Today we celebrated with our Class of 2021 the culmination of their time at Withington Girls’ School as they received their A Level results and marked the end of a journey at the school which, for some, started when they were aged seven.

The occasion gave us cause to reflect on the Sixth Form experience they and their peers across the United Kingdom have had and we pay tribute to a group of 83 students who have made the most of a challenging and uncertain 18 months since the first lockdown.

“We’re so proud of the way our Upper Sixth students have conducted themselves throughout their time in Sixth Form and we wish them all the very best as they take their next steps,” said Headmistress, Mrs Sarah Haslam.

“These students have worked with focus and commitment, whether based at home or in school, through what have been exceptional circumstances. As we expect of Withington pupils, they have achieved highly commendable results, achieved through a rigorous process that aimed to test their knowledge and abilities over a full Sixth Form curriculum in their chosen subjects. The results that appear on each and every A Level certificate should be valued in the same way as those attained prior to 2020.”

A Level Results 2021: Full Breakdown

Mrs Haslam remarked on the challenges in reporting statistics in a year in which, as in 2020, it is impossible to compare academic results across schools or the performance of students within a national context. “We focus instead on the outcomes for this cohort of students, as well as their important and much valued contributions to the Withington community. We are so proud of them all.

“We congratulate the students who have secured a place at their chosen university, including 65 (around three in four) at Russell Group universities, 13 (15.7%) of whom will take up places at Oxford and Cambridge. Courses in Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science lie ahead for 15 of our 2021 cohort as well as five 2020 leavers. We’re also immensely proud of one of our students who has already begun an apprenticeship with the police.”

Oxbridge courses of study include Archaeology & Anthropology, Economics, Engineering (2), Fine Art, Law (4), Medicine (2), Natural Sciences and Spanish & Linguistics, while other courses of study at the UK’s best universities include Accountancy, English, English Literature & History, Geography, Liberal Arts, Optometry, Philosophy, Politics & Economics, Politics & International Relations, Physics with Astrophysics and Psychology amongst others.

“In cases where our pupils have deferred their university applications or plan to reapply, we will continue to offer advice and support. Our students aim high, and we are committed to supporting them beyond their time at School in achieving their goals.”

Despite the pandemic, the 2021 leavers have engaged in a wide array of extra-curricular activities throughout Sixth Form, from school and community partnership projects such as Manchester Sings, Young Chemistry Communicators and our ‘virtual’ Senior Citizens’ Christmas and West End recitals, to achieving success in sporting and academic competitions, the Keyworker Alumnae Portrait initiative and activities such as Young Enterprise, MUN and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

View Our Class of 2021’s GCSE Results