Felsted Academic Highlights 2012

Academic Achievements 2012

Key Highlights Top set students at Felsted achieve as well as leading Grammar Schools 89% of GCSEs taken were A* and A grades.

Record Breaking International Baccalaureate Results Felsted achieved its best IB results to date, with an average score of an impressive 34.4 points.

This was an increase of 5% on 2011 results.

Top Performing A Levels The percentage of A Level results at the highest level (B and above) is 5% higher than the previous two years at 61%.

GCSE Results Outperform Regional Schools in League Tables 43% of all grades were A* or A. Twenty one students gained eight or more A* and A grades, ten students gained all A* or A grades, and two achieved the remarkable feat of all A* grades!

Exceptional Added Value Felsted scored in the top 10% of all schools nationally in 2012 for Value Added. In simple terms, pupils are more likely to improve their academic performance at Felsted than at 90% of other schools, either state or independent.

Three Good Schools Guide Awards Felsted outranked all other independent schools for boys and girls taking History of Art A Level and girls taking Economics at IB.

‘Pupils thrive within an environment that encourages them to fulfil their potential both educationally and socially. Exceptional provision is made for gifted and talented pupils.’ Ofsted 2011

Felsted’s Philosophy Of Learning … ... is all about the individual Felsted’s holistic approach to learning aims to develop each pupil’s intellectual, emotional, social, physical, artistic, creative and spiritual potentials. This brings powerful benefits, not just in academic terms, but in the development of a fully rounded individual. Pupils progress better at university, in business, with interests and with life in general.

Felsted’s size allows each student to be known extremely well by the teaching and pastoral team, complementing our individual approach to learning. As a fully co-educational school for over 30 years, our own research tells us that it is the way in which a child is taught as an individual that is important and not by being categorised, for example, by gender.

Supportive academic tutoring through the House system ensures all students make excellent progress.

Exceptional Added Value When compared academically against other schools, both independent and state, Felsted scores extremely well.

Felsted outperforms the majority in the League Tables regionally (one or two schools may sit above us but this is achieved through their stringent academic selection), but leads in terms of the value we deliver to a broad range of academic ability on a national scale.

Added Value is a score produced by the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring at Durham University, who analyse subject performance and pupil ability data. In 2012, Felsted’s score fell in the top 10% of all schools nationally. Put in simple terms, this means …

... pupils at Felsted are more likely to exceed their academic performance at Felsted than at 90% of other schools nationally.

This is an impressive statistic indeed, and one which I attribute to a number of factors strong academic leadership, rigorous student tracking, a clear focus on learning and a passionate and dedicated teaching and pastoral team.

We believe that we are able to offer an individual approach to teaching that provides an appropriate level of support and challenge for every student, with a Gifted and Talented Programme for the most able and a leading Support for Learning Department for those that need extra help.

Jeremy Westlake, Deputy Head Academic

Exam Results Go From Strength To Strength Felsted can be extremely proud of its strong set of exam results this year, and its position in the League Tables. With a broad intake of ability, students have done extremely well academically, while learning to balance an exceptional range of other achievements at a high level too.

Top Performing A Level Results 62% of all results were A* to B grades, 5% higher than the previous two years.

Eighteen A* grades were gained, with ten students achieving all A* or A grades (10% of the cohort).

The overall pass rate was yet again sustained at a very high level - 99% A* to E grades.

Subjects that performed particularly well overall (over 90% A to C Grades) were Art & Design, Classical Civilisation, Geography, German, History of Art, Maths, Further Maths, Music and Theatre Studies.

Record Breaking IB Results Felsted achieved its best IB results to date, with an average score of an impressive 34.4 points. This was an increase of 5% on 2011 results. 34 points on the IB gains a UCAS tariff of 479 points (an A* at A Level scoring 140 points).

Fifteen students gained 34 points or more, equivalent to more than three A*s at A Level.

The highest individual score was a world class 42 points, and in total five students achieved 40 points or better, which is seen as the benchmark for Oxbridge.

A further nine students achieved 35 points or better, which is the offer required for Medical Schools and for universities that are part of the prestigious Russell Group.

Excellent GCSE Results 43% of all grades were A* or A. Twenty one students gained eight or more A* and A grades.

Ten students gained all A* or A grades, amongst whom Lydia Carrington and Eliz Peck achieved the remarkable feat of all A* grades!

The percentage of A*, A and B grades was also up 5% on 2011, reaching 70% in a year when the standard required at GCSE has been toughened and it is harder to do well.

The overall pass rate was again high with 91% of all students gaining five or more A* to C passes (95% for girls).

Oxbridge Entry An Oxford place was secured by James Butterworth, who gained two A*s and an A grade in Psychology, Maths and Economics respectively. James, who was only 17 when he sat his exams, was also a Music and Academic Scholar at Felsted. He secured himself a place on the demanding Economics and Management course at St. Edmund Hall, Oxford. Two Felsted girls secured places at Oxford and Cambridge in 2011 respectively.

Felsted succeeds most years in gaining interviews for its brightest pupils at these prestigious universities. Indeed six students have secured Oxbridge interviews so far this year and each will receive focussed individual support, including mock interviews. 16 of our own teachers were educated at Oxbridge many of these are involved in the delivery of the Oxbridge Programme for our pupils.

Top University Entry 75% of Upper Sixth Leavers gained their first choice of university, rising to 90% to include their security choice.

The remaining students secured a university place through the clearing system. Many included top courses at Russell Group Universities such as below: Oxford

Economics and Management

Edinburgh

Biological Sciences, Spanish and History

King’s London

Law, Music

Bristol

Economics and Politics, Economics

Durham

Education Studies

Manchester

Architecture

Nottingham

Geography

Exeter

Business and Management

Birmingham

Modern Languages and Business

Work Education And The World Of Work Pupils can achieve amazing results at school and at university, but if they are unable to fulfil their career aspirations then we have not supported them well enough. The Felsted Network was set up in 2011 to provide this support; an online database of over 450 parents and former Felstedians offering advice, work experience and jobs across a wide range of careers.

Work education begins at Felsted from the earliest years. Children are exposed to different professions through role play and by visitors such as Dentists, Farmers and Doctors in Stewart House, through to inspirational visiting speakers and workplace experience higher up in the Preparatory School.

In Year 9, pupils take part in an Industry

Day, where they have a choice to visit a variety of different industries.

The World of Work Day in Year 10 gives pupils a taste of the future and what they have to achieve in order to realise their goals. Parents and OFs give advice about different careers, CVs and the importance of work experience.

A Speed Careering session allows pupils to question professionals and find out about many different careers in a real way.

Sixth Formers experience a range of Industry Talks by returning Felstedian professionals, focussing on a variety of differing careers, such as Art, Medicine, Law, Insurance, Journalism and Finance. These provide valuable insight for our students planning their future careers.

Internships and work experience are offered within the Felsted Network, providing that crucial step into a career that is so tough to achieve in todays world of work.