A-level Results day in August was a great day for Balcarras. There was a real celebratory atmosphere as we topasted the success of our A-level students. At A-level we achieved 67% A* to B, which will be amongst the highest scores for a comprehensive school in the southwest. The vast majority of pupils gained entry to their first-choice university, apprenticeship or job.

A couple of days after the A-level results we received notification from ALPS, which is the value-added results service most schools in the country use, that over the last three years our value-added score is ALPS 1. This means that over the last three years no school has outperformed Balcarras in terms of the progress made by students at A level. That really is some achievement. Well done to the pupils, staff and parents of Balcarras.

We have for many years been aiming for ALPS 1 but it is incredibly difficult to achieve. We have always believed that facilitating great levels of progress is our number 1 mission. It is wonderful to receive confirmation from ALPS that we are doing just that.