Ark Acton Students Celebrate Some Excellent Results

Places obtained at top universities including Oxford

Sixth formers at Ark Acton show off their results

August 21, 2023

Despite the marking regime being tightened up this year after the pandemic, sixth formers at Ark Acton have achieved some excellent results in their exams.

The stand out performance was from Victoria Mokumo who is heading to Oxford to study History with Foundation Year after gaining three A Grades in Government and Politics, History and Sociology. She is an Oxbridge Reuben bursary recipient and has taken on various student voice and leadership roles, including UNICEF Ambassador, junior and senior prefect, student ambassador, captain of the debate team, house captain and part of the Ark Spark choir. Her teachers describe Vicky as "very ambitious and an aspiring politician...her enthusiasm and drive to succeed is infectious, and she is an inspiration to many." 

Mariam El Masmoudi Garcia secured her place at Southampton University to study Law after achieving A grades in History, Government and Politics, Sociology and an A* in Spanish. She has attended Elephant Group summer schools at Cambridge and Exeter and participated in mock trials with Magic Circle law firms. Mariam wants to become a lawyer to protect individuals and positively influence society. As a school ambassador, she has delivered speeches highlighting the school's sixth form and has actively promoted student voices. As the first person in her family to attend university, she wants to make her parents proud. She is a Marshall Wace bursary recipient. 

Mohammad Kamal secured his place to study medicine at Brighton and Sussex Medical School after achieving three A grades in his Biology, Chemistry and Maths A levels. Mohammad was part of the Elephant Group programme, which has supported him to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor. 

Omar Tibi has begun a degree apprenticeship with CISCO Systems – including a CMDA degree in Chartered Management. Being part of the Ark Apprenticeship Conference has helped Omar to stand out in the highly competitive selection process. 

Jamie Thanasi Hearn has successfully enrolled on a five-year degree apprenticeship programme at KPMG. He will eventually achieve a level 7 ACA qualification with integrated Masters, enabling him to be a fully-fledged accountant. Jamie secured three B grades in History, Economics and Maths. He worked hard as part of the Elephant Group, taking advantage of many of the opportunities offered to him throughout his time as an Ark Acton sixth-form student.

Theepika Vijayakumaran will head to Exeter University to study Economics after securing three A* grades in Maths, Chemistry and Tamil, and a B in Economics. Theepika completed a six-month placement with Morgan Stanley through the Elephant Group, which will prepare her well as she embarks on the next opportunity. 

Karolina Bagan secured the highest possible grades for her Professional Pathway BTEC Extended Diploma in Business with a Triple Distinction* grade. She is going to study Business Management at Queen Mary University of London. 

Principal Oli Knight said, “We are delighted with the range of destinations our students secured this year, and they are a testament to the hard work and resilience they have shown over the past two years. This was their first experience of high stakes exams, having not sat the formal GCSE exams, and we are inspired by the mindset they adopted in preparing for their A levels and BTECs."

Alongside Key Stage 5 success, Ark Acton received its first Good Ofsted report this year. The school was praised for the fact that "the school's leaders are determined to make sure that all pupils, whatever their starting point, succeed academically" and their "expanding and well-designed personal development programme" where students participate in various activities, including debating, gardening, dance, theatre, and sports such as football, netball and basketball.

Nationally, the proportion of A or A* grades awarded dropped to 27.2% compared to a peak of 44.8% during the pandemic meaning that 100,000 fewer grades were given out at this level.

This brings the level of top grades closer to 2019, the year before Covid-19 when it was 25.4%.

UCAS says that, for the UK as a whole, 79% of those taking A Levels this year gained a place at their first-choice university.

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