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St George's Students Achieve Exceptional SQA Exam Results
We are delighted to celebrate another excellent set of examination results at St George’s, Edinburgh with our graduating class of 2024. Whilst their SQA Advanced Higher results are only part of the story of a fantastic group of students, it is a huge pleasure to see them achieving excellent outcomes and heading off to an impressive range of exciting and ambitious destinations.
It has become customary to see an extremely high percentage of our Upper Sixth students achieving their first-choice university destination and 2024 is no exception. Last year 99% of our students achieved their first-choice destination and this year we are anticipating another positive set of outcomes but must wait until A Levels are published next week to get the full picture. The range of destinations and courses is a testament to the strength and depth of achievement across the full subject range, with destinations and courses ranging from Motorsport Engineering at Oxford Brookes to Politics and International Relations at University College, London and Veterinary Medicine at Edinburgh.
Head, Carol Chandler-Thompson, commented: “We are exceptionally proud of every single one of our students, not only for a fantastic set of results, but of how they contributed generously to community life throughout their time at school and the integrity and commitment they have demonstrated as individuals. As Edinburgh's only all-through school for girls, we can create an atmosphere in which girls can really find their own voice, develop leadership skills in every subject area and learn from inspiring female role models. I have no doubt that this year’s leavers are ready to go out and make an incredibly positive impact on the world and we cannot wait to see what is next for them.”
Illustrative of St George’s emphasis on dispelling any gender stereotypes, it is pleasing to see the number of students inspired to apply for Computing courses at university increasing this year. Nationally, male applicants outnumbered females in applications for UK Computer Science courses by 4.1 to 1 this year,[1] yet at St George’s we have several students heading off to read Computer Science at York, Glasgow and Southampton and more prospective tech. specialists are coming through in Lower Sixth.
Given the excitement of 2024 being the ‘Year of Elections’ around the world, it is perhaps not surprising to see a high number of our students taking up places Politics and International Relations orientated courses ranging from Interdisciplinary Futures at Edinburgh University to PPE at Durham University. We know this inspiration also comes from the opportunities and teaching offered by our History and Modern Studies department, not least our highly popular Model United Nations Society, which is ideal for providing the inspiration to research global affairs and develop confident public persuasive speaking skills.
Whilst the overall headlines cannot do justice to each individual student’s story, the strength of overall outcomes is indicated by the fact that 75% of Advanced Higher results were graded at A or B putting students in a strong position to accept the courses of their choice.
Our Lower Sixth students also achieved an excellent set of Higher results, putting themselves in a good position for their 2025 applications, 30% of Lower Sixth students achieved five or more straight A grades in all their Highers. 84% of all Higher grades across the school achieved at an A or B grade and an impressive 67% of those at an A.
Of course, there have been excellent performances across the whole curriculum which reflects the importance we place upon encouraging each student to find the path that best suits and inspires them. It has been pleasing to see 100% A grades awarded in Latin Highers and Advanced this year for example.
At St George’s we take great pride in the strong relationships within our school community and the breadth and balance of the education we offer. It is impossible to do justice to every student’s broader achievement in a short article but hearing about the journey of a small number of our graduates provides a sense of just how impressive, grounded and individual they are.
Clara has achieved her place to read History at the University of Cambridge, achieving A grades in History, German, French and Latin at Advanced Higher level. Clara says “During my time at school, there have been many highlights, including my role as a Secretary General of the Modern United Nations club where we discuss international relations. Staying on for Sixth Form meant I could take Highers and then Advanced Highers – the idea of two one-year courses was far more appealing than A-Levels. To help me gain my place to read History at Cambridge University, St George’s conducted practice interviews and my mentor prepared me for the HAA (Cambridge Admissions Assessment). I’ve particularly enjoyed learning about the Soviet Union in Advanced Higher History this year – part of studying History is about relating to current perceptions, and it’s fascinating to see how modern-day Russia understands its past.”
Bivy takes up her place at the University of Edinburgh to read Veterinary Medicine this session. Bivy is celebrating three A grades in her Advanced Highers in Biology, Maths and Chemistry. She says: “Arriving from Hong Kong, it was a smooth transition to St George’s – I felt welcomed and supported, which further reassured me that this was the ideal environment for my academic and personal growth. I chose St George’s for Sixth Form because it’s an amazing girls-only school with a stellar reputation for excellent exam results and subjects offered. The cultural diversity was particularly appealing. Settling into Edinburgh life was an exciting yet challenging experience but having friends from all around the world at St George's made a significant difference. The school's inclusive community, along with unwavering support from teachers, really helped me feel at home. So much so that I’m remaining in Edinburgh to study Veterinary Medicine! Since childhood, I’ve held deep compassion for animals and always wanted to become a vet. Our career teacher kindly organised three weeks’ work experience in vet clinics. Observing interactions between owners and vets helped me understand the sacred mission of vets in promoting better animal wellbeing.”
Marni will read Natural Sciences at the University of Durham this session having achieved straight A grades in Mathematics, Physics, and Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies Advanced Highers. Marni recalls her range of opportunities at St George’s: “I can honestly say that I’ve made friends for life here at St George’s while we’ve shared amazing learning experiences – such as our school visit to CERN to see the Large Hadron Collider, which sparked my interest in STEM subjects. From nuclear research to fundamental particles and antimatter behaviour, what struck me was how physicists, computer scientists and engineers globally collaborate to solve the most complex problems. Advanced Higher Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies is another subject I’ve loved studying – particularly the cosmological arguments of Aquinas, Leibniz and Al Ghazali, combining the science of the Big Bang with philosophical and religious beliefs.”
Special congratulations also go to Vlada, who joined us in 2022 from Ukraine, speaking little to no English when she arrived. Impressively, Vlada will be taking up her place to read Architecture at the University of Edinburgh with A grades in Graphical Communication Advanced Higher, B in Mathematics and A in her Higher Business at Advanced Highers. Finally, we are celebrating golfer, Evie, who will be heading to North Carolina on a sports scholarship. As well as securing her golf scholarship, Evie achieved straight A grades in her Highers in Biology, English, Geography, Mathematics, PE, Business and Advanced Highers in PE and Geography.
There are many more happy stories outcomes being celebrated by St George’s class of 2024 this year and it is hard to do them all justice, but we are incredibly proud of each and every one of our students’ achievements.
[1] Women are applying for Computing degrees in record numbers and slowly narrowing the diversity gap, new data shows | BCS
