Impressive results for Bedales students in GCSE and Bedales Assessed Courses

Students had much to celebrate with their GCSE and Bedales Assessed Course (BAC) results this summer. 16 students achieved the equivalent of at least nine 8/9 grades (equivalent to A*), nine of whom attended Bedales Prep, Dunhurst prior to progressing to Bedales Senior. 

Bedales students are in the unique position of taking a combination of the school’s own BACs combined with a core of IGCSEs and GCSEs. Having been introduced in 2006, BACs are now well established and involve a broader range of content, choice and assessment methods than the more traditional GCSE. This provided particular reassurance to Bedales students this year with the cancellation of all end of course GCSE exams.  

This year’s high achievers included: 

Music scholar Mabel Watson†, who, having progressed through Bedales Pre-prep, Dunannie and Bedales Prep, Dunhurst, gained a clean sweep of ten grade 9s in I/GCSE English Language, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, French, Spanish, and BACs in English Literature, Music and Philosophy, Religion & Ethics;   

Sasha Arney† – academic scholar, also achieved nine grade 9s in I/GCSE English Language, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, French, Spanish and BACs in English Literature, Outdoor Work, and Philiosophy, Religion & Ethics, and one grade 8 in IGCSE Maths;

Rhiannon Griffiths† - art scholar and music exhibitioner, eight grade 9s in I/GCSE English Language, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, French, Ancient Greek and BAC Outdoor Work and two BAC grade 8s in Art and History; 

Annabelle Snell† - academic and music scholar, eight grade 9s in I/GCSE English Language, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Ancient Greek, BACs in Design and Philosophy, Religion & Ethics, and two grade 8s in GCSE Russian and BAC Art; 

Milo Whittle – eight grade 9s, in I/GCSE English Language, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, French, and BACs in Global Awareness and Philosophy, Religion & Ethics, one grade 8 in BAC Sports Science and one grade 7 in BAC Outdoor Work; 

Amber Eiloart – academic scholar, six grade 9s in I/GCSE, English Language, Biology, Chemistry, French, and BACs in English Literature and Philosophy, Religion & Ethics, and four grade 8s in IGCSE Maths and Physics, and BACs in Latin and Design;  

Alisia Leach† - six grade 9s in I/GCSE in Biology, Chemistry, French, Spanish, and BACs in Design and Global Awareness, and four grade 8s in IGCSE English Language, Maths, Physics and BAC Sports Science;  

Monty Bland† – music scholar, six grade 9s in IGCSE Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and BACs in Music and Outdoor Work, three grade 8s in IGCSE English Language and BACs in Design and Ancient Civilisations, and one grade 7 in GCSE Russian; 

Raef Macnaghten† - academic scholar, seven grade 9s in IGCSE English Language, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and BACs in Global Awareness and Philosophy, Religion & Ethics, two BAC grade 8s in English Literature and Design, and one grade 6 in GCSE Spanish; 

Ben Bradberry - six grade 9s in IGCSE English Language, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and BACs in History and Philosophy, Religion & Ethics, three grade 8s in I/GCSE Maths and Ancient Greek, and BAC English Literature, and one grade 6 in GCSE French; 

Harry Hornsby - music scholar, six grade 9s in IGCSE Maths, Biology, Chemistry and BACs in Music, Sport Science and Global Awareness, two grade 8s in IGCSE English Language and Physics, and one grade 7 in BAC English Literature; 

Athena Lucas† - four grade 9s in IGCSE English Language, Biology, Chemistry and BAC English Literature, five grade 8s in I/GCSE Maths, Physics, German, Ancient Greek and BAC Philosophy, Religion & Ethics, and one grade 7 in BAC Outdoor Work;  

Ruben Alexander† - four grade 9s in IGCSE English Language and BACs in Art, Geography and Philosophy, Religion & Ethics, five grade 8s in I/GCSE Maths, Chemistry, Physics, French and Latin, and one grade 7 in IGCSE Biology; 

Amelia Smith – four grade 9s in IGCSE English Language, Double Science Grade 1 and BACs in Global Awareness and History, four grade 8s in I/GCSE Double Science 2 and Spanish, and BACs in English Literature and Philosophy, Religion & Ethics, and one grade 7 in IGCSE Maths;   

Zac Gabriadze - five grade 9s in I/GCSE Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Russian and BAC History, two grade 8s in IGCSE Physics and BAC Sports Science, and three grade 7s in IGCSE English Language and BACs in Art and PRE;  

Sammy Smith – three grade 9s in GCSE French and BACs in Ancient Civilisations and Global Awareness, six grade 8s in IGCSE English Language, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and BACs in Art and Philosophy, Religion & Ethics, and one grade 7 in IGCSE Maths. 

Head of Bedales, Magnus Bashaarat, commented:  

“Congratulations to our students. It is really encouraging to see so many of the top performing students come through Bedales Prep, Dunhurst. Our students are able to choose from a wide choice of Bedales Assessed Courses which enables them to follow their passions across the arts and  humanities, and also hones  their independent and group learning skills. By the time they join the Sixth Form, they are very well equipped for their A Level studies; I am pleased to see some of them taking advantage of new Sixth Form courses we are offering this year in Music Technology, Sports Science and a highly innovative and unique Living with the Land sustainabilty course.”    

Students in Block 4 (year 10) can choose from the following BAC options: Ancient Civilisations; Art; Dance; Design (Product or Fashion); Digital Game Design, English Literature; Geography; Global Awareness; History; Music, Philosophy, Religion & Ethics; Outdoor Work; Sports Science and Theatre Studies. 

Bedales retains a core of five IGCSE and GCSEs (English, Mathematics, Double or Triple Award Science and a Modern Foreign Language), while also offering BACs as an alternative to GCSE for increased depth, more active learning and stimulating material, less prescriptive syllabuses and a wider range of assessments. 

† Indicates student attended Bedales Prep, Dunhurst, prior to Bedales.