The England football team are not the only ones celebrating today! There was plenty to celebrate for students at Varndean Sixth Form College too, led by an extraordinary achievement from Arun Webb (pictured above), formerly of Blatchington Mill School, who achieved the maximum possible score of 45 in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme.
A perfect score of 45 is achieved by only a very small proportion of IB students worldwide. It requires exceptional performance across six academic subjects, alongside the Diploma Core, which includes the Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge and the Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) programme. This places Arun in the top 1% of IB students worldwide.
Arun will now go on to study Social and Public Policy with Quantitative Methods at the University of Glasgow.
He was just one of a number of outstanding students celebrating success this year.
- Iris Dury, formerly of Blatchington Mill School, achieved 44 points and will study French and Beginners’ Italian at the University of Oxford.
- Toby Douglass, formerly of Chailey School, achieved 43 points and will read Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at the University of Cambridge.
- Elise McGivney, formerly of Dorothy Stringer School, achieved 43 points, now taking a gap year.
- Saskia Gualtieri Kros, formerly of Varndean School, achieved 42 points and will study Biomedical Sciences at the University of Oxford.
- Kas Coleman, formerly of Brighton Waldorf School, achieved 41 points, also now taking a gap year.
- Arthur Salisbury, formerly of King’s Academy Ringmer, achieved 40 points, taking a gap year before applying to study Civil Engineering.
- Rosa Simanowitz, formerly of Cardinal Newman Catholic School, achieved 40 points, also taking a gap year.
These remarkable achievements tell the story of a very special IB cohort, whose hard work, ambition and support for one another have shone throughout their time at Varndean.
Across the cohort:
- 100% of students successfully achieved the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.
- The average score was 36 points, significantly above the global average which equates to AAA at A level
- 15% achieved 40 points or above, placing them amongst the highest-achieving students this year which equates to A*A*A at A Level
Donna-Marie Janson, Principal and CEO of Varndean Sixth Form College, said:
“To achieve 45 out of 45 is simply extraordinary. It is one of the highest academic achievements a young person can attain anywhere in the world and reflects exceptional intellect, dedication and resilience. Arun should be immensely proud of what he has accomplished.
“What is particularly pleasing is that his success sits within such an exceptional cohort. To have so many students achieving 40 points and above, alongside places at Oxford, Cambridge and other leading universities, speaks volumes about the ambition of our students and the expertise and commitment of our staff.
“Most of all, I am incredibly proud of each and every one of our IB students. Every student has travelled their own unique journey through one of the world’s most academically demanding programmes, overcoming different challenges and celebrating different successes along the way.
“Year after year, our IB students continue to impress me. They are curious, compassionate, resilient and determined to make a difference. They challenge themselves academically, but they also support one another, contribute to our college community and leave us as thoughtful, confident young adults who are ready to make their mark on the world.
“Watching these young people grow over the last two years has been one of the real privileges of this job. They inspire us every year with their kindness, their ambition and their belief that learning can change lives. All of us at Varndean are immensely proud of every single one of them, and we wish them every success and happiness as they begin the next exciting chapter of their lives.”
Varndean Sixth Form College is the only state school or college in Sussex to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Renowned for its academic breadth and intellectual challenge, the IB is recognised by leading universities across the world and equips students with the knowledge, skills and outlook to thrive in higher education and beyond.
