EXAM RESULTS 2023
Thomas Tallis Celebrates A-level and BTEC Results
Tallis continues to enable progression to the entire range of UK universities, art colleges, conservatoires and apprenticeships for many hundreds of south London children despite the difficulties of the post-COVID period. This year 270 of our students progressed to university, the great majority of them at their first choice of institution, with over 100 of our applicants going on to Russell Group universities. As always, many more of our students are going on to the ‘Russell Group Plus’ – that is, top-10-for-subject, highly specialist single-faculty institutions such as SOAS, UAL, Bath or highly-competitive arts-based colleges. Our progression advice is bespoke and we pride ourselves on helping students identify then access the course that is right for them out of the more than 30,000 courses that are on offer.
Just over three hundred and eighty students were awarded A-level or BTEC grades in 2023. 20% of A-level entries obtained A*/A grades (30% last year) and 48% achieved A*-B grades (68% last year). At A-level 62 students gained the equivalent of ABB or better, down from last year’s 86. The pass rate in all our A-level subjects was 96% (98.7% last year). All these drops were to be expected, reflecting the disruptive effect of COVID CAGs and TAGs on the system.
BTEC students also performed brilliantly. 64% of our BTEC grades were Distinction or D* (70% last year), and 70 BTEC students achieved at least one Distinction grade; 61 obtained Distinction or better (equivalent to at least A at A-level) in each BTEC that they sat; out of our ‘double’ – worth two A-levels – and ‘triple’ – worth three A-levels – BTEC students, 5 achieved D* grades (equivalent to A* at A-level) for the entire qualification. There was a 99.6% pass rate.
These headline figures in terms of percentages at each grade boundary are close to those recorded in 2019, the last year of conventional examinations before COVID, and indicate that the government has carried out its promise to reset exam expectations to the previous standard.
Our results, therefore, reflect the continuing consistency of our provision and the dedication and commitment of our amazing students and hard-working staff. Tallis has very many very clever and very hard-working students and so as always there are many delightful individual stories about great success here. Where to start?
Milo M (A*AB) is to read English Literature, and Evie C (A*A*A*A) Medicine, both at Oxford. There are many other medics this year, and nurses too. Beverley Q (A*AB) is to read Medicine at Birmingham; Tahmid A (AAA) the same at QMUL, and Hasar A (ABB) the same at UEA. At King’s, Sneha B (DDD), Alice T (D*DD) and Shristi K (DDD) are to study Nursing, and Subomi O (ABB) and Awa N (ABE) Midwifery. Luca I (A*ABCC – yes, that’s right, five A-levels) is to read Engineering at King’s too. Damien L (AAC) is reading Maths and Daniella E (ABB) Robotics, both at QMUL. Josh D (A*AAB) is to read Civil Engineering at Imperial. Thomas E (A*A*AA) is to read Physics at UCL and Alex B (AAB) Zoology at RHUL.
A huge contingent is to go to the great universities of the North. (So many are heading to Leeds and Manchester this year that we are giving some thought to simply taking school minibuses up the M1 to get them there for Fresher’s Week.) At Leeds, Luanna H (D*D*D*) is to study Social Work, Hartley H (A*A*A) Economics and Geography, Mary J (A*AA) Economics and Politics, Harrison B (AAB) Philosophy, Sophia M (AAB) Biochemistry, Elizabeth R (AAB) Philosophy and Politics, Isabella S (D*D*D) Child Nursing and Yusuf W (AAB) Chemical Engineering. At Manchester, Theo B (A*A*A) is to study Mechanical Engineering, Lucia G (A*A*A) Politics, Felix H (A*AB) Geography, Anna B (AAB) Politics and International Relations, Amelie B (AAB) Religions, Theology and Ethics, Jezz T (AAB) Law and Kyiah H (AAB) Chemistry.
Further abroad, we have also put students into York – where Orlagh M (AAB) is to read English Literature, Newcastle – where Katie F (BBB) will read Geography, and Edinburgh, where Rhianna R (AAB) is to read Politics and International Relations.
Others head west. Holly B (A*AA) is to Bath to read Chemistry where she is joined by Evie C (AAB) who is to read International Development and Economics; Isabella M (AAA) is to read Anthropology at Bristol.
Another thirty or so Tallis students are taking places at Art and Performing Art colleges all over Britain, including (as always) most of the constituent colleges of the University of the Arts, London. We also have some extraordinary dancers this year – Lydia U (AAB) has won a place at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, and Omar T (ACC) and Django B (ABC) have auditioned into Ballet Rambert. These are remarkable feats, matched by the impressive apprenticeships that are to be taken up: Zion P at Natixis Corporate and Investment Banking, Lucy F as a carpenter, and Anh V at KPMG, just to name three.
There are another two hundred and fifty success stories to tell this year, but we’ll stop here.
Tallis has again placed students at practically every major university and art college in Britain, and for every subject under the sun. We proudly continue to fly the flag for comprehensive education in Britain.
Head, Carolyn Roberts commented:
Just over three hundred and eighty students were awarded A-level or BTEC grades in 2023. 20% of A-level entries obtained A*/A grades (30% last year) and 48% achieved A*-B grades (68% last year). At A-level 62 students gained the equivalent of ABB or better, down from last year’s 86. The pass rate in all our A-level subjects was 96% (98.7% last year). All these drops were to be expected, reflecting the disruptive effect of COVID CAGs and TAGs on the system.
BTEC students also performed brilliantly. 64% of our BTEC grades were Distinction or D* (70% last year), and 70 BTEC students achieved at least one Distinction grade; 61 obtained Distinction or better (equivalent to at least A at A-level) in each BTEC that they sat; out of our ‘double’ – worth two A-levels – and ‘triple’ – worth three A-levels – BTEC students, 5 achieved D* grades (equivalent to A* at A-level) for the entire qualification. There was a 99.6% pass rate.
These headline figures in terms of percentages at each grade boundary are close to those recorded in 2019, the last year of conventional examinations before COVID, and indicate that the government has carried out its promise to reset exam expectations to the previous standard.
Our results, therefore, reflect the continuing consistency of our provision and the dedication and commitment of our amazing students and hard-working staff. Tallis has very many very clever and very hard-working students and so as always there are many delightful individual stories about great success here. Where to start?
Milo M (A*AB) is to read English Literature, and Evie C (A*A*A*A) Medicine, both at Oxford. There are many other medics this year, and nurses too. Beverley Q (A*AB) is to read Medicine at Birmingham; Tahmid A (AAA) the same at QMUL, and Hasar A (ABB) the same at UEA. At King’s, Sneha B (DDD), Alice T (D*DD) and Shristi K (DDD) are to study Nursing, and Subomi O (ABB) and Awa N (ABE) Midwifery. Luca I (A*ABCC – yes, that’s right, five A-levels) is to read Engineering at King’s too. Damien L (AAC) is reading Maths and Daniella E (ABB) Robotics, both at QMUL. Josh D (A*AAB) is to read Civil Engineering at Imperial. Thomas E (A*A*AA) is to read Physics at UCL and Alex B (AAB) Zoology at RHUL.
A huge contingent is to go to the great universities of the North. (So many are heading to Leeds and Manchester this year that we are giving some thought to simply taking school minibuses up the M1 to get them there for Fresher’s Week.) At Leeds, Luanna H (D*D*D*) is to study Social Work, Hartley H (A*A*A) Economics and Geography, Mary J (A*AA) Economics and Politics, Harrison B (AAB) Philosophy, Sophia M (AAB) Biochemistry, Elizabeth R (AAB) Philosophy and Politics, Isabella S (D*D*D) Child Nursing and Yusuf W (AAB) Chemical Engineering. At Manchester, Theo B (A*A*A) is to study Mechanical Engineering, Lucia G (A*A*A) Politics, Felix H (A*AB) Geography, Anna B (AAB) Politics and International Relations, Amelie B (AAB) Religions, Theology and Ethics, Jezz T (AAB) Law and Kyiah H (AAB) Chemistry.
Further abroad, we have also put students into York – where Orlagh M (AAB) is to read English Literature, Newcastle – where Katie F (BBB) will read Geography, and Edinburgh, where Rhianna R (AAB) is to read Politics and International Relations.
Others head west. Holly B (A*AA) is to Bath to read Chemistry where she is joined by Evie C (AAB) who is to read International Development and Economics; Isabella M (AAA) is to read Anthropology at Bristol.
Another thirty or so Tallis students are taking places at Art and Performing Art colleges all over Britain, including (as always) most of the constituent colleges of the University of the Arts, London. We also have some extraordinary dancers this year – Lydia U (AAB) has won a place at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, and Omar T (ACC) and Django B (ABC) have auditioned into Ballet Rambert. These are remarkable feats, matched by the impressive apprenticeships that are to be taken up: Zion P at Natixis Corporate and Investment Banking, Lucy F as a carpenter, and Anh V at KPMG, just to name three.
There are another two hundred and fifty success stories to tell this year, but we’ll stop here.
Tallis has again placed students at practically every major university and art college in Britain, and for every subject under the sun. We proudly continue to fly the flag for comprehensive education in Britain.
Head, Carolyn Roberts commented:
The great advantages of a comprehensive school education continues in relation to progression and university entry. Before results day, the press was full of stories about the inevitability of disappointed students forced into clearing because of the national decision to revert to 2019 grading. This ‘hard reset’ has clearly happened, but our applicants have not been disadvantaged by it. This year, even where children did not quite meet an offer from a Russell Group university, they still got their places. Even the most competitive universities know that comprehensively educated students outstrip all others at university level. Our young people’s commitment, skills, scholarship and personal attributes are continue to be clearly understood and highly regarded by these august institutions. We are all partners in understanding the world, but it is to these young people we look to change it for the better.
