The summer sun shone upon Bolton School on A Level Results Day, bringing with it smiles and laughter in both Great Halls as Year 13 returned to collect their results and celebrate the momentous occasion with their family, friends and teachers.

This year’s results were once again better than last, with over two thirds of the cohort achieving A*-B grades, securing their entry to the most competitive universities and degree apprenticeship schemes. The percentage of grades at the very highest level was also even higher than last year, with 13.5% of entries graded at A* and over 36% of entries graded at A*-A.

Philip Britton, Bolton School’s Head of Foundation, said:

“It has been a pleasure to celebrate success today with our Year 13 pupils, who have worked so hard for what they have achieved. For them this is a moment of launching successfully into the world beyond Bolton School and it is a real privilege to share that moment with them and their parents, who have been so supportive and committed to their success over the years. Some of this cohort joined the Bolton School Nursery in 2008, when I also joined the School; I have literally seen them grow up here, so it was especially nice to share this milestone with them today.”

“These grades are of course their passport to the next exciting stage of their lives, but what matters for their futures is what they have learnt here and how it has shaped the people they have become. They leave us today as imaginative, intellectually curious characters, who understand team work and tenacity and who will soon stand ready to enter the graduate jobs market with confidence. Above all they are really decent young adults who will continue to make a difference for good.”

Of course, the results themselves tell only part of the story. Across both Divisions, pupils were celebrating the grades that will take them on to an exciting range of next steps.

Among those with plenty to celebrate was Girls’ Division student Mya, who achieved three A* grades and secured a place at the University of Oxford to study Physics. She said, “I’ve been saying for as long as I can remember, ‘I want to go to Oxford’ and now I’ve got in and I cannot believe it!” After what she described as “a lot of very hard work”, Mya is already looking further ahead, with ambitions to complete a PhD in Astrophysics and pursue a career in research.

When Nakai discovered she had secured her place at the University of Bristol to study Mathematics, her mum’s reaction was to scream. Nakai achieved A* grades in both Maths and Further Maths and she said “I’m glad that I stayed on for Sixth Form because the support has been amazing. I went from a C at the end of Year 12 to an A* at the end of Year 13.”

After joining Bolton School in Year 3, Hana is now preparing for a big change as she moves to London to begin a degree apprenticeship with the BBC. Hana will work alongside studying Project Management through the University of Cumbria and admitted she is nervous about living by herself for the first time, but excited too. She said, “I just wanted to start earning and getting the experience from 18. I feel like it will be a great experience to live in London and meet other degree apprentices.”

For Lily-Grace, Results Day brought confirmation of her next step at the University of Nottingham, where she will study Economics. Her years at Bolton School have involved plenty of sport alongside her studies, particularly lacrosse and netball for which she was awarded the Senior Victrix Ludorum Trophy. “Juggling it with my studies has always been something I’ve had to do,” she said, “but I feel like at the end of my School life, I’ve cracked it, I’ve figured it out.”

Ella also has plenty to look forward to after securing a place at Lancaster University to study Business Management. “I’m really happy with my results and I can’t wait to go to university after my gap year!” she said. “That gap year promises to be an eventful one, with Ella planning to spend four months in Denmark and five months in Turkey.

Over in Boys’ Division, Luke was celebrating two fantastic achievements: as well as securing his place at the University of Manchester to study Computer Science, Luke is a national record holder in speed cubing and can solve a Rubik’s Cube in around five seconds! Results morning brought a mixture of nerves and relief. He said, “To see that all my hard work for the past two years has paid off and to come into School and get my actual grades, was really rewarding!”

Arjun, who joined Bolton School in Year 6, was delighted to secure his place at the University of Liverpool to study Law. “I’ve always found it interesting,” he said, having explored the subject further through work experience and a mock law competition. Reflecting on his years at School, he added, “Bolton School was great. The teachers have been great and I’ve really enjoyed my time here.” Arjun had a flight to Malaga to catch later that evening, giving him the perfect opportunity to celebrate with his family.

Nathan is making his way to London, where he will study Law at the London School of Economics and Political Science after an interest in the subject was first sparked by a book recommendation from one of his teachers. His time at Bolton School has involved much more than his studies too: he has been School Captain, sung in the Chamber Choir, played in the School Orchestra and represented the first XV rugby team. “I’ve really enjoyed it,” he said. “Being School Captain has been a great opportunity to get closer to everybody in my year! I’ve really enjoyed getting involved in everything that School has to offer.”

Celebrating the end of his time at School by achieving three A*s, Zak noted that music has been a big part of his Bolton School career: singing in the School choirs and the Hallé Youth Choir before recently securing a place in the National Youth Choir. He now plans to reapply to the University of Oxford to study Mathematics and hopes to secure a choral scholarship too. He said, “I applied last year and didn’t get in, so I want another shot now that I’ve got my results.”

These students’ experiences were just some of the success stories being celebrated across the School, where plenty more happy moments unfolded throughout the morning as results were opened and good news was shared. There was relief for pupils who had secured the grades they had been working towards, alongside the excitement of discovering the futures those results now make possible. For the Class of 2026, it was a morning to celebrate how far they had come at Bolton School before turning their attention to the new opportunities that lie ahead.