
Bedales A Level Success
Bedales students have achieved excellent A & AS Level results for 2011 with 40% of all grades at A* - A, a significant increase on last year, with the vast majority achieving the results they need as they embark on their higher education careers. This year Bedales has seen the highest number of UCAS applications with students securing places at universities including Oxford, Cambridge, University College London, King’s College London, Bristol, Durham, Exeter, York, Brighton & Sussex Medical School, Nottingham, Manchester, St Andrew’s, art colleges such as Central St Martin’s and international institutions including UCLA and Browns in the US.
A total of 7 students achieved places at Oxbridge. Josie Bentley has secured a place at Magdalen College, Oxford to read Music after achieving the highest grade (D1) in Cambridge Pre-U Music, along with 2 A grades in French and Classics. These results conclude her amazing school career during which she was awarded the ABRSM Laura Marco prize and a silver bursary for achieving the highest distinction (145/150) in national Grade VIII Flute exams. Josie was in the first cohort of sixth form students to study the Cambridge Pre-U in Music at Bedales and was one of five students to receive a distinction.
Head Girl Grace Warde-Aldam has secured her place at Oxford to read Fine Art with 3 A grades in Art, History and Religious Studies after making a valuable contribution to the school community and successfully heading up the school’s student council during her final year. Hannah Keenan, who achieved the Cecily Eastwood award for her contribution to the school, is to read Management and Economics at Oxford after achieving 2 A* grades in French and Mathematics and 1 A grade in Economics.
Tabatha Curry will read Maths at Oxford after achieving 2 A* grades in Mathematics and Further Mathematics, 2 A grades in Physics and Chemistry and a D2 in Cambridge Pre-U Music. Aida Alonzo will read Psychology and Philosophy at Oxford after achieving 1 A* grade in Mathematics and 2 A grades in Religious Studies and Biology. Imogen Kirby will read Natural Sciences at Cambridge after achieving 3 A* grades in Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics and 1 A grade in Design. Katrina Duncan will read Architecture at Cambridge after achieving 1 A* in English Literature, an A grade in Mathematics and a D3 in Cambridge Pre-U Music.
Identical twin brothers Ben and Joey Dale are also celebrating after achieving A grade results so that they can study together at Exeter to read Modern Languages. Joey achieved 1 A* grade in Spanish and 2 A grades in French and Economics. Ben achieved 3 A grades in English Literature, French and Spanish. View an interview with the twins on BBC South Today. (BBC iPlayer 15.12 mins into the programme)
Omer Sami is looking forward to studying at US university UCLA after achieving 2 A* grades in Design and Spanish and 1 A grade in French. Clara Zevi from Switzerland will also be studying in the US at Browns in Rhode Island, after achieving 2 A grades in English Literature and Italian and a B grade in Religious Studies.
Some Bedales students received their results at the Edinburgh Fringe while performing for the newly formed school theatre company ‘Bombini’. Starring in two shows a day, ‘Shakespeare’s Bingo’ and ‘Tiny Dickens’, the performances provided a welcome distraction from the anticipation of receiving results. Mary Clapp, who has been starring in the shows for the past two weeks was delighted to find out she had achieved 1 A* grade in English Literature and 2 A grades in History and Religious Studies. Another student performer, Freddie Wise achieved an A grade in English Literature, a B grade in Religious Studies and a C grade in Drama. Mary and Freddie, said, “We have had an incredible experience performing on stage in Edinburgh. The night before results day we performed to our largest ever audience of 60, which is amazing for a school theatre company, it was great to hear everyone laughing at our jokes and enjoying the show. In the early hours of the following morning all of us went online together to get our results and to share this experience together was very special”.
Commenting on the results, Keith Budge, Headmaster of Bedales Schools, said: “We have seen a record number of UCAS applications this year and the highest number of Oxbridge offers since 2004. This year’s A Level results reward the efforts of students and staff who have worked so hard to achieve these fine results. We are delighted with our students’ achievements.”
View a photo gallery of the results day.
Student successes include:
The full statistics were as follows (these include AS Level subjects):
- A* - A passes 40% (37% 2010)
- A* – E passes: 98% (98% 2010)

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