Wirral Life August 2019 | Page 21

BIRKENHEAD SCHOOL CELEBRATE OUTSTANDING A LEVEL RESULTS It has been another proud year for Birkenhead School as students celebrate their A Level results which collectively place the Oxton based school as one of the leading schools within the North West. Against a national backdrop of the lowest proportion of A* and A grades for a decade, the School bucked the trend with an increase to almost half (49%) of all grades awarded at grade A or above. Of the forty-five students that took A Levels this year, almost a quarter achieved A* or A grades in all their subjects. 18% of all grades awarded gained the highest A* grade. Three students gained A*s in all their subjects leaving to take up places at Cambridge, Durham and Imperial. Two further students will now move to Oxford University to study Law and Economics & Management, while four students now take up their places at medical school. The School is well known for its medical pathway, supported by a Science Department where 91% of A Level grades this year were awarded A*-B. Paul Vicars, Headmaster, writes: ‘Convention dictates that schools quote grade statistics like those above, and we are extremely proud that this year’s results continue the strong academic tradition of our School, with significant numbers heading to Oxbridge, Medical School and Russell Group universities. However, we are equally proud of all of the students who have worked diligently throughout their time with us, have achieved excellent exam results, and who have contributed wholeheartedly to the School community. Our focus at Birkenhead School remains on supporting each individual, developing happy and confident students who pursue a great many opportunities across not only academic disciplines, but also sport, music, theatre, leadership and many others. This cohort, with their wide skill set and lifelong friendships, now become part of a great global network of Birkonian alumni.’ Preparing the Sixth Form for the future, and in doing so, joining this established network of Old Birkonians are key areas of the School’s focus for the coming year. From the start of the new academic year, Sixth Formers will benefit from the use of the new Sutton Futures Room, a facility where students can practise admissions and aptitude tests, alongside receiving bespoke advice and preparation for university courses, apprenticeships and the world of work from the Futures Team. It is this team that organise the industry specific careers conferences that are open to all students on the Wirral, the next one focusing on Finance and Law, taking place on Monday 10th February 2020. Students (and parents) that are interested in attending the conference can book places by contacting Carol Keegan on carol.keegan@ birkenheadschool.co.uk. Many alumni will return to the Bushell Hall, Birkenhead School to pass on their advice at these conferences. Many more also return to contribute to the weekly Sixth Form Nicholls Lecture Series, with the coming Michaelmas Term’s offering broadening the horizons of the students through topics covering entrepreneurship to neurosurgery, human rights to cyber security. The desire to always look to the future and to enlist alumni to help inspire current students will continue to underpin the School’s holistic approach to education, but with a core focused on academic excellence for all. The strength of the School’s exam results aligns with a period of significant interest in the Sixth Form from students taking their GCSEs elsewhere. Anyone interested in visiting the School to enquire about potential admission, should contact seniorsadmissions@ birkenheadschool.co.uk or Julie Hopper on 0151 651 3009. wirrallife.com 21