Press Releases
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THURSDAY 24 AUGUST 2023: GCSE Results
THURSDAY 17 AUGUST 2023: A-Level Results
FRIDAY 10 MARCH 2023: Blockchain at OLA
THURSDAY 25 AUGUST 2022: 56% of all GCSE grades were 9, 8 and 7
THURSDAY 18 AUGUST 2022: Almost a quarter of OLA A-Level students achieved A* grades
THURSDAY 12 AUGUST 2021: Another outstanding GCSE performance!
TUESDAY 10 AUGUST 2021: Best A-Level results on record!
THURSDAY 20 AUGUST 2020: 55% of OLA pupils achieve top grades in GCSE performance
THURSDAY 13 AUGUST 2020: 49% of OLA A-level students achieve A*-A
TUESDAY 10 MARCH 2020: OLA ranked in top 5% of schools in England for adding value
THURSDAY 24 AUGUST 2023: GCSE Results
Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire – Our Lady’s Abingdon are celebrating another strong year of GCSE results. An outstanding 95% of results are graded 9-4, with 48% graded 9-7 and 46% achieved at least one grade 9. Key to note is that 60% of pupils achieved straight 9-5 grades and one pupil, Stephen W, achieved an exceptional set of results with 11 grade 9s. Lana J also achieved well with 6 grade 8s and 3 grade 9s. Special congratulations must be given to Stephen, Elias, Tobi and Jemma who achieved grade 9 in Further Maths. Further Maths is offered as an extra GCSE for the most able mathematicians and is studied off timetable.
THURSDAY 17 AUGUST 2023: A-Level Results
Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire – Students continue to perform at a very high level in Creative Arts. For example, all A-Level Art students achieved A*. Similarly, students performed exceptionally well in Design Technology, and also in Drama, Economics and Geography. Special congratulations must be given to Head of School Eleanor and fellow prefect Sophie who both achieved straight A*-A’s.
FRIDAY 10 MARCH 2023: Blockchain at OLA
Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire – Our Lady’s Abingdon partners with Vizidox Solutions to implement Blockchain Technology. Our Lady’s Abingdon, a leading independent school in Oxfordshire, has partnered with Vizidox Solutions Limited, a UK-based Blockchain technology company, to implement Blockchain Technology in their school records management system. Our Lady’s Abingdon, already well on their way to being a Microsoft Showcase School, is set to become one of the first schools in the UK to adopt this cutting-edge technology. Blockchain technology provides a secure and tamper-proof way of recording and sharing data. By implementing Blockchain, Our Lady’s Abingdon will be able to streamline their records management system, making it more efficient, sustainable, and secure.
THURSDAY 25 AUGUST 2022: OLA Pupils achieve top grades in another excellent GCSE performance
Our Lady’s Abingdon are celebrating another strong year of GCSE results, continuing their long tradition of examination success. 56% of all grades were 9, 8 and 7, which is significantly higher than 2019.
Considering the disruption to education experienced by these pupils in the last 2 and a half years, this is a tremendous achievement and a well-deserved reward for their commitment and resilience. In addition to the excellent 56% 9-7 grades, 38% grades were 9 and 8 and 72% grades were 6 and above. For most A-Level courses, pupils require either GCSE grades of 6 or 7 in that particular subject so OLA pupils are able to continue to study the subjects in which they have demonstrated an aptitude, and for which they have a passion.
As well as continued strong performances in STEM subjects, there have also been exceptional performances in English, Geography, History and RS.
Special congratulations must be given to Laura I who achieved 12 grade 9s, including an additional grade 9 in Further Maths. Further Maths is offered as an extra GCSE for the most able mathematicians. 6 other pupils who achieved straight 9-7 grades which is equivalent to A*-A in the previous grading system – Eleanor A, Catherine D, Aaryan J, Alfie N, Benjamin W and Benny W.
Commenting on the GCSE results, Head of OLA, Daniel Gibbons said: “We are proud of all of our pupils’ achievements, and all teachers contribute to the excellent level of support for each individual so that ‘happy learners make successful achievers’.”
THURSDAY 18 AUGUST 2022: Happy learners make successful achievers; almost a quarter of OLA students achieved A* grades
Our Lady’s Abingdon has recorded a very successful year of A-level results with A*-A results up from 2019, the last time students sat public exams.
A wonderful set of A-Level results for OLA Upper Sixth students, with almost a quarter of the year group achieving straight A* grades. OLA has a strong tradition of academic excellence and achievement, and these A-Levels were the first set of public exams for these students. It is a testament to their commitment and resilience that they were able to achieve such excellent results.
As well as 22% of students achieving straight A*-A grades, 3 students scored straight A* grades with one of these students achieving an excellent 4 A*s. Well over half of our students, 58.5%, achieved ABB or higher, which is a set of results widely regarded to be necessary to secure entry to a top university.
The vast majority of students have secured their firm university choice at a range of top Russell Group universities, including Bristol, Durham, Exeter, St. Andrew’s and Warwick. Results are higher than 2019, which was the last time students sat public exams. 55% grades were A*-A compared to 37% in 2019, and 78% grades were A*, A or B which was also higher than 2019 (67%).
Straight A* students: Meredith C (Art, Eng. Lit and History), James R (Comp Sci, Maths and Physics), Dominic W (Art, Latin, Maths and Physics).
Other pupils who achieved straight A*/As: Pippa B, Isobel G, Emily I, Charlotte P, James Q, Megan R.
OLA has an established reputation for the ‘Value Added’ it achieves for its students and this year was no different. OLA supports each and every student based on the firm belief that happy learners make successful achievers.
Commenting on the results Head of OLA, Daniel Gibbons said: “We are so proud of all of our students, in what has been a challenging time but all of their endeavours have certainly paid off today in a remarkable way. Congratulations to all!”
2021 Press Releases
THURDAY 12 AUGUST 2021: Another outstanding GCSE performance!
Our Lady’s Abingdon are celebrating another strong year of GCSE results. 31% of OLA GCSE/iGCSE grades were Level 9 grades in another outstanding GCSE performance with 71.7% of all grades falling in the 9-7 grade bracket. Biology, Physics, Geography and Music topped the subject performance table with 100% grades 9-7.
15 students (31% of the Year 11 cohort) gained 10 or more of the highest 9-7 grades: Ellie B, Rosie G, Olivia M, Magali M, Charlotte P, Isabelle P, Felicity S, Katie W, Sophie W, Eleanor W, Jinung B, Louis B, Isaac M, Scott U and Toby W.
OLA Principal Stephen Oliver commented: “Yet another excellent set of results for OLA in both academic and broader curriculum subjects. Well done to all our students and staff for this tremendous achievement. I want to congratulate our Biologists, Musicians, Geographers and Physicists in particular for this superb result and thank every student for their dedication and application in what has been a very challenging year.”
TUESDAY 10 AUGUST 2021: 67.8% of OLA students achieve A*-A in best results on record!
Our Lady’s Abingdon has recorded its most successful ever year of A-level results with a 20% increase on last year’s A*-A results. The A*-B results are also the best in the school’s history, with 83.1% gaining A*-B grades.
Business Studies, Drama, Geography, PE and Textiles Departments all achieved 100% A*-A, with other subjects notably close to achieving this. 53% of students achieved 3 or more A*-A grades. EPQ results were notably strong with 100% of students achieving A*-A.
The following 9 pupils achieved 3 or more A*-A grades: James W, Grace H, Ellie F, Holly M, Clara W, Oliver W, James G, Zoe B and Marine P.
Head of OLA 6th Elizabeth Lawson commented: “There are many wonderful achievements today. Congratulations to every student. I am very proud of the wonderful Sixth Form we have and the staff who give so much to help our students succeed so strongly every year”
OLA has an established reputation for the ‘Value Added’ it achieves for its students and this year was no different, with an average VA score across all departments of more than half a grade over baseline predictions. Value added was similar for boys and girls. The departments with the best VA, adding 1.5-2 grades on average are Business, Psychology, PE and English.
FRIDAY 28 MAY 2021: Daniel Gibbons appointed next Head of Our Lady’s Abingdon School
Our Lady’s Abingdon is pleased to announce that Daniel Gibbons has been appointed Head of OLA with effect from September.
FRIDAY 23 APRIL 2021: OLA extends exam-free entry for COVID-hit county.
Our Lady’s Abingdon is pleased to announce that we are cancelling our entrance examination for both 2021 and 2022 pupil intake, to support COVID-19 affected families across the county.
THURSDAY 20 AUGUST 2020: 55% of OLA pupils achieve top grades in another outstanding GCSE performance
Pupils at Our Lady’s Abingdon are today celebrating another strong year of GCSE results. The 2020 results show an 8.2 percentage point increase in grades 9-7 from 2019 (a real term increase of 17.5%).
Further Mathematics and Physics topped the subject performance table with 100% grades 9-7.
15 students gained 10 or more 9-7 (A*-A) grades with the highest number gained by a single individual student being 14.
Commenting on the GCSE results, school Principal Stephen Oliver said:
“This is yet another excellent set of results for OLA across a wide range of subject areas: well done to all our students and staff on this tremendous achievement. I want to congratulate our Further Mathematicians and Physicists in particular for their exceptional results, and to thank every student for the dedication and application they have shown in what has been a very challenging year.”
THURSDAY 13 AUGUST 2020: 56% of OLA A-level students achieve A*-A in best results on record
OLA has recorded its most successful ever year of A-level results with A*–A results up 12 percentage points on last year. A real term increase of 31.7%. 49% of students achieved an A grade or better, an outstanding achievement. A*-B results are also the best in the school’s history.
EPQ results were also notably strong with 71.4% of students achieving A*-A.
OLA has an established reputation for the ‘Value Added’ it achieves for its students and this year was no different, with an average VA score across all departments of more than half a grade over baseline predictions.
Students have achieved places at a range of prestigious universities, including Oxford, Warwick, St Andrews and Birmingham to study for degrees in subjects ranging from Law, Architecture and Biochemistry to Music, English and Economics.
Commenting on the results Principal Stephen Oliver said:
“This has been a very challenging year for our students and staff but all of their endeavours have certainly paid off today in a remarkable way. Congratulations to all!”
TUESDAY 10 MARCH 2020: OLA ranked in top 5% of schools in England for adding value at A-Level
Abingdon independent school OLA (Our Lady’s Abingdon) has been ranked in the top 5% of schools in England for adding value at A-level in the recently published Government results for the 2019 exams.
The School received a score of 0.42 in the league table, placing it in the ‘Well Above Average’ category, the highest a school can achieve and a rate well above most of its major local competitors.
These scores explain how much progress students who studied A-levels made between the end of Key Stage 4 (GCSE) and the end of their A-level studies, compared to similar students across England.
Commenting on the result OLA Principal Stephen Oliver said:
“This is an outstanding result for the school. To read that our 2019 A-level cohort made much greater academic progress between their GCSEs and A-levels than those in other schools is a clear testimony to the dedication and hard work of both staff and students. What they achieved effectively built on from the ‘Value Added’ many of them had already achieved at GCSE, where their performance exceeded baseline expectations. The result reflects our commitment to see every student achieve their very best throughout their time at the school.”