Ambition, achievement, and a lot to smile about! Bootham School celebrates A Level Success.

Bootham School in York is celebrating another excellent year of A Level results, with 75% of all results at the highest grades A*-B and more than a quarter of students achieving a clean sweep of three As or above.

The results continue the school’s extremely strong year-on-year academic performance, with students securing places at the UK’s leading universities, including the Universities of Oxford, Edinburgh, Warwick, Durham, Imperial College London and the London School of Economics, as well as a wide range of other universities and specialist institutions. This year’s cohort will study an array of courses; from Architecture to Aviation to Animation, and from Medicine to Medieval History.

The results are a source of enormous pride, but as well as their grades, this year’s leavers have so much more to smile about.

Alongside their academic studies, students have competed at national level in sport, performed on stage, developed their musical talents, led school teams and pursued creative passions. For Bootham that combination of ambition and enjoyment is an important part of what makes school life successful.

The school believes that happy students achieve more.

When young people feel known and supported, they have the confidence to challenge themselves and discover what they are capable of. Academic ambition and personal development are part of the same journey. This year’s leavers offer plenty of examples of that balance.

Martin is going to the University of Oxford to study Fine Art after achieving two A* and two As. Alongside his academic achievements, he has also been one of the School’s Head Reeves and a member of Bootham’s popular barbershop quartet. He said: “The whole school is about building you as an individual and I’ve felt so much joy from coming here.”

Ali is heading to Imperial College London to study Medicine after achieving two A* and two As. Reflecting on his time at Bootham, he said “Bootham has 100% matched my expectations and gone beyond that. It’s helped me build the path for my future career and I can’t thank the school enough.”

Oliver will study Actor Musicianship at Rose Bruford College, a specialist institution focused on theatre and the performing arts, having achieved an A and two Bs. Oliver has also competed on the national stage in dressage.

Felix, who will study Biochemistry after achieving an amazing three A*s and an A, has represented England in Kickboxing. Felix said: “There’s a community here that I don’t think I have experienced anywhere else.” Leo also achieved an impressive three A* grades, and captained the school’s First XI football team to victory at the Tranby 8s Invitational Tournament.

Of the year group’s most notable achievements are that of Jie Jie, Dinithi and Yuliia, who have all secured prestigious scholarships to the University of Oxford and London School of Economics.

Jie Jie has been awarded the fully-funded Ellison Scholarship to study at the University of Oxford and the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT). Following a highly competitive global selection process, just 20 students from 15 countries were selected for the 2026 cohort. The scholarship recognises young people with outstanding academic ability, innovation, and the potential to make a meaningful contribution to the world. Dinithi has been awarded the Uggla Family Scholarship to study Politics and Philosophy at LSE and Yuliia has also been awarded a full undergraduate scholarship by LSE to study Politics and Economics.

For Bootham, these achievements demonstrate that academic ambition does not have to come at the expense of a happy school experience. Students are encouraged to pursue the things that interest and challenge them, while receiving the support they need to make the most of their academic potential.

Bootham’s Quaker ethos also encourages students to look beyond themselves, to listen to others and to think about how they can contribute positively to the communities around them. As students leave for university, further study and their chosen careers, the School hopes they take that sense of responsibility with them.

Deneal Smith, Head at Bootham, said: Every year our students show us that academic success and a happy school experience don’t have to be competing priorities; when young people feel understood and encouraged to be themselves, they are more willing to challenge themselves and pursue ambitious goals. That is how we believe students achieve their best, and today’s results are a wonderful example of that.

Of course, we are delighted to see students securing places on the courses and at the universities they have worked towards. But we are equally delighted to see the breadth of what they have achieved alongside their studies, on stage, on the sports field, through music, through leadership and in their wider communities.

That balance matters to us. We want our students to leave with strong academic foundations and exciting opportunities ahead of them, but also with the confidence, character and curiosity to make the most of those opportunities. That is the real strength of the way we learn at Bootham.”

As the Class of 2026 prepares to take its next steps, there is plenty to celebrate: the grades they have achieved, the universities and courses they are heading towards, and the many different things they have discovered they can do to make the communities around them a better place.

Images

Sunshine and Smiles!: Students at Bootham School, York, were overjoyed with their A Level results today

Media enquiries:
Emily Sowden, Director of Marketing and Admissions, Bootham School.
emily.sowden@boothamschool.com / 01904 272550