Below are the A Level and GCSE results for recent years. You can also see the upper sixth leavers’ destinations by following this link. Under the Academic section you can find additional information including details of subjects and the curriculum.

GCSE Statistics 2023

Grade
9 (%)
Grades 9-8 (%)Grades 9-7 (%)Grades 9-6 (%)Grades 9-4 (%)
202334.860.881.492.799.6
2022 ~46.371.386.996.299.5
2021 §49.476.691.198.299.9
2020 ±44.2718895.799.7

~ 2022 results were a “parachute” from COVID
§ 2021 results were formed from Teacher Assessed Grades
± 2020 results were formed from Centre Assessed Grades

Results by subject

98765432Candidates
English315349411351-193
English Literature29425445212--193
Maths8648401621--193
Biology6747291273--165
Chemistry704428779--165
Physics75442313712-165
Double Science161613533--56
French32182411542-96
German1791164---47
Spanish17121261---48
Ancient History67721-1-24
Art1810753---43
Chinese1211-1---15
Computer Science111110664--48
Drama56654---26
DT1115931---39
Electronics126331---25
Geography45443793---138
Greek42------6
History6129147221-116
Latin2193-1---34
Music67543---25
RS172012123---64
Totals66950039721899347-1924
%34.826.020.611.35.11.80.4-
Cumulative60.881.492.797.999.6100.0100.0
ABCDEUCandidates
Additional Maths (FSMQ)4412812168

§ The FSMQ is a free-standing Maths Qualification and does not count as a GCSE.

Figures as at 31 October 2023

GCSE Results 2023

PERCENTAGE OF PASSES%
% of passes at grade 9:34.8%
% of passes at grades 9 and 8:60.8%
% of passes at grades: 9-7:81.4%
% of passes at grades 9-4:99.6%

Number of 5th year students sitting GCSEs: 193

 

The Head, Michael Windsor, said,

“Many congratulations to our students on this strong set of results which is a testament to their hard work and determination to succeed.

“I would like to thank our teaching staff whose support, professionalism and commitment to our students has been exceptional.”

A Level Statistics 2023

Results by year

A*+A%A* to B%A* %A%
202370.190.532.437.7
2022 *79.193.541.837.4
2021 ±81.294.447.234.0
2020 §71.590.535.336.2
201969.490.230.638.8
201863.4872934.4
201763.384.127.535.9
201656.584.31838.6
201562.790.624.138.6
201466.687.132.833.8

Figures as at 31 October 2023

2023 result statistics are prior to review of marking whereas results from previous years are “final”.

* 2022 results were a parachute from COVID Grades
± 2021 results were formed from Teacher Assessed Grades
§ 2020 results were formed from Centre Assessed Grades

Figures include AL equivalencies for pre-U subjects.

Results by subject

A*ABCDEUCandidates
Biology491071-132
Chemistry1715822--44
Physics2220131---56
Maths414315422-107
Further Maths208852--43
Psychology (including SHSK)1413121131-54
Economics (including SHSK)1632113---62
Business Studies137----11
Computer Science513----9
Art331----7
DT541----10
Drama (jointly with SHSK)9311---14
Music111----3
Ancient History132----6
Latin33-----6
Greek22-----4
English Literature1082-1--21
Geography616104---36
Politics (at SHSK)584----17
History14257----46
Philosophy-31451--23
Religious Studies1611---9
French (pre-U)231----6
German (pre-U)23-1---6
Spanish (pre-U)58-----13
Totals209243132451231645
%32.437.720.57.01.90.50.2
Cumulative70.190.597.599.499.9100.0

177 Abingdon students + SHSK students included in Drama, Economics and Psychology figures. AL equivalencies have been used for pre-U subjects.

Figures as at 31 October 2023

Extended Project Qualification

A*ABCDEU
3016841--59

A Level Results 2023

PERCENTAGE OF PASSES%
% of passes at grade A* and A:70.1%
% of passes at grades A* to B:90.5%
% of passes at grades A* to C:97.5%
% of passes at grades A* to E:99.9%
42.4% of Abingdon students achieved A grade or above in all their subjects, with 19 students achieving straight A*s.
Extended Project Qualification (EPQ): A* to B: 91.5%

The Head, Michael Windsor, comments:

“On behalf of everyone in the Abingdon community, I’d like to congratulate our leavers on these excellent results.

“Throughout their time in Sixth Form, our students have shown dedication to their studies and extra-curricular commitments, contributing greatly to life at School. They can take great pride in their achievements, which reflect the hard work and high standards which this year group have set themselves. These fine results are particularly notable as these were the first set of public examinations which this cohort had taken as their GCSE exams had been affected by Covid.

“My congratulations and thanks also go to our staff who have shown such professionalism and commitment in supporting our students.

“These A Level and pre-U results will open the doors for our leavers to a huge range of exciting opportunities and we look forward to hearing about their future endeavours and accomplishments in the years ahead. I wish them all the very best for the bright futures they have ahead of them.”

 

Number of Abingdon students sitting A Levels (including those sitting Cambridge pre-U exams): 177

NB: A Level grade equivalencies have been used for pre-U grades in the statistics below. Abingdon currently uses the pre-U for French, German and Spanish.
The percentages above include the results of girls from St Helen and St Katharine School in subjects which are either taught jointly (Drama) or solely by Abingdon teachers (Economics).

GCSE Statistics 2022

Grade 9 (%) Grades 9-8 (%) Grades 9-7 (%) Grades 9-6 (%) Grades 9-4 (%)
2022 46.3% 71.3% 86.9% 96.2% 99.5%
2021 § 49.4% 77% 91.1% 98.2% 99.9%
2020 ± 44.2% 71% 88% 95.7% 99.7%
2019 * 42.1% 69.7% 86.6% 95% 99.3%

§ 2021 results were formed from Teacher Assessed Grades
± 2020 results were formed from Centre Assessed Grades
* 2019 figures do not include English and English Literature as these subjects were still awarded in letter grades

NB: years immediately prior to 2019 were a blend of letter and number grades and so have been left off this table because comparisons year to year are not possible. Previous years’ results are reported on our website going back a number of years.

GCSE 2022 (by subject)

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 Candidates
Ancient History 16 7 2 1 1 1 28
Art 11 12 9 12 44
Biology 103 33 15 9 3 163
Chemistry 97 39 14 6 4 2 1 163
Chinese 6 2 1 1 10
Computer Science 17 14 2 1 34
Double Science 24 21 14 3 31
Drama 6 6 2 3 17
DT 18 15 5 10 3 1 52
Electronics 15 16 1 3 1 36
English 35 71 47 29 9 1 2 194
English Literature 25 51 61 42 11 2 2 194
French 66 19 21 8 3 1 1 119
Geography 71 33 20 6 1 131
Geology 1 1
German 13 10 1 2 1 27
Greek 5 1 1 7
History 74 19 11 4 2 110
Latin 41 7 3 4 55
Maths 103 45 25 16 5 194
Music 5 4 4 5 1 19
Physics 108 36 13 2 4 163
RS 17 15 22 7 4 1 66
Spanish 18 8 7 7 2 1 1 44
Totals 895 484 300 180 56 9 8 1 1933
%: 46.3 25.0 15.5 9.3 2.9 0.5 0.4 0.1
Cumulative: 71.3 86.9 96.2 99.1 99.5 99.9 100.0

 

A B C D E U Candidates
Additional Maths FSMQ § 65 10 5 2 1 83

§ The FSMQ is a free-standing Maths Qualification and does not count as a GCSE.

GCSE Results 2022

PERCENTAGE OF PASSES %
% of passes at grade 9: 46%
% of passes at grade 9 and 8: 71%
% of passes at grade 9 to 7: 87%
% of passes at grade 9 to 4: 99.5%
% of passes at grade 9 to 1: 100%

Number of 5th year students sitting GCSEs: 194

 

The Headmaster, Michael Windsor, said:

“I’d like to congratulate our GCSE candidates on an excellent set of results which reflect the hard work and dedication of these pupils over the course of the past two years. The excellent grades that this cohort has achieved will stand them in good stead for success as they move into the Sixth Form and I very much look forward to welcoming them back to school in September.

“In addition, I would like to congratulate and thank our teaching staff, whose professionalism, commitment and support of our students has been exemplary.”

A Level Statistics 2022

Results by year

A*+A% A* to B% A* % A%
2022  79.1  93.5  41.8 37.4
2021 ± 81.2 94.4 47.2 34.0
2020 § 71.5 90.5 35.3 36.2
2019 69.4 90.2 30.6 38.8
2018 63.4 87 29 34.4
2017 63.3 84.1 27.5 35.9
2016 56.5 84.3 18 38.6
2015 62.7 90.6 24.1 38.6
2014 66.6 87.1 32.8 33.8
2013 62.9 90.4 25 37.9

Figures as at 13 October 2022

± 2021 results were formed from Teacher Assessed Grades
§ 2020 results were formed from Centre Assessed Grades

Figures include AL equivalencies for pre-U subjects and results for SHSK girls taking Drama, Economics and DT .

Results by subject

A* A B C D E Candidates
Ancient History 4 1 5
Art 2 2
Biology 13 9 6 2 1 31
Business Studies 8 4 2 14
Chemistry 22 27 12 5 66
Computer Science 6 4 1 11
DT (including SHSK) 10 4 2 16
Drama (jointly with SHSK) 8 3 11
Economics (including SHSK) 21 32 7 1 61
English Literature 8 5 1 14
French (Pre-U) 4 4 8
Geography 11 22 9 2 44
German (Pre-U) 4 1 5
Greek 1 2 3
History 13 16 4 1 34
Latin 4 3 7
Maths 40 35 14 12 3 1 105
Further Maths 16 12 6 1 35
Music 1 1 2
Politics (at St Helen’s) 4 6 2 1 13
Physics 27 16 7 5 55
Philosophy 2 2 4 1 1 10
Psychology
1 1 2 4
Religious Studies 3 1 4
Spanish (Pre-U) 5 4 1 10
Totals 231 217 85 30 6 1 570
% 41.8 37.4 14.4 5.4 0.9 0.2
Cumulative 79.1 93.5 99.0 99.8 100.0

167 Abingdon students (+SHSK girls included in Drama, Economics and DT figures). AL equivalencies have been used for pre-U subjects.

Figures as at 13 October 2022

Extended Project Qualification

A* A B C D E
18 8 5 31

A Level Results 2022

PERCENTAGE OF PASSES %
% of passes at grade A* and A: 79%
% of passes at grades A* to B: 94%
% of passes at grades A* to C: 99%
% of passes at grades A* to E: 100%
60% of Abingdon students achieved A grade or above in all their subjects
Extended Project Qualification (EPQ): A* to B: 100%

The Headmaster, Michael Windsor, comments:

“On behalf of everyone in the Abingdon community, I’d like to congratulate our leavers on these excellent results.

“Throughout their time in Sixth Form, they have shown remarkable tenacity and fortitude, adapting to the uncertainties and disruptions over the past couple of years with composure and good humour. They have made a superb all-round commitment to the life of the School and can take great pride in their achievements, the results of which accurately reflect the hard work and high standards which this year group have set themselves.

“My congratulations and thanks also go to our staff who have shown such professionalism and commitment in supporting our students.

“These A Level and pre-U results will open the doors for our leavers to a huge range of exciting opportunities and we look forward to hearing about their future endeavours and accomplishments in the years ahead. I wish them all the very best for the bright futures they have ahead of them.”

 

Number of Abingdon students sitting A Levels (including those sitting Cambridge pre-U exams): 167

NB: A Level grade equivalencies have been used for pre-U grades in the statistics. Abingdon currently uses the pre-U for French, German and Spanish.
The figures include results for St Helen and St Katharine students taking Drama, Economics and DT .

GCSE Statistics 2021

Grade 9 (%) Grades 9-8 (%) Grades 9-7 (%) Grades 9-6 (%) Grades 9-4 (%)
2021 49.4% 76.6% 91.1% 98.2% 99.9%
2020 44.2% 71% 88% 95.7% 99.7%
2019 42.1% 69.7% 86.6% 95% 99.3%

2021 results were formed from Teacher Assessed Grades
2020 results were formed from Centre Assessed Grades
2019 figures do not include English and English Literature as these subjects were still awarded in letter grades

NB: years immediately prior to 2019 were a blend of letter and number grades and so have been left off this table because comparisons year to year are not possible. Previous years’ results are reported on our website going back a number of years.

GCSE 2021 (by subject)

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 Candidates
Ancient History 12 7 4 2 1 26
Art 14 7 5 1 27
Biology 71 48 27 14 1 161
Chemistry 89 39 19 12 2 161
Chinese 4 5 2 11
Computer Science 6 9 2 3 1 21
Double Science 27 20 8 3 58
Drama 7 8 2 2 2 1 22
DT 19 6 11 5 4 1 46
Electronics 38 9 2 49
English 79 53 38 15 4 1 190
English Literature 87 52 35 14 2 190
French 44 39 22 9 5 1 120
Geography 75 31 11 5 122
German 15 8 8 4 35
Greek 9 2 11
History 79 23 8 3 113
Latin 31 6 6 3 46
Maths 86 49 33 17 5 190
Music 8 4 1 13
Physics 82 54 17 7 1 161
RS 25 21 12 5 63
Spanish 30 16 7 6 3 62
Totals 937 516 277 133 30 4 1 0 1898
%: 49.4 27.2 14.6 7.0 1.6 0.2 0.1 0.0
Cumulative: 76.6 91.1 98.2 99.7 99.9 100.0 100.0

 

A B C D E U Candidates
Additional Maths FSMQ § 48 14 6 5 3 76

§ The FSMQ is a free-standing Maths Qualification and does not count as a GCSE.

GCSE Results 2021

PERCENTAGE OF PASSES %
% of passes at grade 9: 49.4%
% of passes at grade 9 and 8: 76.6%
% of passes at grade 9 to 7: 91.1%
% of passes at grade 9 to 4: 99.9%
% of passes at grade 9 to 1: 100%

Number of fifth year students sitting GCSEs: 190

 

The Headmaster, Michael Windsor, said:

“I’d like to congratulate our GCSE candidates on their achievements this year.

They have responded admirably to all the challenges that they have faced during their GCSE courses and showed commitment and tenacity in their response to the processes that were put in place to calculate Teacher Assessed Grades. They can be very proud of their achievements.

The Teacher Assessed Grade process has placed considerable pressures on teachers and support staff alike and I am grateful for the professionalism and dedication that they have shown to ensure that all our students received fair outcomes.

The excellent grades that this cohort has achieved will provide them with a sure foundation for success as they move into the Sixth Form. I very much look forward to welcoming them back to school in September.”

A Level Statistics 2021

Results by year

A*+A% A* to B% A* % A%
2021 81.2 94.4 47.2 34.0
2020 71.5 90.5 35.3 36.2
2019 69.4 90.2 30.6 38.8
2018 63.4 87 29 34.4
2017 63.3 84.1 27.5 35.9
2016 56.5 84.3 18 38.6
2015 62.7 90.6 24.1 38.6
2014 66.6 87.1 32.8 33.8
2013 62.9 90.4 25 37.9
2012 74 92.7 28 46

Figures as at 4 January 2022 (post November exam session)

2021 results were formed from Teacher Assessed Grades
2020 results were formed from Centre Assessed Grades

Figures include AL equivalencies for pre-U subjects and results for SHSK girls taking Drama, DT and Economics

Results by subject

A* A B C D E Candidates
Ancient History 3 3
Art 5 5
Biology 18 7 5 1 31
Business Studies 4 5 3 12
Chemistry 27 30 5 1 4 67
Computer Science 4 6 2 12
DT 6 3 2 3 14
Drama (jointly with SHSK) 6 7 2 1 16
Economics (including SHSK) 24 29 10 3 66
English Literature 5 5 1 1 12
French (Pre-U) 9 5 1 15
Geography 14 21 12 2 49
German (Pre-U) 5 3 8
Greek 4 4
History 24 15 3 42
Latin 13 4 1 1 19
Maths 58 36 17 6 3 1 121
Further Maths 21 10 10 3 1 45
Music 2 1 3
Politics (at St Helen’s) 6 4 1 11
Physics 28 20 9 1 3 61
Philosophy 4 4 8
Religious Studies 3 2 2 7
Spanish (Pre-U) 13 3 1 17
Totals 306 220 86 24 11 1 648
% 47.2 34.0 13.3 3.7 1.7 0.2
Cumulative 81.2 94.4 98.1 99.8 100.0

Figures as at 4 January 2022 (post November exam session)

Extended Project Qualification

A* A B C D E
17 15 6 1 39

A Level Results 2021

PERCENTAGE OF PASSES %
% of passes at grade A*: 47.2%
% of passes at grade A* and A: 81.2%
% of passes at grades A* to B: 94.4%
% of passes at grades A* to C: 98.1%
% of passes at grades A* to E: 100%

The Headmaster, Michael Windsor, said:

“On behalf of everyone in the Abingdon community, I’d like to congratulate our leavers on their results this year.

They have shown remarkable tenacity and fortitude as they have moved through the Sixth Form, adapting to the uncertainties that they have faced with composure and good humour. They have made a superb all-round commitment to the life of the School and can take great pride in their achievements. Although results were reached in a different way this year, they represent an accurate representation of the high standards which this excellent year group have set themselves.

The process of putting together Teacher Assessed Grades placed unusual and exceptional pressures on all those involved. I would like to thank teachers and support staff for all their hard work.

These A Level and Pre-U results will open the doors for our leavers to a huge range of exciting opportunities. I wish them well in all their future endeavours.”

 

Number of students sitting A Levels (including those sitting Cambridge Pre-U exams): 199

NB: A Level grade equivalencies have been used for Pre-U grades in the statistics. Abingdon uses the Pre-U for French, German and Spanish. The percentages include the results of girls from St Helen and St Katharine School in subjects which are either taught jointly (Drama) or solely by Abingdon teachers (Economics).

The Process for Teacher Assessed Grades, TAGS, A Levels and GCSEs 2021

Following the cancellation of public examinations that was announced in January, schools have been charged with the task of devising grades based on the evidence of the standard which their students have reached in each of their subjects. These are known as Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs).

A helpful guide to the process for students, parents and guardians has been provided by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ). Ofqual has also produced a guide that you may find helpful – you can find it here. OCR (one of our exam boards) has also published a couple of infographic summaries – here and here. Please note that these guidance documents apply to all Abingdon’s qualifications apart from French, German and Spanish. The process for TAG formation for these subjects is governed by the exam board itself – CAIE – and information on this can be found here.

The process that Abingdon will be following for its formation of TAGs is as follows:

1. We will adhere to the Centre Policy (available here – downloads as a pdf) that we submitted to JCQ. This follows the JCQ template policy very closely and outlines the expectations for all exam centres.

2. Summer Assessments. Heads of Department used time during the Lent Term to consider the evidence that they were likely to be using for TAG formation. This helped them determine how they would use the “Summer Assessments” period that we created for both the Fifth Year and Upper Sixth by, for example, indicating which area(s) of their courses would benefit from having additional evidence. These assessments were conducted with the highest level of control (i.e. involved unseen, exam-style questioning under controlled conditions).

It was never our intention to try to assess everything as it seemed clear to us that the direction from Ofqual was not to try to reproduce a complete exam scenario, which would have had candidates attempting to complete all the exam papers they would have been doing in normal circumstances but in a vastly compressed period of time, causing no doubt high levels of stress and quite possibly an unrealistic set of ‘results’. We therefore limited the Summer Assessments to one slot with a maximum of 90 minutes per GCSE subject and two slots with a maximum of 90 minutes each per A Level/Pre-U subject.

Additional assessments will have taken place at other times, both in the Lent Term and in the first part of the summer, often simply as part of the usual teaching process (e.g. end of topic tests).

3. Evidence Bases. Heads of Department have formed the “Evidence Bases” they will be using for TAG formation and these are being published to the candidates as appropriate. We will publish these to this page as they are finalised. Candidates have the opportunity to raise concerns about Evidence Bases – but not to negotiate over them (e.g. to debate over pieces of work they feel should or should not be in the list).

4. TAG formation. Heads of Department then engage in the formation of a TAG for each student in each subject. Two things are very important to note about TAGs:

  1. TAGs are not projections of what teachers feel a student ‘would have gone on to get’ if exams had been running as normal. That was last year’s system. This year, we are required to assess the ‘level’ that we feel each student has shown us they have been performing at.
  2. The assessment of a TAG has to be ‘holistic’. This means that there is no specific and absolute weighting applied to any single piece of evidence (with the exception that NEA evidence will be likely to reflect more closely its official weighting in the specification). We won’t, for example, be saying that the Summer Assessment in a subject carries, say, a 30% weighting in our thinking. We will be looking across each student’s performance in the Evidence Base we have created to derive from it the highest grade that we feel the evidence supports. This won’t mean, therefore, that weaker performance in some pieces will pull a grade down if there is sufficient evidence from other pieces of evidence that a higher grade is justified. Neither, though, will it mean that a single piece of high level performance will necessarily mean the TAG will be awarded at that level if there isn’t other evidence that that grade is justified. We will be forming the TAG that is the most secure grade to award, considering the various aspects of a particular course and based squarely on the evidence we are looking at.

5. Access Arrangements & Special Circumstances. As part of their process, Heads of Department will be ensuring that all relevant Access Arrangements and related reasonable adjustments were in place for the pieces of evidence they are using – and there is a process for addressing any shortfall in there. Also, we will be making sure that any ‘special circumstances’ that may have affected a student’s performance in a particular assessment/piece of work being used in the Evidence Base have been taken into account.

6. Fairness & objectivity. There are various checks and balances along the way during the process to ensure that our judgements are as fair and objective as possible. As a guiding principle, we have made sure that no single teacher can have sole responsibility for the formation of a student’s TAG. In the first place, class teachers will work with their Heads of Department (HoD) to form grades based on the evidence, with the HoD inspecting the evidence and challenging judgements as appropriate. Each department must have ‘sign off’ by the HoD and one other member of the department (usually the deputy HoD if the department has one) before the next stage of the process. We have also given teachers some specific advice on the subject of ‘unconscious bias’ with relevant examples of how this might be seen in an educational context. By drawing attention to the variety of unconscious biases that could occur – and by ruling out the possibility that anyone should see themselves as completely immune to all possibility of bias – we hope to bring into vision any potential ‘unconscious’ bias and thereby eliminate it.

Each department’s TAGs will then be subject to scrutiny by the Deputy Head Academic (DHA) who will inspect and challenge judgements as appropriate to satisfy himself that the process has been done with the proper amount of objectivity and rigour.

A final checking process will then take place, with the draft TAGs being inspected by other senior teachers (such as the Section Head and the Headmaster) before a sign off by the Headmaster, as Head of Centre. Only then will TAGs move from ‘draft’ to ‘final’ status.

7. Accuracy. The final element of the process will be the transmission of TAGs to the Exam Boards’ systems. This will be undertaken by the Exams Office with two people there initially responsible for the transmission and the DHA acting as a final ‘backstop’ check before the TAGs are ultimately submitted.

Evidence Bases:

  • The GCSE, iGCSE and FSMQ evidence bases can be found here (downloads as a pdf).
  • The A Level and Pre-U evidence bases can be found here (download as a pdf).

GCSE Statistics 2020

Grade 9 (%) Grades 9-8 (%) Grades 9-7 (%) Grades 9-6 (%) Grades 9-4 (%)
2020 44.2% 71% 88% 95.7% 99.7%
2019 42.1% 69.7% 86.6% 95% 99.3%

* 2019 figures do not include English and English Literature as these subjects were still awarded in letter grades

NB: years immediately prior to 2019 were a blend of letter and number grades and so have been left off this table because comparisons year to year are not possible. Previous years’ results are reported on our website going back a number of years.

GCSE 2020 (by subject)

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 Candidates
Ancient History 8 4 3 1 1 17
Art 7 4 4 5 2 1 23
Biology 67 42 29 13 6 1 1 159
Chemistry 63 48 28 4 10 4 1 1 159
Chinese 6 3 9
Computer Science 5 4 2 1 1 13
Double Science 11 9 7 4 3 2 36
Drama 5 4 5 6 3 23
DT 13 9 9 8 4 43
Electronics 35 10 2 1 48
English 83 40 36 15 2 1 177
English Literature 80 45 31 18 3 177
French 30 40 24 11 4 109
Geography 74 33 14 2 2 1 126
German 6 11 7 5 1 1 31
Greek 10 2 12
History 65 26 12 5 108
Latin 28 14 6 2 1 51
Maths 71 46 35 19 5 1 177
Music 5 5 3 3 16
Physics 76 45 23 7 3 4 1 159
RS 10 13 9 4 2 38
Spanish 21 15 9 3 1 1 50
Totals 779 472 298 136 54 17 4 1 1761
%: 44.2 26.8 16.9 7.7 3.1 1.0 0.2 0.1
Cumulative: 71.0 88.0 95.7 98.8 99.7 99.9 100.0

 

A B C D E U Candidates
Additional Maths FSMQ § n/a 35 10 5 3 2 55

§ The FSMQ is a free-standing Maths Qualification and does not count as a GCSE.

GCSE Results 2020

Number of candidates sitting GCSEs: 177

PERCENTAGE OF PASSES %
% of passes at grade 9: 44.2%
% of passes at grade 9 and 8: 71%
% of passes at grade 9 to 7: 88%
% of passes at grade 9 to 6: 95.7%
% of passes at grade 9 to 5: 98.8%
% of passes at grade 9 to 4: 99.7%

The Headmaster, Michael Windsor, said,

“I would like to congratulate the boys on these excellent results which are a reflection of the effort and achievement that they have put into their studies throughout the GCSE syllabus. The results represent a huge amount of hard work on the part of the boys and their teachers. They are very well deserved and an excellent foundation for further study. I regret that there has been such confusion about results in recent days which must have made what is always an anxious wait even more difficult. I hope though that the boys can now take pride in what they have achieved and look forward to their A-level studies.

I very much look forward to welcoming the boys back to join our sixth form centre in September for what will be an exciting and challenging two years. I know our new Lower Sixth, along with the rest of the Abingdon staff and boys, will enjoy being back in school. The last six months has certainly made us appreciate more than ever the importance of education and the school community. I am sure we have all learnt from this experience that we cannot take anything for granted and that we should make the most of every opportunity.”

A Level Statistics 2020

Results by year

A*+A% A* to B% A* % A%
2020 71.5 90.5 35.3 36.2
2019 69.4 90.2 30.6 38.8
2018 63.4 87 29 34.4
2017 63.3 84.1 27.5 35.9
2016 56.5 84.3 18 38.6
2015 62.7 90.6 24.1 38.6
2014 66.6 87.1 32.8 33.8
2013 62.9 90.4 25 37.9
2012 74 92.7 28 46
2011 66.2 90 25.9 40.3
2010 70.3 91.9 23.9 46.4

Figures as at 17 December 2020

2020 figures include AL equivalencies for Pre-U subjects and results for girls from St Helen’s taking Drama, DT or Economics

Results by subject

A* A B C D E Candidates
Ancient History 2 1 1 1 5
Art 2 1 1 1 5
Biology 9 8 5 2 1 25
Business Studies 2 4 3 2 11
Chemistry 24 26 14 7 1 1 73
DT (including SHSK) 6 5 2 13
Drama (jointly with SHSK) 5 7 1 1 14
Economics (including SHSK) 19 25 12 2 58
English Literature 10 6 5 2 23
French (Pre-U) 5 5 1 11
Geography 6 13 8 3 30
German (Pre-U) 1 1
Greek 3 2 5
History 11 16 2 2 31
Latin 3 1 4
Maths 42 33 19 5 3 1 103
Further Maths 15 12 9 4 2 42
Music 1 2 1 4
Politics (at St Helen’s) 7 5 4 2 18
Physics 17 23 12 6 58
Philosophy 2 2 5 1 10
Psychology 2 2 4
Religious Studies 2 1 1 1 5
Spanish (Pre-U) 3 2 5
Totals 197 202 106 44 7 2 558
% 35.3 36.2 19.0 7.9 1.3 0.4
Cumulative 71.5 90.5 98.4 99.6 100.0

Figures as at 17 December 2020

Extended Project Qualification

A* A B C D E
8 8 2 1 19

A Level Results 2020

Number of boys sitting A Levels (including those sitting Cambridge Pre-U exams): 158

NB: A Level grade equivalencies have been used for Pre-U grades in the statistics below. Abingdon uses the Pre-U for French, German and Spanish. The percentages below include the results of girls from St Helen and St Katharine School in subjects which are either taught jointly (Drama) or solely by Abingdon teachers (Economics).

PERCENTAGE OF PASSES %
% of passes at grade A*: 35.3%
% of passes at grade A* and A: 71.5%
% of passes at grades A* to B: 90.5%
% of passes at grades A* to C: 98.4%
% of passes at grades A* to E: 100%

The Headmaster, Michael Windsor, said:

“I am joined by the whole school community in congratulating the boys on these results. The 2020 Leavers will have a special place in Abingdon’s history and the unusual end to their school careers should not detract from their tremendous achievements. However, it is unfortunate that the confusion surrounding results this year has been such a distraction.

We know how hard our students have worked during their time here and what a capable year group they are. We have seen them mature into the dynamic, accomplished and aspiring gentlemen of today and I have no doubt that they will go on to achieve at university and to lead successful and fulfilling careers.

In any year group at Abingdon there are boys with a diverse range of interests and talent and the 2020 leavers are no exception. Amongst the many achievements boys have won prizes in classical writing competitions, been recognised as having outstanding potential as an opera singer, combined academic success with winning a contract to play professional rugby, won Arkwright Engineering Scholarships, achieved Gold Duke of Edinburgh awards, raised money for numerous charitable causes and reached the last 16 of the National Schools Cup in rugby.

I know the boys will take this unexpected end to their school years in their stride and learn from it. I hope it will help them to be even more determined to make the most out of every opportunity and to use their many and varied talents wisely.

I wish them all the very best for their future endeavours and I look forward to watching their progress.”

These results are provisional and are subject to change.

GCSE Statistics 2019

Grading has now almost completely moved to using numbers, making historical comparisons difficult. The table below shows the grade distributions for all subjects in 2019 apart from English & English Literature (which remain letter grades for 2019) and some legacy grades from subjects that were sat by boys in previous years but need to be reported alongside other Year 11 results.

Grade 9 (%) Grades 9&8 (%) Grades 9-7 (%) Grades 9-6 (%) Grades 9-4 (%)
2019 42.1% 69.7% 86.6% 95.0% 99.3%

A note on numbers: a “4” represents a “standard pass” and has been set as the equivalent to the “C” grade awarded in previous years. A “7” is the equivalent of the previous “A” grade and grades “8” and “9” are the equivalents of the previous “A*” grade.

To offer some form of comparison, Abingdon’s A* rate over the 4 years before the number system started for us (i.e. 2014-17) averaged 57% and our A*/A rate averaged 85%.

Below are the grade distributions for English & English Literature (plus some subjects taken by this cohort in previous years and that were awarded using letter grades):

A*/A A* A A*/B A*/C
2019 87.1 58.3 28.9 98.5 100

GCSE 2019 (by subject)

Number Grade Subjects 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 Candidates
GCSE letter equivalents A* A B+ B/C C DE EF
Ancient History 6 4 1 1 1 13
Art 7 4 3 4 3 1 1 23
Biology 71 43 30 14 6 1 2 167
Chemistry 66 50 30 4 11 2 3 1 167
Chinese 3 4 4 1 12
Computer Science 9 6 5 1 21
Double Science 1 13 4 6 3 1 27
Double Science 2 7 7 6 3 3 1 27
Drama 2 6 1 10 2 21
DT 17 11 11 9 5 1 54
Electronics 17 5 1 23
French 34 44 26 12 4 120
Geography 78 35 16 3 2 134
German 12 16 10 9 2 49
Greek 10 1 11
History 89 34 17 5 1 146
Latin 29 14 8 1 52
Maths 61 56 45 25 5 2 194
Music 4 10 2 3 1 20
Physics 81 46 24 8 3 4 1 167
RS 16 14 14 9 2 1 56
Russian 1 1
Spanish 18 13 7 2 2 42
Totals 651 427 261 131 53 13 10 1 1547
%: 42.1 27.6 16.9 8.5 3.4 0.8 0.6 0.1
Cumulative: 69.7 86.6 95.0 98.4 99.3 99.9 100.0

 

Letter Grade Subjects A* A B C Candidates
English 109 60 21 4 194
English Literature 107 59 26 2 194
German (in 4th year) 4 4
Italian (in 4th year) 3 3
Chinese (in 4th year) 12 12
Russian (in 4th year) 5 5
Totals 240 119 47 6 412
%: 58.3 28.9 11.4 1.5
Cumulative: 87.1 98.5 100.0

 

A B C D E U Candidates
Additional Maths FSMQ § n/a 29 10 6 4 1 3 53

§ The FSMQ is a free-standing Maths Qualification and does not count as a GCSE.

Figures as at 1 October 2019 and are provisional numbers (appeals still pending)

See the picture gallery.

GCSE Results 2019

Speaking about the 2019 GCSE results, the Headmaster, Michael Windsor, said:

“The results are outstanding. Over half of the year group, were awarded all their grades at 7-9 and A*/A and 44 boys were awarded all their grades at 8-9 and A*. The results are the product of the students’ sustained commitment and endeavour and follow a superb set of A level results.

I’d like to congratulate the boys on their deserved success which will provide a strong platform as they move into the Sixth Form. This is a year group that makes the most of the wide range of opportunities at Abingdon and I have no doubt that they will continue to thrive as they take on the challenge of A Levels. My thanks go to our staff and to our students’ parents who have given the boys such dedicated and effective support.”

The results are excellent across the wide range of subjects taken at GCSE at Abingdon. Students performed particularly strongly in History with 60% of passes awarded the top grade (grade 9) (146 candidates), Geography with 57% of passes with grade 9 (134 candidates) and Physics with 49% of passes awarded a grade 9 (167 candidates). Maths and English continue to perform very strongly too, with 84.% of the Maths grades at 7-9 and 86% of the grades in English and English Literature at A* and A.

Very impressive results were achieved by the smaller numbers of candidates taking Greek with 91% grade 9 (11 candidates) and Electronics with 74% grade 9 (23 candidates). In the first year of Computer Science GCSE, an impressive 43% of the 21 candidates were awarded a grade 9.

Number sitting GCSEs: 194

See the picture gallery.

Download the GCSE grade boundaries here.

A Level Statistics 2019

Results by year

A*+A% A* to B% A* % A%
2019 69.4 90.2 30.6 38.8
2018 63.4 87 29 34.4
2017 63.3 84.1 27.5 35.9
2016 56.5 84.3 18 38.6
2015 62.7 90.6 24.1 38.6
2014 66.6 87.1 32.8 33.8
2013 62.9 90.4 25 37.9
2012 74 92.7 28 46
2011 66.2 90 25.9 40.3
2010 70.3 91.9 23.9 46.4

Figures as at 30 September 2019 (appeals pending)

2019 figures include AL equivalencies for Pre-U subjects and results for girls from St Helen’s taking Drama, DT or Economics

Results by subject

A* A B C D E U Candidates
Ancient History 2 3 5
Art 3 1 2 6
Biology 4 16 2 2 1 25
Business Studies 4 8 2 14
Chemistry 11 23 14 4 1 1 1 55
DT (including SHSK) 2 6 5 13
Drama (jointly with SHSK) 4 4 4 1 13
Economics (including SHSK) 16 22 9 2 1 50
English Literature 9 6 5 20
French (Pre-U) 4 2 3 9
Geography 6 20 8 3 37
German (Pre-U) 1 4 5
Greek 1 1
History 15 22 13 50
Latin 2 2 1 1 6
Maths 34 27 11 6 3 2 1 84
Further Maths 9 8 5 4 26
Persian 1 1
Politics (at St Helen’s) 9 6 4 19
Physics 12 17 4 7 2 42
Philosophy 3 3 1 2 2 11
Psychology 1 2 1 4
Religious Studies 1 1 2
Spanish (Pre-U) 8 2 2 12
Totals 156 198 106 33 9 6 2 510
% 30.6 38.8 20.8 6.5 1.8 1.2 0.4
Cumulative 69.4 90.2 96.7 98.4 99.6 100.0

Figures as at 30 September 2019 (appeals pending)

153 boys (and girls from St Helen’s included in Drama, DT and Economics).  AL equivalencies have been used for Pre-U subjects

Extended Project Qualification

A* A B C D E U
16 8 3 2 1 30

See the picture gallery.

A Level Results 2019

Number of boys sitting A Levels (including those sitting Cambridge Pre-U exams): 153

NB: A Level grade equivalencies have been used for Pre-U grades in the statistics below. Abingdon uses the Pre-U for French, German and Spanish. The percentages below include the results of girls from St Helen and St Katharine School in subjects which are either taught jointly (Drama) or solely by Abingdon teachers (Economics and DT).  

PERCENTAGE OF PASSES %
% of passes at grade A*: 30.6%
% of passes at grade A* and A: 69.4%
% of passes at grades A* to B: 90.2%
% of passes at grades A* to C: 96.7%
% of passes at grades A* to E: 99.6%
73 boys gained 3 or more A level passes at grade A* or A

The Headmaster, Michael Windsor, said:

“I congratulate all our leavers on this very strong set of results. As a year group, they’ve made a terrific contribution to all aspects of school life and I am delighted that they have been rewarded for their hard work and commitment. They have benefited from strong support from their teachers, who have worked with dedication, determination and expertise to ensure that they have been able to fulfil their potential. I wish all our leavers well as they set out on the next chapter of their lives.”

The 2019 results show students have achieved particularly well in:

  • Economics with 76% A*/A and 94% A*/B (50 candidates)
  • History 72% A*/A and 100% A*/B  (50 candidates)
  • Geography 68% A*/A and 92% A*/B (37 candidates)
  • Chemistry with 60% A*/A and 87% A*/B (55 candidates)
  • Mathematics with 73% A*/A and 86% A*/B (84 candidates)

Amongst subjects that have smaller numbers of candidates and performed very strongly, we have Biology with 80% A*/A and 88% A*/B (25 candidates), English with 60% A*/A and 100% A*/B (20 candidates) and Drama with 62% A*/A and 92% A*/B (13 candidates). Our MFL students did exceptionally well once again in the Pre-U examinations with half of 26 candidates being awarded D1 and D2 grades (A* and above A* equivalent).

Students also did very well in the popular and demanding EPQ. This year, over 50% of the 30 students achieved the top (A*) grade and 80% achieved A*/A.

An excellent set of A level and Pre-U results complete a very successful year for our 2019 leavers.

Abingdonians have a spirit of curiosity and adventure which underpins their time at school and it is exciting to see them succeed both academically and through the Other Half. Amongst our leavers we have highly accomplished musicians, award winning academics, international sportsmen, Arkwright Engineering Scholars and aspiring artists.

Many of the boys achieving these impressive results have just returned from a music tour of Hong Kong and Japan and over the summer, sixth formers also volunteered in Moldova, played rugby in Chile and Argentina, undertook Gold DofE expeditions and worked on community partnership projects. Individuals have represented the UK at the International Physics Olympiad in Tel Aviv, played for the England U18 rugby team in South Africa, rowed for Great Britain in the Junior World Championships in Tokyo and performed together with the girls from St Helen’s at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Our Other Half not only develops skills but also confidence, leadership, independence and responsibility which also reap tremendous benefit inside the classroom. The 2019 academic results are testament to this and to our purpose of providing a well-rounded education. We thank the students for their commitment and contribution to Abingdon.

See the picture gallery.

Download the A level grade boundaries here.

GCSE Statistics 2018

Historical view (GCSE)

A* % A*+A% A* to B% A*-C
2018 58.3 84.7 96.6 99.2
2017 60.2 86.3 97.8 99.6
2016 60 87.5 98 99.6
2015 61.1 87.2 98 99.6
2014 48.1 79.4 94.6 99.3

2018 is the first time Abingdon is reporting in number grades for some GCSEs. The stats below cover Maths, Art, Drama, Greek, Latin, Music and RS:

% of 9s (top A*) % of 8-9 (all A*) % of 7-9 (A*/A) % of 6-9 (A*/B) % of 4-9 (A*-C)
2018 36.2 62.6 81.2 93.5 100

Consolidated results (using grade equivalencies for numbers):

A*% A*+A% A* to B% A*-C%
2018 59.2 83.9 95.9 99.2

2018 figures as at 6 October 2018 and are provisional numbers (appeals still pending)

GCSE 2018 (by subject)

A* A B C D E Candidates
Biology (iGCSE) 79 36 18 4 1 1 139
Chemistry (iGCSE) 100 28 6 4 1 139
Chinese  22 1 1 24
Ancient History 5 1 8 14
DT 10 22 7 3 1 43
Electronics 27 5 32
English (iGCSE) 108 46 11 2 167
English Literature (iGCSE) 96 49 17 4 1 167
French (iGCSE) 45 33 14 8 100
Geography (iGCSE) 59 27 20 1 1 1 109
German (iGCSE) 16 14 8 38
History (iGCSE) 49 32 18 2 101
Physics (iGCSE) 98 31 9 1 139
Science Dual Award 1 (iGCSE) 14 8 3 2 1 28
Science Dual Award 2 (iGCSE) 12 4 9 2 1 28
Russian 1 1
Spanish (iGCSE) 28 12 8 2 50
Totals  769 348 157 34 7 4 1319
%: 58.3 26.4 11.9 2.6 0.5 0.3
Cumulative:  84.7 96.6 99.2 99.7 100.0
Number Grades 9 8 7 6 5 4 Candidates
GCSE letter equivalents A* A B+ B/C C
Art 1 2 8 13 5 29
Drama 4 5 8 6 3 26
Greek 8 1 9
Latin 18 15 8 3 3 47
Maths (iGCSE) 76 44 26 13 6 2 167
Music 7 4 4 1 1 17
RS  15 23 12 8 3 61
Totals  129 94 66 44 21 2 356
%: 36.2 26.4 18.5 12.4 5.9 0.6
Cumulative:  62.6 81.2 93.5 99.4 100.0
Additional Maths FSMQ § n/a 43 14 2 3 2 64

§ The FSMQ is a free-standing Maths Qualification and does not count as a GCSE.

To see the UMS grade boundaries, please follow this link.

Figures as at 6 October 2018

GCSE Results 2018

Speaking about the 2018 GCSE results, the Headmaster, Michael Windsor, said:

“This is another excellent set of results following the A levels last week. Half of the year group gained all their GCSE passes at grade A* or A, or the equivalent grades 7-9. I would like to congratulate all the boys and staff on achieving these impressive results.

Particularly pleasing is the breadth of subjects in which the boys performed well. English Language passes were at 92% A*/A and English Literature at 87% A*/A, and Maths passes at grades 7-9 (A*/A equivalent) were 87%.

Chemistry, Physics and Mandarin all recorded over 90% A*/A with Electronics a very strong 100% A*/A. All those taking Greek also gained 100% passes at grades 8/9 (A* equivalent).

These results represent a lot of hard work from boys and their teachers, they are very well deserved and an excellent foundation for further study. I look forward to welcoming the boys back to school where they will be the first to enjoy our new sixth form facilities opening in September.”

Number sitting GCSEs: 167

See the statistics showing a breakdown of the results by subject.

A Level Statistics 2018

Results by year

A*+A% A* to B% A* % A%
2018 63.4 87 29 34.4
2017 63.3 84.1 27.5 35.9
2016 56.5 84.3 18 38.6
2015 62.7 90.6 24.1 38.6
2014 66.6 87.1 32.8 33.8
2013 62.9 90.4 25 37.9
2012 74 92.7 28 46
2011 66.2 90 25.9 40.3
2010 70.3 91.9 23.9 46.4
2009 66.4 90.2 n/a 66.4
2008 64.1 86.9 n/a 64.1

Results by subject

A* A B C D E U Candidates
Ancient History 2 1 2 5
Art 3 3 6
Biology 14 13 16 12 3 58
Business Studies 3 2 2 1 8
Chemistry 20 23 18 4 1 66
Chinese 1 1 2
DT 1 4 1 1 7
Economics 7 21 13 4 1 46
English 9 2 7 2 20
French (pre-U) 7 8 15
Geography 6 11 9 6 32
German (pre-U) 5 5
Greek 1 5 1 7
History 14 19 7 40
Latin 9 4 2 15
Maths 38 34 20 9 3 3 3 110
Further Maths 12 12 8 2 4 38
Music 1 1 2
Politics (at St Helen’s) 2 5 4 2 13
Physics 9 16 14 5 44
Philosophy 3 1 1 1 6
Russian 2 2
Psychology 1 5 6
Religious Studies 1 3 1 5
Spanish (pre-U) 4 3 7
Theatre Studies (with St Helen’s) 1 3 4
Totals 165 196 134 53 14 4 3 569
% 29.0 34.5 23.6 9.3 2.5 0.7 0.5
Cumulative 63.5 87.0 96.3 98.8 99.5 100.0

Figures as at 9 October 2018

See the picture gallery.

A Level Results 2018

Number of boys sitting A Levels (including those sitting Cambridge Pre-U exams):
NB: A Level grade equivalencies have been used for pre-U grades in the statistics below.  Abingdon uses the pre-U for French, German and Spanish. 
171
% of passes at grade A*: 29.0%
% of passes at grade A* and A: 63.5%
% of passes at grades A* to B: 87.0%
% of passes at grades A* to C: 96.3%
% of passes at grades A* to E: 99.5%
Number of boys with 5 Grade A*s: 4
Number of boys with 4 Grade A*s or more: 10
Number of boys with 3 Grade A*s or more: 19
Number of boys with 2 Grade A*s or more: 45
79 boys gained 3 or more A level passes at grade A or A*

The Headmaster, Michael Windsor, said:

“I would like to congratulate our candidates on this superb set of results. Students and staff have risen ably to the challenge of the new A Level specifications. The results show strength across the board with boys achieving particularly well in History, gaining a remarkable 80% A*/A, alongside great success in STEM subjects and English, Economics and Latin.

I have been impressed by the hard work and commitment that these students have shown throughout their Abingdon careers. They are a talented cohort who have thrived in all areas of school life. There have been some remarkable individual successes beyond the curriculum, including first prize in the prestigious National Cipher Challenge, sponsored by GCHQ, and selection to the UK team for the International Biology Olympiad in Iran.

These young men are very well-placed to embrace the challenge and excitement of life after school and I wish them all the best for the future.”

The 2018 results show students have achieved particularly well in:

  • History, with 80% A*/A and 98% A*/B (40 candidates)
  • Chemistry, with 65% A*/A and 92% A*/B (66 candidates)
  • Maths with 65% A*/A and 84% A*/B (110 candidates)
  • Economics, with 59% A*/A and 89% A*/B (46 candidates)
  • Physics, with 57% A*/A and 89% A*/B (44 candidates)

Amongst subjects that have smaller numbers of candidates but still perform very strongly, we have English with 55% A*/A and 90% A*/B (20 candidates), and Latin with 87% A*/A and 100% A*/B (15 candidates).

Our MFL students did exceptionally well in the Pre-U examinations. All 27 candidates gained D2 and D3 grades – the equivalent of 100% A*/A – with all those sitting German (5 candidates) gaining a D2/A* equivalent.

Students also did very well in the increasingly popular EPQ. This year over 40% of the cohort achieved the top (A*) grade and over 70% achieved A*/A.

At Abingdon we encourage boys to put equal effort into their non-academic interests and, wherever these may lie, we will have something amongst the 120 extra-curricular activities that will capture their imagination. The diversity is impressive; this year students have built the ATLAS detector of the Large Hadron Collider in Minecraft, sung Choral Evensong at Dorchester Abbey and through our CCF, been selected to take on the role of Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadet. We also have 35 sports to try, and boys play as part of a healthy lifestyle or to compete and to reach the top of their game alongside the eight international representatives, 30 regional and 70 county players this year.

As school resumes in September, excitement is building for the new Sixth Form Centre, library and Art department which will open its doors for the first time. Our Sixth Form will be transformed with the new Centre designed to mark the transition from Middle School. Students will have more independence and enjoy a relationship with the school and staff that more closely resembles university education.

See the statistics showing a breakdown of the results by subject.

See the picture gallery.

GCSE Results 2017

Number sitting GCSEs 171
% of passes at grade A* 60.2%
% of passes at grades A* and A 86.3%
% of passes at grades A* to B 97.8%
% of passes at grades A* to C 99.6%
% of passes at grades A* to G 100%
% of pupils gaining at least 5 passes A* to C 100%
% of pupils gaining at least 5 passes A*to C including English and Maths 100%
% of pupils gaining at least 5 passes A* to G 100%
Number of boys with 11 A*s 5
Number of boys with 10 A*s or more 29
Number of boys with 9 A*s or more 53
Number of boys with 8 A*s or more 68
Number of boys with 7 A*s or more 82

81 boys (47% of the year group) gained all their GCSE passes at grade A* or A.

The Headmaster, Michael Windsor, said:

“This is a quite superb set of results and I am delighted that the pupils’ hard work has paid off in such style. It is exciting to see very high levels of achievement across the board and this underlines the quality and commitment of the staff at Abingdon. The boys have certainly established a firm platform for continued success at A Level.”

Almost a third of the year group gained nine or more passes at grade A* and 81 boys gained all their GCSE passes at A* or A grades. Demonstrating the breadth of very high achievements across the 23 subjects on offer in Abingdon’s GCSE curriculum, a wide variety of subjects reported A*/A rates of over 85%, including English and English Literature, Physics, French, German, Spanish, Electronics, Greek, History and Latin. Almost all of the other subjects had A*/A rates above 80%.

See the statistics showing a breakdown of the results by subject.

See the picture gallery.

GCSE Statistics 2017

GCSE – historical view

A* % A*+A% A* to B% A* to C %
2017 60.2 86.3 97.8 99.6
2016 60 87.5 98 99.6
2015 61.1 87.2 98 99.6
2014 48.1 79.4 94.6 99.3
2013 53.3 84.1 95.9 99
2012 48.8 81.9 96.4 99.6
2011 46.8 81.6 96.9 99.8
2010 42.5 80.4 96 99.7
2009 41.6 78.1 95.1 99.1
2008 44.8 80.5 98 99.6
2007 34.7 75.7 95.6 99.2

GCSE 2017 (by subject)

A* A B C D E Candidates
Art  7 15 9 1 32
Biology (iGCSE) 87 34 20 3 144
Chemistry (iGCSE) 95 21 25 3 144
Chinese  16 5 3 1 25
Ancient History 6 3 1 1 11
DT 17 19 7 2 45
Drama 13 4 3 20
Electronics 15 1 16
English (iGCSE) 108 44 17 2 171
English Literature (iGCSE) 111 40 15 3 2 171
French (iGCSE) 60 37 12 1 110
Geography (iGCSE) 73 28 10 3 114
German (iGCSE) 23 5 4 32
Greek 8 1 9
History (iGCSE) 81 35 10 2 1 129
Italian 2 2
Latin 30 8 1 1 40
Maths (iGCSE) 103 41 26 1 171
Music 3 7 4 14
Persian 1 1
Physics (iGCSE) 95 36 12 2 145
RS  20 29 9 4 1 1 64
Science Dual Award 1 (iGCSE) 20 5 1 26
Science Dual Award 2 (iGCSE) 14 9 3 26
Russian 2 2
Spanish (iGCSE) 34 11 3 48
Additional Maths FSMQ § n/a 30 3 6 2 1 42
Totals 1031 447 196 32 5 1 1712
%: 60.2 26.1 11.4 1.9 0.3 0.1
Cumulative: 86.3 97.8 99.6 99.9 100.0

§ Most boys in the top Maths sets took the OCR Freestanding Additional Maths Qualification alongside their iGCSE in Maths.
As it isn’t a GCSE it is not included in the totals and percentages above.

Figures as at 17 October 2017; subject to change after marking appeals.

See the picture gallery.

A Level Statistics 2017

Results by year

A*+A% A* to B% A* % A%
2017 63.3 84.1 27.5 35.9
2016 56.5 84.3 18 38.6
2015 62.7 90.6 24.1 38.6
2014 66.6 87.1 32.8 33.8
2013 62.9 90.4 25 37.9
2012 74 92.7 28 46
2011 66.2 90 25.9 40.3
2010 70.3 91.9 23.9 46.4
2009 66.4 90.2 n/a 66.4
2008 64.1 86.9 n/a 64.1
2007 73.4 92.6 n/a 73.4
2006 63 90 n/a 63
2005 51 81.4 n/a 51

Results by subject

A* A B C D E U Candidates
Ancient History 3 3
Art 2 3 4 1 10
Biology 10 11 7 5 4 37
Business Studies 2 2 1 5
Chemistry 15 28 18 10 6 77
Chinese 1 2 2 5
DT 2 2 5 2 11
Economics 16 17 9 1 1 44
English 8 12 7 2 29
Maths 41 27 18 7 5 2 1 101
Further Maths 13 12 6 3 1 1 36
French (pre-U) 1 12 13
Geography 7 14 8 4 1 34
German (pre-U) 2 1 3
Greek 3 3
History 13 23 13 5 1 55
Latin 9 6 15
Music 1 1 2 4
Politics (at St Helen’s) 1 4 5 2 12
Physics 11 19 15 16 2 1 64
Philosophy 1 1 2 2 1 7
Russian 1 1
Psychology 2 3 1 6
Religious Studies 1 3 1 1 6
Spanish (pre-U) 4 5 9
Theatre Studies (with St Helen’s) 6 1 7
Totals 164 214 124 66 23 5 1 597
% 27.5 35.9 20.8 11.1 3.9 0.8 0.2
Cumulative 63.3 84.1 95.2 99.0 99.8 100.00

Figures as at 17 October 2017 ; 2017 figures subject to change on appeal
Figures include AL equivalencies for pre-U subjects

See the picture gallery.

A Level Results 2017

Number of boys sitting A Levels (including those sitting Cambridge Pre-U exams):
NB: A Level grade equivalencies have been used for pre-U grades in the statistics below.  Abingdon uses the pre-U for French, German and Spanish. 
181
% of passes at grade A*: 27.5%
% of passes at grade A* and A: 63.3%
% of passes at grades A* to B: 84.1%
% of passes at grades A* to C: 95.2%
% of passes at grades A* to E: 99.8%
Number of boys with 4 Grade A*s or more: 7
Number of boys with 3 Grade A*s or more: 18
Number of boys with 2 Grade A*s or more: 43
81 boys gained 3 or more A level passes at grade A or A*

The Headmaster, Michael Windsor, said:

“I would like to congratulate all our candidates who have achieved such a strong set of results, which reflect the hard work that our students have put into their studies, alongside their quite superb contribution to the wider life of the School. The results also bear testimony to the commitment and skill of the staff at Abingdon who guide our pupils with tenacity, intelligence and enthusiasm. I wish all our leavers well as they move on to the next stages in their lives.”

Almost half of the year group (81 boys) gained three or more A level passes at A* or A grades. Students performed particularly well in English and Economics where 90% of candidates achieved A* to B grades. These excellent academic results bring to an end an impressive year at Abingdon. 2016/17 has certainly lived up to expectation with this tremendous academic performance achieved alongside a wide range of extra-curricular accolades. Below are just a few examples, they demonstrate the hard work and dedication that the boys put in to all that they do.

  • Aspiring writers – nine students published the opening chapters of their books in an anthology, The Birth of a Book.
  • Engineers – two student teams won first and third place in the national Blott Matthews Engineering Challenge to design a mass-transit system connecting five London airports to the City.
  • Mathematicians – achieved sixth position out of all worldwide postal entries from schools competing in the Princeton University Maths Competition.
  • Journalists – the School’s student newspaper, The Martlet, won highly commended runner-up in the ‘Best Newspaper’ category and won ‘Best Newspaper Front Cover’ in the prestigious Shine Media Awards.
  • Musicians – selected for National Youth Choir of Great Britain and the National Children’s Orchestra.
  • Game designers – two sixth formers shortlisted in the BAFTA Young Game Designers competition.
  • Sportsmen – national selection for students who reached the top of their game in a wide range of sports including hockey, fencing and canoeing.
  • Thespians – Much Ado and London Road, the senior productions with the girls from St Helen’s, wowed audiences in sell out performances.
  • Explorers – students volunteered, sailed, hiked, canoed, skied and represented the School across several continents broadening experiences of music, sport, language and culture. From an orchestral tour to Germany, cricket in Sri Lanka, volunteering in Moldova, rugby in Japan to the Cosmonaut Space and Leadership Experience in Moscow.

See the statistics showing a breakdown of the results by subject.

See the picture gallery.

Results as of 1 November 2017

GCSE Statistics 2016

GCSE – a ten year view

A* % A*+A% A* to B% A*-C %
2016 60 87.5 98 99.6
2015 61.1 87.2 98 99.6
2014 48.1 79.4 94.6 99.3
2013 53.3 84.1 95.9 99
2012 48.8 81.9 96.4 99.6
2011 46.8 81.6 96.9 99.8
2010 42.5 80.4 96 99.7
2009 41.6 78.1 95.1 99.1
2008 44.8 80.5 98 99.6
2007 34.7 75.7 95.6 99.2

GCSE 2016 (by subject)

A* A B C D E Candidates
Art  6 13 11 1 31
Biology (iGCSE) 94 40 9 143
Chemistry (iGCSE) 105 24 12 1 1 143
Chinese  19 6 1 1 27
Classical Civilisation 5 5 7 1 18
DT 5 21 12 38
Drama 6 7 2 15
Electronics 19 6 2 3 30
English (iGCSE) 109 42 26 2 179
English Literature (iGCSE) 104 55 13 6 1 179
French (iGCSE) 77 36 8 4 1 126
Geography (iGCSE) 69 29 5 103
German (iGCSE) 17 10 4 2 1 34
Greek 8 2 1 11
History (iGCSE) 67 48 17 3 135
Italian 2 2
Latin 49 14 3 1 1 68
Maths (iGCSE) 109 53 17 179
Music 3 10 7 20
Physics (iGCSE) 106 29 7 1 143
RS  29 26 14 69
Science Dual Award 1 (iGCSE) 27 7 2 36
Science Dual Award 2 (iGCSE) 20 11 3 2 36
Russian 2 2
Spanish (iGCSE) 30 3 2 35
Additional Maths FSMQ § n/a 38 9 6 1 1 55
Totals 1081 496 189 29 6 1 1802
%: 60.0 27.5 10.5 1.6 0.3 0.1
Cumulative: 87.5 98.0 99.6 99.9 100.0

§ Most boys in the top two Maths sets took the OCR Freestanding Additional Maths Qualification alongside their iGCSE in Maths. As it isn’t a GCSE it is not included in the totals and percentages above. In addition to the FSMQ results above, there was one U grade.

Figures as at 17 October 2016, and subject to change following marking review appeals.

GCSE Results 2016

Number sitting GCSEs 179
% of passes at grade A* 60.0%
% of passes at grades A* and A 87.5%
% of passes at grades A* to B 98.0%
% of passes at grades A* to C 99.6%
% of passes at grades A* to G 100%
% of pupils gaining at least 5 passes A* to C 100%
% of pupils gaining at least 5 passes A*to C including English and Maths 100%
% of pupils gaining at least 5 passes A* to G 100%
Number of boys with 11 A*s 5
Number of boys with 10 A*s or more 22
Number of boys with 9 A*s or more 49
Number of boys with 8 A*s or more 66
Number of boys with 7 A*s or more 88

82 boys gained all their GCSE passes at grade A* or A.

The Head, Miss Felicity Lusk, said:

“These results are outstanding. This year group has exceeded the record set in 2015 for the percentage of passes receiving A* and A grades, at a magnificent 87.3%. 22 boys gained ten or more A* grades and 82 boys, nearly half of the year group, received all their GCSE passes at A* or A. Equally impressive are the very many boys who have improved hugely on their January mock exam results to bring in a haul of very strong grades: a testament to the hard work that has taken place at home and at school.

There is real strength across all subjects. Chemistry and Physics see over two thirds of boys with the top A* grade, as do Spanish and Latin. All boys take English, English Literature and Maths and the results were once again excellent with 107, 104 and 109 A* grades respectively and of the 179 boys taking Maths iGCSE all received grades A* to B.

These results together with our inspiring extra-curricular offering reflect the superb balance that an Abingdon education provides.”

A Level Results 2016

Number of boys sitting A Levels: 139
% of passes at grade A*: 18%
% of passes at grade A* and A: 56.5%
% of passes at grades A* to B: 84.3%
% of passes at grades A* to C: 94.7%
% of passes at grades A* to E: 99.8%
Number of boys with 4 Grade A*s or more: 2
Number of boys with 3 Grade A*s or more: 7
Number of boys with 2 Grade A*s or more: 23
52 boys gained 3 or more A level passes at grade A or A*

The Head, Miss Felicity Lusk, said:

“This set of A level results sees almost 40% of the boys gaining A* or A grades in three or more subjects and complements the wide-ranging achievements of a talented year group. Their enthusiasm to seize the many opportunities available to them and their determination to work hard to achieve the best they can will ensure they have a very bright future ahead. I wish the boys and their families all the very best and I thank them and the staff at Abingdon for all their hard work.

These results illustrate that Abingdon does what it sets out to do very well – to provide the best in all aspects of education. This year students have reached the national finals of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Top of the Bench competition, the Institute of Financial Services Student Investor Challenge, the Institute of Charted Accountants National Business Game, BASE, the Air Squadron Trophy competition and the UK Young Enterprise competition.

Individuals have won a number of prestigious awards ranging from the inaugural Young Walter Scott Prize at the Borders Book Festival, an Organ Scholarship to St John’s College Cambridge, the Sir John Thomson Memorial Sword and the De Havilland Medal for a member of the CCF and Oxford University’s National French Film competition.

Abingdon’s sporting reputation goes from strength to strength. In the international arena, boys represented their country at hockey, rugby, fencing, kayaking, triathlon and windsurfing and rowers competed for Great Britain and England this summer.  The Joint Head of School broke the World Record for indoor rowing 5000m and numerous boys play at county and regional level across all sports.

Over the summer boys are taking part in a myriad of activities including trekking in Vietnam, a geography fieldtrip to India, sailing in Greece, RAF summer camp and CCF adventure training camp plus DofE walking in Glencoe.

It is the seizing of opportunity and the determination to do their best that makes Abingdonians stand out. It has been my privilege to watch this A level cohort embrace all that is on offer at Abingdon and to see them mature as they have moved up the school. I wish them every success as they take the next step.”

Results as of 17 October 2016.

A Level Statistics 2016

Results by year

A*+A% A* to B% A* % A%
2016 56.5 84.3 18 38.6
2015 62.7 90.6 24.1 38.6
2014 66.6 87.1 32.8 33.8
2013 62.9 90.4 25 37.9
2012 74 92.7 28 46
2011 66.2 90 25.9 40.3
2010 70.3 91.9 23.9 46.4
2009 66.4 90.2 n/a 66.4
2008 64.1 86.9 n/a 64.1
2007 73.4 92.6 n/a 73.4
2006 63 90 n/a 63
2005 51 81.4 n/a 51

Results by subject

A* A B C D E U Candidates
Ancient History 2 9 5 1 17
Art 1 1 1 3
Biology 9 8 8 3 1 1 30
Business Studies 3 2 3 8
Chemistry 5 27 12 7 2 1 1 55
Chinese 1 1 2
DT 1 1 2
Economics 1 17 22 6 46
English 1 10 3 2 16
Maths 23 30 11 7 5 1 77
Further Maths 8 9 6 1 1 25
French 2 5 3 1 11
Geography 3 12 14 5 1 35
German 1 1 2
Greek 1 2 3
History 6 14 10 2 32
Latin 1 1 5 1 8
Music 2 2 4
Politics (at St Helen’s) 2 1 5 3 11
Physics 9 15 8 3 2 37
Philosophy 2 4 1 1 2 1 11
Russian 2 2
Psychology 2 1 1 4
Spanish 2 1 3
Theatre Studies (with St Helen’s) 2 2 3 7
Totals 81 174 125 47 15 8 1 451
% 18 38.6 27.7 10.4 3.3 1.8 0.2
Cumulative 56.5 84.3 94.7 98.0 99.8 100.00

Figures as at 17 October 2016.