Herts and Essex High School A-levels: Four achieve clean sweep of 4 A* grades as 2022 cohort achieves 'phenomenal' results

Herts & Essex High School says this year’s Year 13 cohort "surpassed all expectations with a phenomenal set of A-level results".

Sixty students achieved at least three A grades, 65 – well over 20% of the cohort – got at least one A* while 142 (over 60%) achieved at least one A.

Over 99% of Year 13 students will go on to take up places at their chosen academic destinations.

Four students achieved a clean sweep of four A*s and will take up offers from the University of Cambridge to extend their studies: Chloe Coles-Smith will read classics, Benjamin Gregory and Aimée Schilder will both be studying medicine while award-winning trumpeter Bethan Spragg is starting a natural sciences degree. Head of school Elizabeth Li is also heading for Cambridge to read land economy after getting three A*s and an A.

Cathy Tooze, executive headteacher of the Warwick Road secondary, said: "Sitting public examinations is a rite of passage for most of us, but one that was denied our Year 13 students until 2022. These students had endured the brunt of the ever-changing circumstances of the pandemic and, as a result, their first taste of public exams was that of sitting their A-levels this summer. Unsurprisingly, this came with a degree of anxiety and uncertainty.

"However, what is certain is that despite what our students had gone through, they can hold their heads high because their grades are phenomenal. Our headline statistics... significantly exceed those of recent similar years. Our students should feel incredibly proud of what they have achieved. Their staff certainly are!

"Not only do these results reflect the determination and drive, they also demonstrate the maturity of our students. No one should underestimate the disruption to education that the pandemic caused. Additionally, I am very grateful to the Herts & Essex teaching and pastoral staff as well as our enthusiastic parents and carers, who supported, guided, encouraged and cared for all our students.

"Support from a combination of school and home is invaluable and makes such a difference. Our students believe in themselves and their ability. Such confidence plays a huge part and is echoed in these fantastic results."

Caroline Lewis, deputy headteacher and director of sixth form, said: "I congratulate the Year 13 cohort on doing so well. I have watched them closely over the last few years and seen them flourish and grow. They should be immensely proud of what they have achieved.

"They leave Herts & Essex not only well equipped to tackle whatever life throws at them, but also in the full knowledge that they can succeed despite any obstacle. We will be sad to see them go, but know they have bright and brilliant futures ahead of them."

Students who achieved at least three As (and their destinations) include:

4 A*s - Chloe Coles-Smith, classics, Cambridge; Benjamin Gregory, medicine, Cambridge; Aimée Schilder, medicine, Cambridge; Bethan Spragg, natural sciences, Cambridge

3 A*s, 1 A - Evelyn Church, philosophy & theology, Durham; Ayla Heslop-Moore, business, Bath; Elizabeth Li, land economy, Cambridge

3 A*s, 1 B - Hannah Walker, culture, media & creative industries, Kings College, London

3 A*s - Grace Bickerstaff, biochemistry, Birmingham; Madison Kent, communication & media, Leeds

2 A*s, 2 As - James Dainton, economics, Bath

2 A*s, 1 A - Aidan Allen, computer science, Loughborough; Ellie Culverhouse, social policy, sociology & crime, Leeds; Amy Dain-Williams, architectural engineering; Zachary Martin, actuarial science, York; Edward McKelvey, economics, Bath; Kirsty Norfolk, law, University of Law; Madeleine Piron, classics, Edinburgh; Anoushka Shaw, management, Nottingham; Amy Short, modern language & culture, Sheffield; Georgia Turner, history, York

1 A*, 3 As - Hannah Keeling, veterinary medicine & science, Surrey

1 A*, 2 As, 1 B - Deen Ahmed, biochemistry, Imperial; Hikmat Kazeem, pharmacy, Birmingham; Tillie Larkou, English language, Birmingham; Emilia Shah, religion, philosophy & ethics, Nottingham

1 A*, 2 As - Isabella Bradbury, English language & linguistics, Sheffield; Ella Coldicott, criminology, Sheffield; Lilian Hall, nursing, York; Rebecca Hobson, philosophy, Warwick; Jennifer Johnson, chemistry, UCL; Isabel Murphy, biomedical science, Warwick; Maame Ofosu, economics, Nottingham; Gabriella Santos-Brown, politics & international relations, SOAS London (School of Oriental and African Studies)

4 As - Kimberly Seakhoa-King, medicine, UEA (University of East Anglia); Freya Stokes, apprenticeship in laboratory science

3 As, 1 B - Rocky Hinton, computer science, Newcastle

3 As - Cinzia Bilocca, management, Manchester; Simone Sandhu, biochemistry, York; Lily Whittaker, psychology, York St John.