Year 13s at Malvern St James Girls’ School in Malvern, Worcestershire, are celebrating a fantastic set of results today as the A Level awards land and University places are confirmed. 

Headline news is that grades across the board are up on 2023, with nearly 40% at A*-A, nearly 75% at A*-B and 91% A*-C, with a 100% pass rate.

Almost 20% of the cohort received at least three A Levels at A*- A grade. 35% of the cohort achieved 4 A Levels each, with 50% of these achieving A*-B in all four subjects.

In four academic subjects, grades are 100% A*-A; and 100% A*-B in six subjects (French, Geography, Business, Art & Design, Product Design and German).

Grades are also significantly above the last ‘normal condition’ pre-pandemic results in 2019.

Crucially, 90% of pupils obtained their place at their chosen university. Half of the cohort has gained places at the most competitive and academically demanding universities: Durham, Exeter, Bristol, UCL, Bath and Warwick. We also have a larger number of pupils than usual going to international universities, notably in Canada, the US and Hong Kong.

The breadth of girls’ interest is demonstrated in the undergraduate courses that they will be studying. Pupils will take up places in the Autumn to read Medicine at Sheffield, Veterinary Science at Bristol, Psychology at Exeter, Biomedical Science at UCL, Fine Art at the University of the Arts London, Geography at Durham, Fashion Design at Leeds, Ancient History at Cardiff, and Ecology, Sustainability and Economics at York, to mention just a few.

56% of A Levels taken were STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects, and 57% of pupils will be studying STEM degrees. This is significant, as research demonstrates that girls are more inclined to study STEM A Levels in an all-girls’ educational setting, and they achieve better STEM results. This means that more go on to make science-based degree choices, and ultimately science-based careers, where women are under-represented. This trend is very clearly reflected at MSJ.

That is not to say that the Humanities, Social Sciences and Arts are less important: Drama, English Literature, History, Music, Politics, Religious Studies, Geography, Business and Classical Civilisation have all achieved strong grades. And whilst across the educational landscape, Modern Foreign Languages become less popular, at MSJ both German and French have received 100% A*-B grades.

This success should be seen in the context that Malvern St James is not highly selective on entry: whatever a pupil’s starting point, the school helps them achieve the best grades and entrance to the most prestigious universities. This is down to academic rigour as well as an extra-curricular programme that encourages intellectual curiosity and breadth, and a pastoral programme focused on the development of the whole person.

Myrtle, one of the school’s bursary scholars (Sport and Academic) from Shucknall in Herefordshire, has achieved 3 A* grades and will be reading Medicine at Sheffield, her first-choice university. Myrtle has been at MSJ since Year 7, was Deputy Head Girl, as well as being in the choir, orchestra, on sports teams for netball, hockey, lacrosse and cricket, and completed her Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. She is typical of the top achievers this year, who are girls who have fully immersed themselves in the life of the School, balancing academic and extra-curricular interests and really getting to understand themselves and their strengths overall.

Myrtle comments, “I couldn’t have done it without being a boarder – and the additional time spent working rather than commuting. The comfortable and supportive environment at the boarding house where I was able to work with peers and collaborate was instrumental. Revision seems less daunting and more interesting when you can do it together. It seemed easy to get done what I needed to.”

One of the experiences she gained at school – visiting the Gambia to work with a local school that MSJ has supported for the last 30 years – solidified her interest in Medicine, which she will be studying at Sheffield. “Going to a different country, with the time to get under the skin of it, and be part of a local village community, made me see the vast difference between health care in a low-income nation and our own. It made me grateful for our NHS and made me realise that small things can have a large impact.”

Nora, an MSJ international boarder, is celebrating 4 A Levels, 2 at A* grade and 2 at A grade. Nora first came to MSJ on a four-week short-stay, but loved it so much that she came back to do Years 12 and 13 at the School. And she has made a profound success of it, academically and personally. She has contributed to the boarding house in many ways. Outside of academics, she loves running and Head, Dr Lloyd, was her sometime running partner – an opportunity they both enjoyed as a way of balancing school demands. Nora will now study Biomedical Science at the University of Bristol.

She will be accompanied to Bristol by Jamie, who will be reading Veterinary Science, having achieved 3 A grades. Jamie chose MSJ because of our focus on personal development – as well as grades – and has immersed herself in the wider school, despite only joining in Year 12. Another scientist is Emmie, who came to MSJ in Year 9 and has shown real leadership, becoming a Ships (similar to Houses) Captain and presenting assemblies on topics of personal significance to her. She will read Medical Sciences at Exeter.

Dr Gareth Lloyd, Head of Malvern St James, commented, “Determination, focus and a mantra of ‘work hard, play hard and look after each other’ reflect the Olympian spirit we have seen this summer, and have reaped dividends for each pupil. A Level results day is so important for pupils as university entrance hangs on it, and of course we want them to get to where they want to be. But it is also about the wider contribution they have made to the world around them: the time that they have invested in our MSJ community, in team spirit and thinking about how they fit into their local and global environments and how they can make both better places.

Well done not just to our MSJ pupils, but all pupils across the country who have gained A Levels today.”