses have views of the sea.
During weekends, boarders can make the most of Roedean’s sporting facilities. The School’s impressive facilities include a gym, a swimming pool, and tennis courts.
Many Roedean students are full boarders, though girls can also get a taste of the boarding experience with weekly or flexi-boarding in Roedean’s houses.
More About Roedean School in Brighton and Hove
Located on a spectacular coastal site in Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, Roedean School is a thoroughly modern school for girls. Roedean’s consistently impressive GCSE and A Level exam results reflect the School’s successful academic approach.
But academic learning is just one aspect of a Roedean education. Roedean offers a broad co-curricular programme with abundant activities and enrichment programmes. Students learn, grow, and have fun through:
- Wild Fridays.
- House competitions.
- Swimming in the English Channel.
- Volunteering at the local primary school.
- Raising money for local, national, and international charities.
Roedean’s 45-acre campus offers inspiring views of the sea and the South Downs National Park. The School’s wealth of facilities — including a 355-seat theatre, floodlit pitch, golf course, and a working farm — allows students ample opportunities to get stuck into school life.
Roedean’s dedicated staff ensure each student feels supported in their studies and co-curricular adventures. In addition, each Roedean student receives individualised support through the School’s pastoral care provision.
Roedean prepares girls for the next phase of their journey in life. By the time they are ready to leave the School, Roedean students are confident, compassionate, and ambitious young women, ready to make their mark on the world.
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