Summer smiles
Sydenham & Dulwich Girls (SDG) is celebrating another year of remarkable academic success as Year 13 students receive their A Level results, continuing an upward trend in top-tier achievements under the guidance of Head, Antonia Geldeard.
This year’s outcomes reflect a culture where intellectual ambition meets tailored, highly nurturing guidance. From the humanities, STEM, languages and creative arts through to independent research in the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), pupils have demonstrated exceptional scholarship and personal resilience.
“I am immensely proud of our pupils for these fantastic A Level results. They reflect a clear, continued trend of academic growth and rising standards across our school, but above all, they testify to the all important work ethic, character, and resilience of these young women.
Our girls have pursued their individual goals with drive and curiosity, supported every step of the way by an exceptional teaching team. I want to express my thanks to our staff, whose expertise, dedication, and personal care ensure that every pupil is known and empowered to fulfil her ambition. We wish our Class of 2026 every success as they take their next steps into higher education, apprenticeships and beyond.”
Ms Geldeard, Head
Building on previous years of academic momentum, the proportion of top A* grades has risen by four percentage points (over twice the national trend) at 22% A* and 1 in 4 students achieved a full set of A*/A grades, which highlights the school’s commitment to stretching high achievers and unlocking full potential.
The humanities achieved standout success, securing 69% A*/A and 91% A*-B grades. Geography achieved an exceptional 100% A* across the cohort with English Literature attaining 100% A*/A. Our Business department also successfully celebrated its very first graduating A Level cohort with 67% A*/A and 100% A*/B. Endorsing the vital role these subjects play in shaping future leaders, Anthropic co-founder Daniela Amodei recently highlighted that “studying the humanities is going to be more important than ever”, a call to action our Sixth Formers have overwhelmingly answered.
Equally, it is inspiring to see 1/3rd of our young women pursuing STEM related degrees at university with courses such as Medicine and Aerospace Engineering at Nottingham, Computer Science with international industry placement at Bath, Chemistry at Bristol, and Psychology at Warwick.
Destinations span academic and creative disciplines, from International Development to Architecture, Theology to Creative Writing, with students also progressing to degree apprenticeships, drama school and art foundation courses.
Pupils continue to demonstrate superior research skills through the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), with 81% achieving A*/A grades. Highly valued by leading universities, the EPQ allows students to pursue independent research and critical thinking building undergraduate skills that pay dividends far beyond Sixth Form.
Beyond the headline statistics, these results reflect SDG’s bespoke approach to Sixth Form education, where small class sizes, dedicated mentor support, and a nurturing environment ensure that every pupil receives the exact balance of academic challenge and wellbeing support required to excel.
Alisha - Medicine
Alisha celebrates her place to study Medicine at Nottingham University after, impressively, receiving a full set of 4 medical school offers.
“My teachers have been incredibly supportive, consistently encouraging, helping me to find hospital work, prepare for my UCAT and interviews, which I am so grateful for. Medicine has been a dream of mine; I’m very excited!”
Matilda - A*A*A
Matilda is one of our outstanding cohort of Geographers (100% A*). She continue to develop her passion further this September at the University of Edinburgh’s Geography faculty. Matilda paid special tribute to the support and expertise of her teachers and the Sixth Form team:
“I am very proud. Throughout my time at Sydenham, I’ve been offered so many opportunities and one-to-one sessions with teachers, which has allowed me to be the best that I could be for my A Levels.”
Anais - Degree Apprenticeship
Head Girl, Anais is delighted to be starting her degree apprenticeship with TP ICAP, a leading financial services and data solutions specialist.
She will spread her time between London working in their Liverpool Street offices and EDHEC Business School in Lille and Nice, France, ranked 5th in the world by the Financial Times.
Anais impressively secured this sought-after position, competing against thousands of applicants over multiple rounds of assessment and interview.
We are excited to follow her journey into the world of work and international business.
Megan - A*A*A*A
Megan, who has attended Sydenham & Dulwich Girls since she was 4 years old, now leaves with outstanding academic results to study Computer Science with an industry placement year at Bath University, one of the top 10 institutions for this degree in the UK.
Megan attributes her success to her close relationships with her teachers who she feels “really understand her and her learning.”
“The school has been really supportive with Megan’s neurodiversity….I’ve always felt I could come to the school, if things have ever gone slightly array. Megan’s amazing. I’m really proud of her. “
Megan’s Parent.