IT WAS all smiles at The Queen’s School this morning (Thursday) as students arrived to receive news of their excellent A-level and Pre-U results.

The city centre school achieved the best sixth form results in the county last year but 2018 delivered even better, with 27% of examinations passed at A* and 60% at A*- A.

Art was a particular success story this year with all candidates achieving an A* or A equivalent grades and it was the same picture in Latin. In English Literature 88% were at A*/A and in chemistry 86% of the grades were at A*/A. In total, 11 subjects had an A*-B pass rate of 100%.

All candidates holding Oxbridge offers have secured their places: Jessica Blinston (A* A* A*) studies natural sciences at Cambridge, Nina Daniels (A*AA) reads classics at Cambridge and Felicity Hudson (A*AA plus A* in EPQ) reads English language and literature at Oxford.

Four Queen’s students will go to study medicine this year: Raabia Farooqi (A* A* A plus A* in EPQ) goes to Imperial, Carolyn Collis (A*A*A plus A* in EPQ goes to Newcastle, Emma Hartell (2017 cohort) goes to Plymouth and Amrita Singh (2017 cohort) goes to Bristol.

Three students are heading to study dentistry: Jenna Asad (AAA) goes to Manchester, Olivia Durnall (A*AA) goes to Sheffield and Sinchana Lakshmish (A*A*A* plus A* in EPQ) goes to KCL. Ella Barton (AAA) goes to study veterinary science at Bristol.

Congratulations go to the following girls who also achieved at least 2 A*/A grades at A-level or achieved Distinction (D1, D2, D3) in the Cambridge Pre-U examination.

Sophie Astbury (A*AB) studies computer science at Leeds, Olivia Atkinson (AAB) studies maths and music at Leeds, Bella Band (A* AA plus A* in EPQ) studies acting at the Rose Bruford College, Ffion Bell (A*A*A) studies law with French law at Birmingham, Beatrice Delafaille (AAA) studies economics and modern history at St Andrew’s, Le-an Delvecchio (A*A*A) studies materials science and engineering at Imperial College, Sophie Garnell (A*AA plus A in EPQ) studies law with politics at Queen’s Belfast, Sophia Hilton (A* A*A plus A in EPQ) studies physics at Manchester, Ella Johnson (A*AA) studies English language and linguistics at Leeds, Saima Khanum (AAC) studies real estate with MSc in urban planning and development at Reading, Tabitha Madhaven (Pre-U Distinction2 AB) studies physics and astronomy at Sussex, Martha Owen (AAB) studies international business at Loughborough, Nitya Ramanand (Pre-U Distinction1 A*AA plus A* in EPQ) studies philosophy, politics and economics at York, Eleanor Regnart-Butler (Pre-U Distinction3 AB) is not applying this year, Eleanor Simpson-Daniels (Pre-U Distinction2 A*C) studies Art Foundation at Manchester Met, Olivia Spillane (AAA plus A* in EPQ) studies music at Durham, Lily Tenner (A*A*A) studies economics and mathematics at Bath, Philippa Thomas (Pre-U Distinction1 AA plus A* in EPQ) studies history of Art at St Andrews, Jessica Twigg (D3AC) studies landscape architecture at Sheffield, Abigail Underhill (Pre-U Distinction3 A*B) studies art foundation at Leeds, Philippa Way (AAC) studies geography at Exeter, Annie Whyte (A*A*B) studies English literature at KCL, Lucy Wood (AAA plus A* in EPQ) studies computer science at Durham, Georgia Wright (Pre-U Distinction2 A*A*) studies history of art and English literature at Edinburgh and Mable Yip (A*AAB with A* in EPQ) studies economics with management at Durham.

In celebrating, acting headmistress Joanne Keville praised the girls’ attitude and hard work.

She said: “These are absolutely outstanding results of which the girls should feel very proud. Sixth form is a busy time with so many opportunities to develop and grow not just academically but as individuals.

"I would like to thank them not just for their hard work when it mattered at examination time but for their unswerving enthusiasm, their kindness, their maturity and their sense of fun which has contributed beyond measure to our whole school and made it the place it is today. We will certainly miss you all!

“This morning I have been listening to happy parents telling me how much of a difference our teachers have made to their daughter’s futures and I would like to thank all of the teaching staff here at Queen’s who have played such a large part in this success.”