CHRIST COLLEGE RECOGNISED AS A TOP 100 INDEPENDENT CO-ED BOARDING SCHOOL
06 Mar 2014
CHRIST COLLEGE IS PROUD TO HAVE BEEN REAPPOINTED AS ‘A TOP 100 INDEPENDENT CO-ED BOARDING SCHOOL FOR 2013’ ON ACCOUNT OF OUR EXAM SUCCESSES, BY WWW.BEST-SCHOOLS.CO.UK AND WWW.PRIVATESCHOOLS.CO.
Head of Christ College, Emma Taylor, said: “This is a tribute to former and current pupils, teachers, Houseparents and their teams, and parents who together make this possible. We all know what a great place Christ College is, but it is always a joy to have it recognised.”
She added: “Last year’s candidates achieved spectacularly well; all of the careful guidance and support offered to them at school paid off; they chose their courses and institutions ambitiously and wisely, fulfilling promise and potential. Of course the pupils themselves deserve huge congratulation for their talent and hard work, but I’d particularly like to pay tribute to their teachers and tutors too, who should be applauded for preparing them and advising them so excellently.”
This recognition endorses the observations made by Estyn, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales in 2011, when they commented on the care, support and guidance offered to individual pupils at the school as demonstrating ‘sector-leading practice’, during their inspection of the school. Estyn also adjudged the school as ‘Excellent’ both in its current provision for pupils and in its future prospects as it awarded Christ College the best inspection grades of ‘Excellent’ in all key three areas it examined under its new inspection framework.
Managing Director of www.best-schools.co.uk, Les Webb, said: “We always publish our independent schools league tables a little later than the national press because it takes us time to gather the results from 100% of the schools. This year it has taken extra time because we have decided to incorporate equivalent Pre-U scores into the main A level table.”
In 2013, and against the national trend of falling top grades, Christ College’s GCSE candidates achieved an impressive 54% of all grades at A or A* (up from 43% in 2012), compared to the UK average of 21.3%, with 21% of grades at the very top A* grade. The overall A*- C grade pass rate at Christ College was 93%, and compared very favourably with the UK national average of 68.1% and the Wales average of 65.7%. Particularly strong performances were produced in the so-called STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) which are seen by some as under threat throughout the country. In Maths, Chemistry, Biology and Physics, 66% of all grades were at A*/A, and 35% of those at A*. Modern Languages, also seen as potentially endangered, were another success story, with 75% of grades in French at A*/A. Those with creative talent also did particularly well, with 100% of all entries in Photography graded A* and Art, Drama, Design Technology and ICT producing 100% A*- C grades. No fewer than 20 pupils from a group of 53 achieved 8 or more A*- A grades!
At A level, Christ College was particularly thrilled with an increased percentage of those achieving top grades, with 45% of all grades at A or A* level. The pass rate at A*-E was 100% and an impressive 15% of all grades were at the highly challenging A* standard. Particularly strong performances were again produced in the so-called STEM subjects. 81% of all grades in Maths, Further Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics were A*-B, and a number of the successful candidates are now studying these subjects at top universities around the country.