Kesteven and Sleaford High School celebrates outstanding 2025 A Level results

The majority of students have secured their first-choice university offers, with others moving on to exciting higher-level apprenticeships or alternative pathways.

Students are off to study courses as diverse as Natural Sciences at Cambridge, Medicine and Zoology at Glasgow and Philosophy at York. The University of York has proved an especially popular destination for High School students this year, replacing Newcastle University, the favourite of 2024.

There were some poignant stories of amazing determination among the students successes.

Shannon Henry, of Holdingham, has had to take an extra year to complete her A-level studies having originally been diagnosed with Chrohn’s disease, before being rediagnosed with genetic immune deficiency which has affected her health for the past five years.

She said: “Then doctors offered me a bone marrow transplant and chemotherapy. My little sister, Tamsin, was my donor.

"I have always been quite resilient but this has been the most difficult for me.”

She said concentrating on her studies served as a distraction from her health ordeal and school had been “amazing”. She also spent time with a hospital school, where she also wrote her personal statement to apply to university. While in isolation and recovery for the operation, Shannon was also provided with a little robot with a web camera and tablet built in, which they nicknamed Diligent Dave, as he would always turn up to lessons even if she couldn’t. That way she could be ‘present’ in the classroom remotely.

"My robot was put on a trolley and wheeled around the classroom to be my eyes and I could speak through him.”

Shannon achieved a brilliant A in Drama, A in Biology and B in Chemistry and has been accepted to do biomedical science at Kings College, London.

Head Girl Olivia Barrett, of Welbourn, was also celebrating having gained A* in Geography, A in Biology and C in Chemistry, saying that she had done much better than expected: “I am so overwhelmed, as it has been really, really hard,” she said, explaining that a couple of close family members had died and both her parents were diagnosed with cancer at the beginning of this year, just prior to sitting her exams.

"It has been hard prioritising studying, so it makes it even more special that I have done well.”

Her parents are now “on the mend” and Olivia will now go to Glasgow University to study zoology.

Headteacher Josephine Smith said: “This year’s results are the product of genuine teamwork – between students, staff, and families. Our students have shown incredible determination, our staff have gone above and beyond, and our parents have been steadfast in their support. It is this partnership that makes achievements like today’s possible.”