Schools & colleges celebrate another year of impressive A Level results

Students celebrated their A Level, vocational and technical qualification results yesterday and preparing to take their next steps into university, degree apprenticeships, employment and further training.

At Henley College, across 1,190 A Level entries, students achieved an overall 95.5% pass rate, which exceeds performance in 2025.

Strong performances were recorded across a range of subjects. In Classical Civilisation, 30.8% of grades were awarded at A*–A and 46.2% at A*–B, while Photography saw 58.3% of grades awarded at A*–B and 75% at A*–C. Geography also performed strongly, with 40% of grades awarded at A*–B.

Nina Govett, who previously attended Gillotts School, achieved A* grades in Classical Civilisation and Mathematics, an A in Ancient History and a B in German. She will progress to the City & Guilds of London Art School to study Conservation of Books and Paper.

Nina said: “I am very proud of myself for my results and am pleased that all my hard work has paid off. I have really enjoyed my time at Henley and look forward to the next chapter.”

Students following vocational, creative and technical programmes are also celebrating strong results.

The Henley College achieved a 100% T Level pass rate in 2026, compared with 92.6% nationally, while students completing Extended Diplomas achieved an impressive 99.4%.

Among BTEC students, 67% achieved DMM or above, which is equivalent to ABB at A Level.

Creative students also excelled, with 47.1% of students completing UAL Extended Diplomas achieving the highest Distinction grade. Particularly strong performances included Performing and Production Arts, where 53.8% achieved Distinction; Art, Design and Communication at 52.6%; and Creative Media Production & Technology at 47.6%.

Josh Turton achieved three Distinction grades (DDD) in his BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport and Exercise Science, securing the grades he needed for his first-choice university place at Loughborough University, where he will study Business Management.

Alongside his studies, Josh has been an active member of The Henley College Performance Rugby Programme, an experience he described as a highlight of his time at College.

Josh said: “I’m really happy that I’ve achieved the grades I needed to get into my first-choice university. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time at Henley College and being part of the Rugby Programme was amazing.”

Simon Spearman, Principal of The Henley College, said: “Results Day is always a special moment at The Henley College and I am immensely proud of what our students have achieved.

“Behind every result is an individual journey and today is an opportunity to celebrate the hard work, determination and ambition our students have shown throughout their time with us.

“We want every young person who comes to Henley to be ambitious about what they can achieve. Whether their next step is a leading university, a highly competitive degree apprenticeship, employment or specialist training, our role is to help them develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to pursue the very best opportunities available to them.

“Seeing where our students go next is one of the most rewarding parts of what we do. I would like to congratulate every member of the Class of 2026 and thank our teaching and support staff, as well as parents and carers, for everything they have done to support them.

“We are tremendously proud of our students and look forward to seeing what they achieve next.”

At Shiplake College, among the College’s 108 leavers, 35% of all grades awarded were A*-A or equivalent, an increase on last year’s 33%. The proportion of grades also rose significantly at other benchmark levels, with 67% of grades awarded at A*-B (up from 61% in 2025) and 89% at A*-C (up from 82% in 2025).

Notable is the gradual change in mix of A-level subjects and vocational qualifications such as BTECs over the last decade, with 90% taking A-levels this year compared to 60% in 2017.

Congratulations to the Art department which saw 44% of its grades at A*, and to Biology, Criminology, Drama, Design Technology, Economics, Media Studies, Photography, Physical Education, Politics, Spanish, Religious Studies and Sports BTEC for achieving over 90% of grades at A*-B.

Headmaster Tyrone Howe said: “We are immensely proud of this year’s leavers. These results reflect not only academic excellence but also the dedication, resilience and ambition our pupils have shown throughout their time at Shiplake. To see improvements across every key attainment measure is particularly pleasing and is testament to the hard work of both our pupils and staff.

What is especially encouraging is that this success is translating into outstanding progression opportunities. Our pupils are aiming high and securing places at some of the country’s finest universities, both in the UK and abroad, while also pursuing a diverse range of pathways beyond higher education. We congratulate every pupil on their achievements and look forward to following their future successes.”

Abbey School students from Henley-on-Thames are celebrating, including Henley’s Millie Hallam who achieved an amazing 3A*s and has secured her place at the University of Durham to study Chemistry (Industrial).

Millie says, “I’m feeling pleased. I worked really hard so I am glad that it’s paid off.” She is “excited” to be heading to Durham, “a couple of my friends are going so it will be nice to have people that I know.” Millie was full of praise for her teachers, “They have helped a lot, the teachers have been so supportive. Whenever I’ve needed help with anything they’ve always been there.”

Head, Dr Sarah Tullis, says, “We are so proud of Millie’s superb results. They are testament to her hard work and dedication as well as to the support she has received from our school. We can’t wait to see what she does next and we wish her every success.”