Pupils at Wells Cathedral School celebrated impressive results and the successful attainment of well-deserved places at University and Music Colleges with a Champagne Breakfast held by the school on the morning of Results Day.
Head Master, Alastair Tighe, said, “I am so proud of what this group of young people have achieved. Despite the enormous challenges of the last 18 months, they have all demonstrated resilience and tenacity beyond their years and all of them, no matter what their grades, are to be congratulated on their hard work and commitment. In what has been an extraordinary year for pupils, teachers and parents alike, these results are testament to the collective efforts of wonderfully dedicated and talented people and deserve to be celebrated.”
With the results now moderated and confirmed by the examination boards, it is clear that Wells pupils’ hard work and tenacity have paid off, with high attainment levels across a wide range of subjects. Over a quarter of pupils in the cohort achieved two or more A* grades, and 13 achieved at least three A* grades, including Humphrey Boot, Harry Chantrey, François Cloete, Amber Cooknell, Timothy Ho, Oscar Howe, Tippi Lewis, Max Li, Eleanor Mapleston, Rose Ormond, Oscar Purcell-Shirley, June Rippon and Tabitha Spindler.
With receipt of their results, over two thirds of the cohort have now secured places at their First Choice University, with almost every pupil accepted at their first or second choice institution.
Pupils will now go on to study a diverse range of subjects at University, including Anthropology, Aerospace Engineering, Economics, Natural Sciences, Philosophy and Theology and Psychology.
Local pupil, Tabitha Spindler from Doulting, will read Classics at Merton College Oxford, where she will be joined by François Cloete who will take up his place to read Music and as the College Organ Scholar, in 2022. June Rippon will take up her place at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, also as the College Organ Scholar, to study Music in October.
Shona M’gadzah will read Medicine at the University of St Andrews, Wayne Chen will read Medicine at Aston University and Serena Chung will study Dentistry at the University of Dundee, while Lily Webb will be heading further afield to Princeton in the United States to study for a degree in Liberal Arts and play College Hockey for the Princeton Tigers.
Many Wells musicians, who have chosen to continue with their instrumental, vocal or compositional studies have places at the UK’s most prestigious music colleges, with over half also awarded scholarships for their selected course. These include nine scholarships to the Royal Academy of Music, nine to the Royal College of Music and Drama, seven to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and six to the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
Alastair Tighe, said, “I am grateful that the dedication and sheer hard work of my teaching colleagues during the periods of remote learning and assessment have helped ensure such success for our pupils. As always, it is so encouraging to see the great diversity of pathways our departing Sixth formers are now embarking on. The School is rightly proud of each and every one of them. They have contributed so much to the life of the community in so many ways, and leave us with a variety of interests and talents both in and outside the classroom, and a set of values and skills which will last a lifetime. I wish them all well for the exciting futures they have ahead of them.”