News
Exceptional Progress of GCSE Students at LWC – Headmaster’s View
Adam Williams | 21 August 2025
If there’s one thing teenagers excel at, it’s knowing everything. Or at least, thinking they do.
But at the ripe old age of 16, they’ve yet to truly see the world – which is where adventure education earns its stripes. At LWC, it’s not a fashionable tagline, it’s a lived philosophy. It’s how we prepare young people not just for exams, but for life.
I believe it’s one of the many reasons that we are celebrating another year of excellent GCSE results at LWC.
Over 47 per cent of results have been graded 9-7. There has also been an increase in the percentage of grade 9s awarded. The overall pass rate was 95 per cent.
Henry is celebrating ten grade 9s (including an A in Additional Maths). Luca has been awarded eight grade 9s, with Kira and Ella both earning six grade 9s. Sophia, Ben, Aubrey and Eloise were all honoured with five grade 9s.
The progress of this year’s GCSE students also puts LWC in the top ten per cent of schools and colleges nationally, based upon the ALPS system. On average, GCSE students at the College have made greater progress across a wide range of academic subjects, compared to similar students elsewhere.
And of course, this year’s GCSE performance also follows record A-level results at the College, with 81.4 per cent of LWC pupils receiving A*-B and 97 per cent gaining A*-C grades.
But how does adventure and character education influence what goes on in an exam hall on a grey, May morning?
It both influences and complements.
GCSE Results 2025
47.2 % = Grades 9-7
95% = Overall Pass Rate
Whether it’s navigating with a soggy map in the middle of nowhere, or standing up after a fall, our pupils learn resilience, curiosity, teamwork and grit. These are the real-world skills that go far beyond any syllabus. The result? Young people who know it’s fine to fail, to try again, to laugh, to lead quietly and to see the beauty in a world far bigger than any social media feed.
This mindset underpins everything we do at LWC. And it’s why we celebrate great GCSE and A-level results. These are not only academic milestones, but proof that our approach works. Our students continue with us into Sixth Form after GCSEs, or beyond after A-levels, with brilliant grades, but also confidence, purpose and a sense of adventure that will carry them far.
Alongside next month’s merger with St Neot’s Preparatory School; extending this extraordinary educational pathway through from two to 18 years, we’re continuing to invest in this approach.
The LWC philosophy stretches far beyond grades and from September, we’ll see phase one of The Grange complete – our 2.5 million-pound Sport, Fitness, Health and Adventure Centre – where wellbeing and inclusivity are as much a part of the College as any timetable.
Our brand new Summercombe Centre will transform how we support our young people with individual needs.
A new library will sit at the heart of campus and The Grove, our new Centre for Creative Arts and Philosophy will provide a sanctuary for curious and innovative minds.
This, together with our exceptional Zanetas Sixth Form space, means that those celebrating today can be confident that tomorrow looks even brighter at LWC.
In the meantime, today is very much about recognising these glorious know-it-alls: brave, brilliant and beautifully unfinished, along with the parents who continue to trust us to widen their worlds through challenge, stretch and inspiration.
For more on Sixth Form opportunities at LWC, visit here.
| Grade 9 | Grade 9-7 | Grade 9-6 | Grade 9-5 | |
| 2025 | 12.9% | 47.2% | 69.7% | 88.8% |
