This year students at Merchant Taylors’ Schools have been rewarded for all their hard work and effort with an outstanding set of A Level results.  Over three quarters of the year group, at both the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools, have achieved A* to B grades.  It is expected that the majority will be awarded their first preference place at some of the UK’s top universities.  Academic subjects are the mainstay of the top grades reflecting the personalised teaching environment and small class size advantage of the Sixth Form.  This achievement is significant at a time when standards are being tightened and grade inflation is being prevented.

Merchant Taylors’ is particularly proud of the accelerated progress students make throughout the senior years.  National data from the A Level Performance System (ALPS), a student focused system which collates data from over 1500 schools, colleges and FEs, demonstrates that students are making the best possible progress through Key Stage 4 and 5 curricula.  Headmaster of the Boys’ School, David Cook, said “ALPS results place our Schools in the country’s top band for value added teaching and learning.  With one of the lowest fees in the UK this is an outstanding measurement for a northern based school. These results, which consistently year on year place us as the leading the school in the region, demonstrate the value and excellence of the education we offer. ”

Headmistress of the Girls’ School, Louise Robinson, is also delighted with the results; she said “I am very proud of the girls’ academic success and impressed by their ability to balance a demanding curriculum with important extra-curricular interests.  We encourage students to enhance their academic achievements through Extended Project Qualifications and a wide range of extra-curricular activities such as sports, drama, music and Duke of Edinburgh awards.”

Top achievers this year are Laurence Duncan and Lydia Seed.  Lydia, with 4A* grades, has gained a place at St Andrews to study medicine.  She balances her academic study with a passion for music and drama.    Talented musician Laurence, who has achieved Grade 8 for trumpet, flute and piano, will go to Warwick to study Maths after achieving 4 A* and 1 A grade.

GOING FOR GOLD

It’s a busy summer for our Gold DofE groups.

Five U6 girls from MTGS and two U6 boys from MTBS joined forces in mid- July to complete their D of E Gold expedition in the Yorkshire Dales. Their aim when they set out from Stainforth on 11^th July was to complete an independent  four-day walking and camping journey, looking at tourism in the Dales and analysing the group dynamics and leadership styles within their own team. Walking more than 8 hours each day they explored 3 long-distance footpaths – the Pennine Way, the Ribble Way and the Dales way, as they navigated around Pen-y-Ghent, Ingleborough , Whernside, through  Dentdale and over Harter Fell to finish in Ravenstonedale on 14^th July. As the photographs show, we were all able to enjoy some stunning views of the Howgills and Cautley Spout as the team journeyed north. This was a fabulous team of young people who supported each through the highs and lows of their 4-day venture. Thank you to the support team -Mr Jones, Mrs Robinson, Mr Price and Mrs Southworth – and huge congratulations to Aphra, Avani, Georgia, Jess, Mike, Oishi and Roland!

And there’s more still to come.

Two of our U6 girls, who were unable to do the July expedition, are looking forward to making new friends, as they start their Gold qualifier in the Lake District in mid-August with an Award Approved Provider, and later in the month a further two teams of Lower 6 girls and boys set off on their Gold expedition in the Yorkshire Dales with Mr Slemen and staff from the Boys’ School. We wish them all fair weather and a successful venture.