Queen Ethelburga’s Celebrates More Than Results as Students Take Their Next Steps
There are A*s to celebrate, university places secured and years of hard work coming to fruition at Queen Ethelburga’s today — but for the students collecting their A Level results, success means far more than a set of grades.
At Queen Ethelburga’s, excellence isn’t about fitting a mould. It’s about discovering who you are, understanding what you are capable of and becoming the very best version of yourself.
And today, that looks different for every student.
This year’s cohort has achieved an impressive 79% of students achieving A*-A grades. The percentage of BTEC Distinction* and Distinction grades reached 80%. These outcomes continue Queen Ethelburga’s strong tradition of academic excellence.
Students have also been awarded a variety of high profile and esteemed first choice university places achieved at Cambridge, King’s College London, UCL, Durham, Bath, Harper and Keele Vet School, Manchester, Warwick, Nottingham, and Edinburgh, amongst other excellent UK and worldwide universities.
From outstanding academic performances to individual stories of determination, growth and achievement, this year’s results reflect the breadth of talent within the QE community.
For some, today confirms a long-held ambition. For others, it marks the beginning of a journey they may not have imagined when they first arrived at QE.
As a co-educational independent school, Queen Ethelburga’s believes that every young person has the potential to excel — but that excellence is never one-dimensional.
Academic achievement matters. So does confidence. Character. Friendship. Leadership. Resilience. Curiosity. Kindness.
The school’s approach is built around recognising that every student’s route to success is different. Some arrive knowing exactly where they want to go; others discover their ambitions along the way. Some thrive academically from day one; others flourish when they are truly understood, challenged and supported as individuals.
That is why, alongside academic outcomes, QE celebrates commitment, progress, personal growth and the qualities that prepare young people for life beyond school.
Lauren Blakeley, Head of QE College, said:
“Results day is, of course, an important moment. Our students have worked incredibly hard and they deserve to celebrate their achievements. But the numbers on a results sheet can never tell the whole story. What matters most is the young person standing behind those results — their journey, their resilience, the challenges they have overcome and the person they have become. What makes me particularly proud is the diversity of success we see today. Every student has a different starting point, different strengths and different ambitions. For some, these results represent the fulfilment of a long-held goal; for others, they reflect extraordinary progress, determination or a change in direction that they could not have predicted when they began their QE journey. We want our students to leave QE not simply with excellent qualifications, but with the confidence, character and curiosity to make the most of whatever comes next.”
An Exciting Chapter for QE
The all-new Queen Ethelburga's College combines the ISA Independent School of the Year (previously QE Faculty) and the leading school for academic results in the North (QE College), into one exceptional senior school providing an unprecedented range of academic, vocational, sport, performance, creative and co-curricular opportunities. The senior school incorporates the GCSE years and the Sixth Form, sitting alongside Chapter House Preparatory School and King’s Magna Middle School, on the modern, well-equipped campus close to York, Harrogate and Leeds. With the opportunity for every student to create their own personalised programme of study, this change takes the very best of what is offered across the two current senior schools and combines this into one outstanding set of opportunities for local, national and overseas children and their families.
Daniel Machin, Principal of Queen Ethelburga’s said:
"Today is a moment to celebrate achievement, but it is also a moment to recognise the journey behind it. A Level results are an important milestone, but they are not the measure of a young person’s worth, potential or future. At Queen Ethelburga’s, we have deliberately built an environment where ambition is personal. We expect our students to work hard, to challenge themselves and to aim high, and these results demonstrate that this approach delivers exceptional academic outcomes. So, yes, we celebrate the grades today — and they are genuinely impressive. But above all, we celebrate the young people who achieved them, the people they have become and the possibilities that now lie ahead of them.That is what we mean by excellence at Queen Ethelburga’s: not simply exceptional results, but exceptional young people ready to use their potential to achieve something worthwhile.”
Home to students from more than 50 nationalities, QE offers a genuinely global community in which individuality is celebrated and ambition is encouraged. Students benefit from exceptional teaching, outstanding pastoral care and an unrivalled breadth of opportunity across sport, performing arts, STEM, leadership and enrichment.
Whether joining as a day student or boarder, from the UK or overseas, students are supported through a personalised educational journey designed around their strengths, aspirations and potential.
A Level Results Day 2026 comes hot on the heels of Queen Ethelburga’s being recognised - for a second consecutive year - among the UK's very best independent schools for value, retaining its position as the Best Value Co-Educational Private School in Britain in The Telegraph's annual rankings.
A Snapshot of some of Our Student Successes
Ki K - 5 x A*in Biology, Chemistry, Chinese, Maths and Physics. Is going on to read Natural Sciences at Cambridge.
Sophia O - A* in Business, A in Maths, A in History and will be studying Law at UCL.
Elliott C - A*AAA in Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics and going to read Natural Sciences at Bath.
Charles B - A* in Further Maths, A* in Maths, A in History, A* in Economics. Going to study Maths with a professional placement or year abroad at Bath University.
Seb L - History A, Maths A, Physics A, going to Warwick to study History and Politics.
Eloise L - A* French, A History, A* Psychology going to Durham to study Psychology.
David D - achieved A*, A*, A* - Biology, Chemistry and Maths, going to study Medicine at King’s College London.
Rachel M - 3 A*s in Biology, Chemistry and Maths and going to King's College London to study Medicine.
Sam HS - A* German and Law, A in Economics and English Language going to study Law at Leeds University.
Toby S - A in Geography, A* in PE and a D* in BTEC Business, going to Newcastle to study Business Management.
Donnie G - A Maths, D* BTEC Business, D in BTEC Sport, going to Durham to study Accountancy and Finance.
Angela S - A* Business, A in Biology, A in Chemistry, going to Hull York Medical School to study Medicine.
Lacey S – A in Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics, going to Harper and Keele Vet School to study Vet Med and Surgery.
Finn S - A in Geography, D* in BTEC Business and D in BTEC Sport, going to Durham to read Business and Management.
Henry S - A* Business, D* Marketing, D* in BTEC Media 540 Diploma going to study Popular Music Performance Guitar at The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance.
Denis Z - A* Maths, A Chemistry, A Spanish, B Physics, going to Bristol to study Aerospace Engineering.
Sean Y - A* - Biology, Chinese, Maths, Further Maths and A in Chemistry. Studying Medicine at King's College London.
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