Celebrations for Students on A Level Results Day | News

August 14th 2025

There was a buzz at Bolton School as Year 13 students returned to collect their A Level Results, gathering in the Great Halls with friends, family and teachers to share this milestone moment in their lives.

This year’s results are even better than the last: more than two thirds of the cohort have achieved A*-B grades, which are the entryway to the very best universities. More than 40% of grades awarded were A*-As, and 12.6% of grades awarded were A*s.

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

“Our results are even better than last year and although today is a lot about celebrating that success in the moment, it is also about reflecting on years of hard work that pupils have committed to and the work of my teaching colleagues in nurturing them to get the very best results they are capable of.

“Whether they joined us at Sixth Form, started Bolton School in Year 7, or in some cases have been with us right through from our Nursery, our Year 13 leavers take away into adult life not only the grades that will be a passport to great futures, but also a whole range of life skills, attitudes and approaches that will without doubt help them to make a difference for good in their next steps. It is about the grades, of course, but it is about so much more that they have accomplished.

“So much is written about young people nowadays and too much of it is negative. A day like today, feeling the joy of young adults, watching them support one another where there have been bumps in the road, seeing how they value their parents and have them as part of the occasion — that is what we need to know about young people, and we can be sure that our future is in good hands.”

There were so many pupils delighted with their results and the future plans that they facilitate.

Among them was Girls’ Division student Alexia, who alongside her studies has played Lacrosse for the school and for Lancashire and also attended the National Lacrosse Academy. She said: “I’m feeling good, I’m really happy. I got into my first choice, so I’m really pleased. I’m going on to study dentistry at Liverpool. I wanted to do Medicine from being really young, and then I did work experience in MaxFax (maxillofacial) and special care dentistry at the hospital, so I changed my mind and wanted to study Dentistry from then.”

She is one of a number of students going on to study Medicine and Dentistry. Also in that group was Nadiya, who said, “I’m very happy, very relieved. I think that my hard work really paid off. In September, I’ll be starting Medicine at Manchester and I’m very excited for that. It has been a long-term dream, and especially because I’ve jumped so many hoops with UCAT and interviews and everything, this really felt like it all paid off.”

All-A* Boys’ Division student Ramez was similarly delighted with his results: “I’m over the moon, to be honest. It’s better than I could have imagined, really! I’m going to be studying Biochemistry at St Edmund’s Hall, Oxford University, so I’m really looking forward to that!”

Also going to Oxford is Girls’ Division student Vivienne, who earlier this year was shortlisted for the BBC’s Young Writers’ Award. She will study Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) at New College, Oxford, from September. She said: “I’m so happy. Getting that notification that I’d got in to Oxford, I was just so happy — I screamed, I don’t think my neighbours will have thanked me for that, but I’m so relieved! Then I’ve got my grades, and they’re better than I thought they’d be, genuinely so much better that I thought they’d be, so I’m just so happy.”

Girls’ Division student Du’a, who also achieved the highest possible grades, said: “The plan is Manchester University to study Computer Science with a year in industry. Studying Computer Science, I have quite a few options, but I was thinking of taking the actuarial exam and then becoming a quantitative analyst, so I would do modelling with financial markets. I think that would be very interesting, because it would combine my love for Computer Science with my love of maths and statistics.”

Another success story was Boys’ Division student Will, who achieved three As and one B. He said, “I’m really happy with my results in the end. I’ve got where I needed to be — I’m going to study joint honours History and Politics at University of York!”

Ethan, who is going on to study Mathematics at UCL, was equally pleased: “Yeah, I’m quite happy, I got into the uni that I wanted, that’s all I really need.”

A number of students from both Divisions were successful in achieving the grades needed to secure their degree apprenticeship places. Among them was Zahara, who said: “I’m so happy, I managed to secure my degree apprenticeship at the Bank of England and I’ll be moving on Monday. Without the support of Bolton School, I wouldn’t have been able to secure my grades, and I managed to get two A*s so I’m over the moon! I’m going to celebrate with my friends tonight, the amazing friends I made at Bolton, just have one last celebration together as a group.”

In the Boys’ Division, two students are taking to the skies with pilot training in their future. Luke said: “I’m feeling pretty happy with my results! I’m going to Skyborne Airline Academy to be an airline pilot.”

Ashton also said: “I’m very happy. I’m hopefully going to flying school next year!”

These were just some of the success stories of the morning, and there were many more students sharing the news with friends that they had exceeded their own hopes and expectations and achieved the grades needed for their first-choice university. There were so many smiling faces as the students realised their hard work had come to fruition and opened the doors to their future paths, whatever they might be.