Varndean Sixth Form College Celebrates Another Year of Impressive Results

Varndean Sixth Form College in Brighton is celebrating another year of impressive academic achievement, with students securing excellent results across A Level and Level 3 vocational qualifications. The results reflect the dedication, determination and talent of Varndean’s students, alongside the continued commitment and support of all its staff. 

The College has recorded an impressive A Level pass rate of 98%, with over55% of grades awarded at A*-B and a quarter at A* or A grade, the highest ever. With over three-quarters of students achieving grades between A*-C, the results demonstrate continued excellence. 

Excellent results were also seen across the College’s vocational programme, with a 98% pass rate and more than 50% of students achieving the highest grades of Distinction or Distinction*. Together, the results reflect the breadth and strength of provision at Varndean Sixth Form College and the impressive achievements of students across its diverse range of courses. 

College Principal Donna-Marie Janson expressed her delight at the results, saying:

“ I am incredibly proud of our students today. These results represent two years of hard work, determination and resilience, and behind every grade is an individual young person with their own story, ambitions and hopes for what comes next.

To see such impressive results across A Levels and vocational qualifications, alongside the remarkable International Baccalaureate results our students achieved in July, is a wonderful achievement for our whole College community. Our staff care deeply about our students and work incredibly hard to help every young person flourish, and these results are testament to that.

Results Day is always about much more than the numbers for us. It is about celebrating how far our students have come and everything that now lies ahead of them. Whether they are going on to university, an apprenticeship, employment, travelling or something completely different, we are enormously proud of them and cannot wait to see what they do next.“

As an inclusive, non-selective sixth form college, Varndean Sixth Form College is proud to combine high academic standards with an ambitious and exceptionally broad curriculum. Students join the College from across Brighton & Hove and Sussex to study A Levels, vocational qualifications and the International Baccalaureate Diploma, supported by staff who are committed to helping every young person achieve their potential and flourish. 

In addition to its A Level and vocational programme, the College also provides students with the opportunity to pursue the highly regarded International Baccalaureate Diploma, where earlier in July, IB students achieved remarkable high scores.  One student achieved the very maximum score of 45, putting him in the top 1% of students worldwide, with 38% achieving over 36 points (the equivalent of AAA at A Level) and 13% securing 40 points or more (equivalent to A* A* A) — placing them among the top-performing IB students globally.  

Many of Varndean Sixth Form College’s IB applicants have secured places at a range of top universities, including:

• Arun Webb (formerly of Blatchington Mill School), who achieved the maximum score of 45 points and will study Social and Public Policy with Quantitative Methods at the University of Glasgow.
• Iris Dury (formerly of Blatchington Mill School), who achieved 44 points and will study French and Beginners' Italian at the University of Oxford.
• Toby Douglass (formerly of Chailey School), who achieved 43 points and will read Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at the University of Cambridge.
• Saskia Gualtieri Kros (formerly of Varndean School), who achieved 42 points and will study Biomedical Sciences at the University of Oxford.
• Arthur Salisbury (formerly of King's Academy Ringmer), who achieved 40 points, taking a gap year before applying to study Civil Engineering.
• Keira Christodoulou (formerly of Davison CE High School), who achieved 39 points and will study Biomedical Sciences at the University of Bath.
• Martha Wilson (formerly of Davison CE High School), who achieved 36 points and will study Mathematics with Finance at Queen’s University, Belfast.

Congratulations and well done to all our exceptional students, and we wish them the very best of luck for their future careers.