Exam Results 2023

We are delighted to report that both Aldenham and Dame Alice Owen’s Schools have seen excellent results for GCSEs and A Levels this year.

GCSEs

With grade boundaries returning to pre-COVID levels this year, there was some concern that results would be disappointing. In the event, the national trend was that results were similar to those in 2019, before the pandemic started. Aldenham pupils bucked this trend by producing GCSE results which show an improvement on 2019 in every measure, with 19.4% graded 8/9 (A*) vs 17.7% in 2019, 38.9% graded 7-9 (A/A*) vs 32% in 2019, 86.1% graded 5-9 (C-A*) vs 77.8% in 2019 and a pass rate of 95% vs 92% in 2019. At Dame Alice Owen’s School GCSE results were in line with those of 2019, with 92% of all grades classed as a ‘strong pass’ (grade 5 or above). Almost 24% of all grades were 9, with a further 23% grade 8s and almost 20% grade 7, meaning that almost 67% of all grades achieved were 7-9 (A or above). Subjects with particularly good results included Biology, Chemistry, Food, Music and Physics which all saw over 80% (and in the case of Music, 100%) of their cohort achieve grades 7-9.

A Levels

At A Level, Aldenham saw an increase of A*-B grades from their previous all time high in 2019. Overall A*-E grades were also up from 96.3% in 2019 to 99.1% this year. In addition, the majority of students were accepted into their first-choice universities. At Dame Alice Owen’s School 61% of all A Level grades achieved were A*A and 22% were B, making a total of 88% A*-B grades. 51% of students achieved AAB or above (compared to 48% in 2019) and almost 90% of students achieved the grades required to take up their university offer, including 22 students who were offered places at Oxbridge.

It is important to remember that the students taking their exams this year have had their education disrupted for three years. The A Level cohort did not sit formal public examinations in Year 11 and suffered great disruption due to the impact of Covid variants throughout their time in Year 12. It is therefore all the more impressive that students at both schools were able to produce such fantastic results. Huge credit is due to the students for their hard work, determination and resilience, and to the staff who have supported the students in so many ways.