First day of the rest of their lives – another A-level results drop to stir emotions

This is the day thousands of young students across South London and the rest of the country have been anxiously anticipating – the key day in their lives when their immediate future can be shaped by the contents of an envelope. Welcome to A-level results day.

Among the first schools to proudly publicise their achievements was St Mark’s Church of England Academy in Mitcham – part of the Anthem School Trust.

They were delighted to announce the proportion of A-levels awarded at A* or A grades have risen to 38 per cent, marking a significant 14 per cent increase from 2023. Similarly, the percentage of students attaining an A*-B grade is up by eight per cent, at 68 per cent.

“This is an exceptional achievement for students and staff and will open doors to life-changing opportunities,” a spokesman for the school said.

Students studying BTech subjects performed equally well, with 55 per cent achieving a Distinction or Distinction* and 88 per cent achieving Distinction*-Merit, while 100 per cent of pupils have passed.

Among the high performers was Sophia Yung, who achieved an A*grade in maths, biology and chemistry, and an A grade in A -level Chinese. Sophia will be going on to study pharmaceuticals.

Maria Elniwihi, Ikram Dehiles, Lania Norman and Ozan Bozan were among others who gained outstanding grades.

Headteacher Hannah Fahey said: “I am delighted to see our sixth-form students celebrating huge success today.  Their commitment to academic excellence and a determination to excel has resulted in some wonderful results and I hope they feel very proud of themselves.

“These results are justice for the endless hard work put in by every member of the St Mark’s family and every young person in Year 13 – these students were a pleasure to serve.

“We would like to wish our students great success in the future, and hope they all go on to fulfil their aspirations, taking their next step on their journey to excellence.”

Pictured top: Maria Elniwihi, who secured an A*and two A grades at A-level (Picture: St Mark’s CofE Academy)