Westbourne School Sixth Form students are celebrating after receiving outstanding IB Diploma exam results that have secured their entry into the country’s highest ranking universities. 

The exceptional results will see them study a range of competitive undergraduate courses at leading Russell Group universities including University College London, King’s College London, Durham University, the University of Bristol, and Queen Mary University of London. 

IB Results Day follows two years of intensive Sixth Form study for the students at the Penarth-based independent school, ranked 1st in the UK League Tables for the past 5 years*, and recently shortlisted in the Independent Schools of the Year Awards 2022, as well as in the TES Schools Awards for a pioneering approach to innovation and technology. 

Stand-out performances came from Head Pupil Mia, who achieved a formidable 44 IB points, ranking in the top 1% of students worldwide. Mia is not currently 18, having sat her IB exams a year early, and she will now study Medicine at university. 

She said: “Westbourne has been a very large part of my life since I was three years old and has been the place where I’ve met the closest people to me. The teachers have been wonderful and the school has provided a great place for personal growth.” 

Alongside Mia, local students Abi and Isabella have also secured outstanding results that satisfy the grades requirement for entry to the University of Oxford. Head Pupil Abi will study Business at the University of Bath, while Isabella wants to focus on her thriving online business in her gap year. Isabella said: “My confidence has grown massively. Westbourne really pushes you to be the best version of yourself and I’m very much grateful for that.” 

Chelger, who joined Westbourne from Malaysia for Sixth Form study, attained 40 IB points (the A Level equivalent of 4 A*s) and will embark on a degree in Law at Durham University in September. He agreed that the school’s smaller, close-knit environment has supported him to excel academically, commenting: “Westbourne is a really supportive community, which has helped me to adapt to a new environment while also providing top tier education.” 

Head Pupil Morgan added: “Being a student at Westbourne meant so much to me, it almost felt like I was part of a family. The teachers were extremely supportive as well as my amazing classmates I was fortunate enough to study alongside. The small teacher to student ratio was really impactful.” 

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is internationally recognised for its academic rigour, and produces knowledgeable, well-rounded students with a global outlook. Students study a broad range of subjects across the sciences and humanities, as well as papers in the Theory of Knowledge and a challenging, research-based Extended Essay that gives them the edge when applying to university. 

Principal of Westbourne School, Dr Gerard Griffiths, said of the results: “We are immensely proud of the achievements of our IB2 students, whose results today are a springboard to studying at some of the world’s most prestigious universities. Not only have they excelled in completing the IB Diploma programme, which is universally acknowledged as a challenging yet extremely rewarding academic programme, they have also developed essential skills and attitudes – leadership, confidence, resilience and global mindedness to name only a few – which will support them in making a real impact on the world.”