Portsmouth High’s A level results

Despite the extraordinary circumstances surrounding this year’s A Level results, it has been another tremendously successful year at Portsmouth High School GDST.

‘This year’s cohort are going to feel cheated as they didn’t have a chance to sit an exam,’  said Headmistress Mrs Jane Prescott.  ‘However, they have all secured places at their choice of university including:  Cambridge, Bristol, Exeter and Staffordshire.

Lowena Hull, 18, achieved 4 A*s and is heading for Cambridge to read Natural Sciences.

‘I am very excited about university and thrilled with my results,’ said Lowena.  ‘It has been interesting working through a pandemic, trying to keep my brain working and remaining motivated.  I started looking at university content and looking ahead to the work I will be doing in my first year.’

Head of Sixth Form, Mr Rob Smith, said:

‘The key to Portsmouth High School’s A-level success was a programme of pre-university courses and seminars rolled out for pupils.  It was devised in a bid to focus the energy pupils would have used for revision, in a proactive bid to prepare them for further education. The initiative brought more than 1,000 students together  from across the Girls’ Day School Trust.’

Olivia Cross, 17, is on her way to Staffordshire University to study games design.

‘My family is full of engineers and I’ve always been fascinated by the mechanics of video games,’ said Olivia.  ‘This is a way of combining those two things and learning about how games are designed and what makes them fun.’

Olivia hopes to spearhead her own indie games company one day but said scoring experience at firms like Fortnite creators Epic Games and Rockstar – the makers of the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption series – would be a dream come true.

Marcy Lea, 18, is off to Brighton and Sussex Medical School to read medicine.

‘I’m glad it’s over and I feel very relieved today,’ she said.  ‘This year has brought a different kind of stress.  I’ve done a lot of exercise to take my mind off it, I did paint by numbers and I’ve gone for walks – that’s pretty much it!’

Mrs Prescott, Headmistress of Portsmouth High School added:

‘This has been an A Level results day like never before. Despite a challenging year we are delighted that the girls have got a place at their choice of university.  This is just the beginning on an exciting journey for them.’