A Level and GCSE Results 2020 – Final Update

We are pleased to be able to formally announce an excellent set of results for our Y11 and Y13 cohorts – results that were long predicted for these two very strong academic year groups.

Following the well-documented chaos that has surrounded this year’s exam process, it was a relief that many of the injustices of the Ofqual’s original grading system were finally addressed nationally for all pupils.

For our part, we are delighted to see our own Forest pupils now able to progress to the next stage of their educational journeys despite all the upheaval and uncertainty they have had to endure during the past year.

78% of our one hundred and forty Y13 pupils were awarded grades A*-B, meeting the published academic target set for them at the start of the year. These excellent results also mean Forest students will now be leaving us for top universities across the country, and indeed the world, with Lucy Leel off to study at Harvard, USA, in 2021 after taking a gap year and Leonard Pulevic starting at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. Russell Group Universities yet again feature heavily in the list of destinations and, as ever, Forest students will also be moving on to study a wide range of subjects including Physics, Architecture, and Aerospace Engineering, to Medicine, PPE, Law, Computer Science and English Literature to name just a few chosen courses.

Tom Adolphus and Ella Andrews have gained places to read Natural Sciences and Architecture respectively at Cambridge, whilst Eleanor Horn will be heading to Oxford to study History. Naphysa Awuah will study Human Social & Political Sciences at Cambridge and Saul Samuels Moselle will read Modern & Medieval Languages, also at Cambridge.

Meanwhile, Orin Jacob Syer has won a scholarship to the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester to study classical violin, making it the ninth year in a row for a Forest pupil to have won a scholarship to a prestigious musical conservatoire. Another student has chosen to pursue his passion and take up the offer of a place at Central Saint Martins for Fashion Design – again embodying the true Forest Learner spirit.

Pleasingly, Y13’s Extended Project Results (which they received before lockdown) were 88% A*/A.

Similarly, our Y11 cohort produced outstanding GCSE results with 83% of grades awarded 9/8/7 or A**/A*/A equivalent, again in line with expectations based on their tracked progress through the School. In Y11’s case, Ofqal’s standardised results actually raised a good number of our CAGs which only reinforced the rigour of our assessment process. Y11 had already secured 73% A*/A for their Higher Project Qualifications – for which A* is the highest grade.

The Warden, Marcus Cliff Hodges, said: ‘This very impressive set of results in this most difficult of years confirms ever-growing academic momentum at Forest. These thoroughly deserved results were waiting to happen. They show both the resilience and character of Forest pupils in sticking to the task, as well as the dedication and commitment of their teachers. Prospects for Y11 look very exciting as they move into the Sixth Form, while Y13, who have endured a hugely difficult and tragic final year at school will be much-missed, but will be a terrific group of young Old Foresters. We wish them well.’