Acton Sixth Formers Celebrating Excellent Results
Majority of local students secure their first choice places
Twyford students from left to right: Back - Chiril Serhiev, Cian Sheffer, Edward Flewitt, Max Morgan-Davey, Front - Hiro Warrell, Mimi Latchman, Aeron Harpley-Gebbels, Sophie Ganne, Hannah Kaprielian, Emma Levison, Tess O’Neill, Kyra Zorzy
August 19, 2025
The year 13 cohort across schools in Acton learnt their exam results last Thursday (14 August) and a large proportion had cause to be pleased.
Sixth formers at Ark Acton Academy are celebrating a strong set of A level and BTEC results, with many securing places at top universities and degree apprenticeships, including UCL, York, SOAS and Amazon.
This year’s results show significant improvement, with an 18 percentage point increase in students achieving three A* to C or equivalent grades in their A level and BTEC Level 3 qualifications.
Mohamedamin Nuur secured a fully-funded scholarship to study computing at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He said, “It has always been my dream to study in the US and it has become a reality thanks to Ark Acton Academy, my teachers, Ark, the support of my family and The Sutton Trust.”
Other success stories include Chante Szaszfai Ikenye who earned ABB and will be going to study Applied Science at UCL. Bailey McCarthy accepted a place at York to do Law and , Nawal Abdikadir will heading off to City of London to study Economics and Accounting having secured DDD in BTEC Business.
Mohamedamin Nuur is off to study in the US
Ark Acton Academy Principal Sarah Donachy said, “I’m so proud of our year 13 students. Thanks to their hard work and commitment, and with the support of our dedicated staff, they’ve achieved a great set of results. Ark Acton Academy is a small school, but we have a big heart – and big ambitions. I’m excited for our students to take their next steps and wish them all every success.”
At Twyford CofE High School 49% of grades achieved were at A and A* and this enabled the majority of students holding Oxbridge offers or places on highly competitive courses at such as Medicine to gain their first choice. This year 14 students from the school are going on to Oxford or Cambridge in a wide range of subjects including Engineering, Mathematics and PPE. 8 students have successfully gained places to study Medicine. A number of top achieving students are also moving on to very specialised courses such as the prestigious Tonmeister Music and Sound Recording course in Surrey and Robotics and Artificial Intelligence at UCL.
15 students at the school achieved straight (3 or more) A* grades in their A-Level subjects. 35 students achieved 2A* grades and 1A grade or higher. Ed Bolton and Joseph Maud achieved 4 A* grades.
Twyford Head of 6th Form Michael Arthur commented, “Twyford’s results are a testament to the hard work and commitment of the students. I am really delighted with how well they have performed, and also with the careful individual support that we have been able to provide to ensure students make good choices to set them up for their next steps beyond Twyford’
St Benedict’s School in Ealing reported continued academic success across a broad range of subjects. This year, 49% of all A Level grades awarded were A* or A, with 83% at A*, A or B.
The school reports that the majority of students achieved their first-choice university offers, with destinations including the University of Oxford and several Russell Group institutions such as Imperial College London, UCL, LSE, Durham, Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Bath.
All students who applied for Medicine and Dentistry were accepted into universities including Sheffield, Cardiff, and Southampton. Ten students achieved straight A grades or higher.
Speaking about her results Helena R said, “I am very excited to be going to Jesus College, Oxford to read Classics as an Organ Scholar. Particular thanks to the Music and Classics departments who have helped me immensely.”
Nancy M also added, “I’m very pleased with my results and would like to thank all my teachers for their guidance and support throughout my 15 years at St Benedict’s!”
School leaders noted the cohort’s academic performance and broader contributions to school life. Headmaster Joe Smith acknowledged the role of staff and families in supporting student outcomes, while senior staff highlighted the students’ resilience and personal development.
Alex Heald, Director of Sixth Form, said, “It has been a real privilege to work with this exceptional group of students. Their academic achievements are outstanding, but just as important has been their commitment to supporting each other, contributing to school life, and growing as confident, thoughtful young adults. These results reflect years of hard work and the strength of relationships built across our Sixth Form community. I have no doubt that they will go on to make a positive impact in whatever field they choose.”
St Augustine’s Priory, a Catholic independent school for girls in Ealing, has reported a strong set of results for its Year 13 cohort. This year, 36% of grades were awarded at A*, 60% at A*–A, and 87% at A*–B—figures that exceed those of the previous year and indicate a continued upward trend in academic performance.
Headteacher Christine Macallister noted the high proportion of top grades and acknowledged the efforts of both pupils and staff. She stated that the sixth formers had shown commitment not only to their studies but also to wider school life and community engagement.
Among those recognised for academic achievement were Mary Tredway scholars Sofia and Hannah, who each attained A* grades across all their subjects. Sofia achieved A*s in Mathematics, Biology, and History, while Hannah earned As in History, Politics, and Geography. Sofia attributed her success to the support she received from teaching staff.
Outgoing Head Girl Rachel also reflected on her time at the school, expressing gratitude to staff and fellow students for their support and describing her experience as formative in helping her secure a place at Durham University.
Several subjects saw 100% of grades awarded at A* or A, including Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Drama, Fine Art, Graphic Communication, Russian, Religious Studies, and the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).
Graduating students are now preparing to begin university courses across a range of disciplines and institutions, including Electronic Engineering at King’s College London, Geography at the London School of Economics, International Relations at the University of St Andrews, Biomedical Sciences at the University of Exeter, Global Humanitarian Studies at University College London, Modern Languages and History at Durham University, and Economics at the University of Bath.
Based on early figures, 59% of all A-level grades awarded in the borough of Ealing were B and above, and 31% were A and above. Both figures are above the national average (55% and 28% respectively) and in line with the Greater London average (58% and 32%).
Additionally, the average points scored for both A-level and Applied General (BTEC) qualifications in the borough are slightly higher than last year. Final borough-wide figures will be confirmed once all schools have submitted their data. .
Councillor Josh Blacker, the council’s cabinet member for a fairer start, said, “This is such an important time of year for many of our young people, their families and their teachers who have all worked so hard to help them get the grades they need to take the next step. Our learning partnership schools take great pride in their mantra ‘no learner left behind’ – and today is a real testament to that.”
Students across London have outperformed their peers nationally with 32.1% of entries awarded grades A or A*—the highest proportion in England. The capital’s results continue a trend of strong academic performance, with London maintaining its lead over other regions for the second consecutive year.
Nationally, 28.3% of entries received an A or A*, up from 27.8% in 2024 and well above the pre-pandemic figure of 25.4% in 2019. The overall pass rate (grades A* to E) rose slightly to 97.5%, while 77.9% of entries achieved a grade C or above.
The gap between London and the lowest-performing region, the North East, has widened to 9.2 percentage points—its largest since the current grading system was introduced in 2010. In the North East, just 22.9% of entries achieved A or A*, down from 23.9% last year.
This year also saw boys overtake girls in top-grade attainment for the first time since 2018. Boys secured 28.4% of A or A* grades, compared to 28.2% for girls. At the highest level, 9.9% of boys’ entries received an A*, compared to 9.1% for girls.
Maths remained the most popular A-Level subject for the twelfth consecutive year, followed by psychology and biology. More than 814,000 A-Level results were issued across England, alongside over 250,000 vocational and technical qualifications.
For students who did not receive their expected grades, UCAS Clearing offers over 22,000 courses with vacancies, including at Russell Group universities. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson described this year as “a return to normal” following pandemic-related disruptions.
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