Today, results were published by British exam boards for students in the United Kingdom and around the world who sat AS (Advanced Subsidiary) and A (Advanced) Level exams in the spring. For GES, this marks the first cohort in our steadily growing school to complete the Year 13 exams known as Advanced Levels – a passport to universities worldwide.

GES students have achieved brilliant results in their A Level exams, highlights of which include:

• 100% pass rate
• 47% of grades awarded were A*-A (20% above the UK average for 2023) and 81% were A*-B (28% above UK average for 2023).
• 72% of students achieved one or more A*-A grade

These results are especially outstanding as 2023 marks the first year since 2019 that students’ results are based on their performance on externally-graded exams without any adaptations for Covid. The current year’s cohort, which some have deemed the “unluckiest” in recent history, will also have grade boundaries elevated to pre-pandemic levels, meaning the top A and A* grades are reserved for exceptional student performance. The so-called grade inflation from which students across education systems benefitted is over post-Covid, so our student’s results are particularly worthy of congratulations, as is the tireless work of our devoted teachers.

Owing to their unique format which allows students to focus on their areas of interest and strength, A Levels are very sought-after diplomas; in 2023, over four times as many students around the globe will complete A Levels compared to the IB.

GES students have thrived through the A Level programme. Each of them has a unique story and reason to be gratified by the fruits of their effort. While no one stands out above this cohesive group of friends and colleagues, some stories provide a distinct view of our diverse and outstanding class:

• Cora who, along with her three siblings, has been an active and driving force at GES since her early years, will go to Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, the best hospitality school in the world, after completing A Levels in Maths, Economics and Geography.
• Maya, studying A Level Art and the first recipient of our Arts Scholarship, has been accepted unconditionally to study in Paris at the Institut Français de la Mode.
• Aneesh, who combined A Level study with training and playing professional rugby in France, will progress to study International Relations and Law at university in France or Ireland.
• Felix, displaced by war, completed an incredible four A Levels in one year (Maths, Physics, Further Maths and Computer Science) and is admitted to Ecole Polytechnique in Paris.

Our graduates have been admitted to leading universities in the UK, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, Ireland and Canada.

Matt Williams, Head of Geneva English School, commented on our 2023 leavers’ achievements:

“I am delighted and proud beyond words of the success of our first Year 13 graduating class. Their grades are truly a reflection of their hard work as each of them completed not only three or four A Level subjects, but also their Extended Project Qualification and a foreign language certificate. These students have provided a fine academic and leadership example to our younger students and have paved the way for our future classes, with the 2024 cohort already more than double in size than last year’s and five more subjects on offer in our school. We will miss them, but I am confident that every one of our graduates will go on to do great and exciting things and will continue to be an important part of the extended GES community.”

Further information about the GES A Level programme can be found here.

Founded in 1961, Geneva English School is built on the strong foundations of the British Education system, providing structure and challenge at Primary level and choice and opportunity at Secondary level. We may be English in name, but our welcoming, thriving school community is as diverse as the Geneva area we serve, with over 45 nationalities represented among our students aged 3 to 18. We are deliberately a small school, focused on getting to know our students and their families to ensure that every young person is challenged and supported through their childhood and teenage years. Our academic outcomes and pastoral care are graded outstanding by the Independent Schools Inspectorate and we are the only school in Switzerland accredited as a British Schools Overseas by the UK government’s Department for Education.

Contact:

Christina Matillon
Head of Secondary Admissions
[email protected]