Results, Destinations & Alumni
For our 2025 Destination Data, please click here.
2025 Exam Results
From Results to Real-World Success: West Hatch Students Take the Next Step
West Hatch Sixth Form is delighted to celebrate the achievements of its Year 13 students, who have once again demonstrated resilience, ambition, and a clear focus on their futures. This year’s results reflect not only academic success but also the school’s commitment to preparing students for life beyond the classroom.
Headteacher, Mrs Victoria Schaefer, praised this year’s 2025 cohort:
“We are incredibly proud of our students. Their results reflect not only their hard work and commitment but also the unwavering support of our dedicated staff. Many of our students have secured places at their first-choice universities or have progressed onto highly competitive higher apprenticeships. It’s a real testament to their perseverance and ambition.”
This year’s results reflect a strong performance across both A Level and vocational pathways. Students achieved highly across a broad range of subjects, with several departments seeing particularly strong outcomes above national averages. Subject areas such as economics, maths, humanities and creative arts have all seen students exceed expectations, with many achieving the very top grades.
Among our top performers, Lewis achieved three A« grades along with a Grade A and will be pursuing a Maths degree at University College London, one of the top-ranked universities in the UK and globally. Reuben, also with three A«s, will be studying Mechatronic Engineering at Southampton University. Giaan will be joining him at Southampton after achieving two A«s and a Distinction« to study Computer Science. Lily, a female trailblazer for engineering at degree level, achieved two A«s, a grade A and a grade B. Our School Ambassador Abdul will be off to Manchester University to study Maths after achieving an A« and two As, with Alisha heading to Queen Mary University of London to study Business Management after achieving the same results.
We are also very proud of Maryam, who achieved an A« and an A grade at A Level, along with a Distinction« in her vocational IT qualification. She will be studying Computer Science with a focus on cyber security at the University of Greenwich. Additionally, Viktorija gained two Distinction«s and a Distinction for her BTEC Business course and will be pursuing Business and Law degree at Queen Mary University of London.
West Hatch offers an inclusive range of vocational qualifications, ensuring that every student has a pathway that suits them.
“Our students have once again shown that vocational routes can lead to outstanding outcomes,” said Mrs Schaefer. “We’re proud to offer a curriculum that supports all learners, whether they’re heading to university, employment, or apprenticeships.”
Congratulations to Milan, who has secured an apprenticeship with Deloitte, and to James, who achieved triple A grades at A Level and will be beginning his career with Phoenix Group as an Asset Manager.
We are excited to see what they go on to achieve at these prestigious institutions and organisations.
We wish all our Year 13 students the very best in their next steps. Congratulations class of 2025!
Year 13 Case Studies
Two Paths, One Message — Resilience Leads to Success
The Class of 2025 produced many inspiring stories, including those of Reuben and Viktorija, who turned challenges into opportunities and achieved remarkable success.
Shared Keys to Success
- Persistence and Adaptability: Both students faced obstacles—Reuben battled fatigue during A-levels, while Viktorija navigated changes in teaching staff—but neither let setbacks define them.
- Clear Goals: Reuben’s passion for engineering drove him to build autonomous systems and secure a place at Southampton for Mechatronic Engineering. Viktorija’s interest in business law led her to excel in BTEC Business and earn a spot at Queen Mary University of London.
- Support Systems: Family and teachers played a vital role. Viktorija revised by teaching topics to her mum, while Reuben relied on study partners and mentors.
- Balance and Mindset: Both emphasise starting strong, staying consistent, and keeping a positive outlook.
Their advice? Start early, stay focused, and don’t let challenges become excuses. As Reuben says: “Have a clear long-term goal—that was the turning point for me.” Viktorija adds: “Start the year effectively—it’s too hard to catch up.”
From Year 7 to 3 A*s: A Journey to Mechatronic Engineering
at Southampton
In 2025, one of our most inspiring students – Reuben, completed his journey at West Hatch High School with outstanding success—achieving 3 A*s in Maths, Chemistry, and Physics and securing a place to study Mechatronic Engineering at the University of Southampton.
Early Years
He joined us in Year 7 as an incredibly shy, calm, and polite pupil. Though he didn’t immediately stand out as someone destined for academic excellence, his quiet determination soon became evident. By Year 8, he was already in the top 10% of his year group, and in Year 9, he received awards for academic progress at our annual awards evening.
Passion for Engineering
His passion for engineering began with building simple electronic and mechanical control kits. These early experiments laid the foundation for a deeper interest in mechatronic systems. Inspired by innovations like Komatsu's Autonomous Haulage System, he designed and built his own autonomous obstacle-avoiding vehicle using an Arduino Uno and ultrasonic sensor. This hands-on project taught him perseverance and the power of integrating electronic hardware and software.
During a trip to Thailand, he gained work experience at Vivergy, an international engineering consultancy. There, he engaged in critical discussions about control systems and safety mechanisms, applying knowledge from W. Bolton’s Mechatronics and university lectures. His curiosity and drive to understand complex systems were evident throughout his Sixth Form years.
Beyond the Classroom
Outside academics, he has shown remarkable discipline and leadership. He has boxed weekly since the age of eight and even fought at the iconic York Hall in front of over a thousand spectators. As part of the school football team, he led his peers in pursuit of the Essex Cup. His solo travels across India, Thailand, Turkey, and Australia have further shaped his independence and global perspective.
In His Own Words
“My biggest challenges through Year 12 and 13 were fatigue and tiredness—I found that keeping a good balance and occupying my mind with things I could control was the most effective way to overcome them.”
“Having a good study mate was so helpful—Abdul was so good at making sure I kept my head down.”
“If I was giving advice to a Year 12 student, I would say they need a clear long-term goal to stay motivated. That was the turning point for me—when my cousin introduced me to mechatronic engineering.”
“It’s hard to put into words how I feel, but I can honestly say I can’t recall a bad day at West Hatch. I have no regrets and this helped me keep a positive mindset throughout.”
Looking Ahead
His journey from a quiet Year 7 student to a confident and accomplished young engineer is a testament to his resilience, curiosity, and passion. We are proud to have been part of his story and look forward to the impact he will make in the world of engineering.
From Quiet Determination to Business Law Ambition
From the moment she joined in Year 7, Viktorija quietly demonstrated a mindset built on doing the right thing. While her results weren’t always top of the class, her persistence, calm approach, and willingness to overcome challenges became her defining strengths. Now, having completed her studies with distinction and a clear ambition to pursue Business Law, she stands as a testament to the power of consistency and mindset.
Throughout her time at school, she remained grounded and focused. She studied a broad range of GCSE subjects including English, Maths, Sciences, Business, and History, achieving strong results particularly in Maths and Science. She ended up achieving 6 grade 5’s and above at GCSE.
At post 16, She elected to enroll into a full time BTEC in Business studies, which helped shape her understanding of the commercial world and sparked her interest in legal frameworks. She achieved incredible results of distinction *, distinction *, distinction in this course, making her one of the top achieving year 13 students in the school.
Her journey wasn’t without obstacles. “I had to overcome challenges such as changing teachers at GCSE – I realised that sometimes you just have to find another way and not use the challenge as an excuse,” she reflects. This attitude carried her through Sixth Form, where she embraced vocational learning and developed a deeper interest in Business Law.
She credits her support system for helping her stay on track. “I am so grateful to my mum for all the support throughout – she has let me teach her the topics that I am supposed to be learning and this really helped me to remember it properly,” she says. Her ability to turn learning into teaching became a powerful revision tool.
Looking back, she offers advice to those just starting their Sixth Form journey: “If I could give advice to Year 12s it would be to start the year effectively – it’s too hard to catch up – especially on the vocational awards.” She also highlights the impact of great teaching: “Mr Cunningham is an amazing teacher – always calm even when the pressure is on.”
Viktorija did more than enough to gain her place at her first choice university – Queen Mary’s – to do Buisness and Law. Her story is one of quiet resilience and steady growth. She didn’t chase perfection—she built progress. Her journey into Business Law is not just a personal achievement, but an inspiration to others who believe in the power of mindset and perseverance.
