IB pupils at King Edward's rise to the challenge with best ever results

Pupils following the IB Diploma Programme at King Edward’s have demonstrated their credentials, as knowledgeable, reflective and principled learners, with an outstanding set of results, scoring 35.9 points on average compared to the global average of 33.0.

Pupils have had to grapple with considerable disruption to their learning, but through the School’s innovative approach to online teaching and learning through lockdown, they have been able to communicate across borders and time zones to consolidate their understanding, and develop a robust portfolio of skills and qualities.

All King Edward’s pupils have demonstrated tremendous resilience in successfully completing the course of study against the spectre of COVID-19. An impressive 62% achieved a 6 and above (equivalent to A*and A at A-level) and 89% gained 5 and above (equivalent to A*-C). A few pupils, in particular, deserve special recognition. Deniz Acar, from Bulgaria, achieved a phenomenal 44 points, out of a maximum of 45, placing him just outside the top 1.2% in the world for his result. He will go on to read PPE at the University of Warwick. Marcus Durkan, from Somerset, secured a place to read History and Politics at the University of Oxford, having secured 43 points overall. Mrs Megan Phillips, who coordinates the School’s Oxbridge programme and is a PPE graduate from Oxford herself, notes: “It was a privilege to support and encourage Marcus with his application to read History and Politics at Oxford; he has genuine passion and enthusiasm for the course and will go on to excel in this field. We are very proud of him and hope his achievement goes on to inspire more of our pupils to aim high and aspire to great things”.

Other impressive achievements include Tomas Dambrauskas, from Lithuania, with a fantastic 42 points, who has secured his place at Warwick University to read Economics, and Timur Gimalov, from Russia, with 40 points who goes on to read Finance at Durham. Also on 42 points was Maya Manek who goes on to read Bioscience at Manchester University; STEM subjects have proved popular with top performing girls, this year, as Claudia Mutanda Vila going to Kings College London to read Pharmacology, and Cheuk Nam Wong also goes on to study Bioscience at the University of Surrey.

Commenting on the School’s IB results, Mrs Joanna Wright, Head, said, “I am delighted that 25% of pupils achieved 38 points or above which is the equivalent of A*, A* A at A-level. I would like to congratulate all our Upper Sixth Form pupils who have achieved excellent results. It has been a year of considerable challenge, but the pupils have persevered and been rewarded by these amazing and well-deserved grades. We are very proud of what they have achieved and of the work of the incredible staff who have supported them. The School wants everyone to reach for their personal best and we are committed to driving the academic confidence of the school to help every pupil succeed. The incredible array of universities and apprenticeships that our IB pupils are set to embark upon, as they enter the next stage of their learning journey, is indicative of the opportunities that are available to our pupils to enrich their learning, in the Sixth Form. I would like to congratulate them and their teachers for their commitment and dedication. I would also like to thank parents for their support.”

King Edward’s Witley runs the International Baccalaureate programme alongside A-levels so pupils are free to choose either course or a combination of the two to best fit their interests and career trajectory. The pandemic has shown the importance of being able to innovate and adapt to unexpected changes, and our pupils have adapted incredibly well. The skills, knowledge and understanding pupils at King Edward’s have acquired through their academic studies and rich extracurricular programme will provide them with a solid foundation as they move onto the next stage of their learning.