Students, families and staff across the Diocese of Northampton are celebrating a strong set of GCSE, A Level and vocational examination results, marking years of hard work, determination and commitment.
Across the Diocese of Northampton, Catholic secondary schools have been celebrating the achievements of the Class of 2026, as students received their GCSE and A Level results and prepared to take the next steps in their education, employment and vocation.
From Northampton and Milton Keynes to Bedford, Buckinghamshire and Slough, this year’s results provide many reasons for celebration. They also offer an opportunity to recognise the dedication of students, teachers, support staff, parents and carers who have accompanied young people throughout their secondary education.
The national picture provides important context. In England, 2026 A Level results saw 28.5% of entries awarded A or A*, while 262,820 18-year-olds secured university places, a record number. At GCSE, 70.7% of 16-year-olds achieved grade 4 or above, with 23.1% achieving grades 7–9.
Celebrating individual success
At St Thomas Becket Catholic School in Northampton, the Class of 2026 celebrated what the school described as its best-ever GCSE results. The results day celebrations recognised the achievements of students across the cohort, following five years of learning, perseverance and preparation.
The school’s Sixth Form continues to provide a broad range of A Level and BTEC pathways, reflecting its commitment to helping young people pursue different talents, interests and aspirations.
At St Paul’s Catholic School in Milton Keynes, there was a particularly strong showing of individual GCSE achievement. Among the students highlighted by the school were a group who together secured 51 grade 9s, 44 grade 8s and 41 grade 7s. Headteacher Jo-Anne Hoarty praised the students’ hard work and commitment over the past five years, while also celebrating the many students who have chosen to continue their education in the school’s Sixth Form.
The school’s A Level and vocational students have also achieved impressive results, with young people progressing to university courses and careers spanning engineering, medicine, dentistry, nursing, law, computer science, creative writing, film and the arts. Among this year’s destinations are Oxford, Imperial College London, King’s College London, Bristol, Sheffield and Nottingham.
At St Thomas More Catholic Secondary School in Bedford, the Class of 2026 has likewise been marking the culmination of their GCSE and A Level studies. The school, which places Christ at the centre of its educational mission, provides both academic and vocational pathways through its Sixth Form, enabling students to continue developing their gifts and talents.
In Buckinghamshire, students at St Michael’s Catholic School, with campuses in Aylesbury and High Wycombe, have also received their 2026 GCSE and A Level results. The school is promoted by the Diocese of Northampton and provides Catholic education from the primary years through to Sixth Form.
In Slough, St Joseph’s Catholic High School has enjoyed a particularly significant year at A Level. Its Sixth Form achieved the highest A Level results in the school’s history, with 25% of A Level entries awarded A*–A and 48% achieving A*–B. A further 72.7% of BTEC students achieved Distinction*–Merit grades, while 48% of Extended Project Qualification grades were A*–A.
The results included the school’s first-ever Oxbridge scholars, with Cameron Fyfe achieving three As and securing a place to study Chemistry at Oxford, while Nicola Szuba achieved four As and will study Psychological and Behavioural Sciences at Cambridge.
At St Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School in Slough, students have continued the school’s strong tradition of academic achievement. The school’s latest published performance data shows exceptionally strong GCSE outcomes, including 98% of pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and mathematics and an Attainment 8 score of 77.3.
The school’s Sixth Form also has a strong record, with its most recently published A Level data showing an average grade of B and more than 40% of entries at A*–A.
The Diocese also congratulates the students of Thornton College, the independent Catholic school within the Diocese. Its 2026 Sixth Form results included a 100% pass rate for Level 3 qualifications, with 42% of grades at A*/A or equivalent and 68% at A*–B or equivalent. Seventy per cent of students achieved at least one A*/A grade, while students secured university places at institutions including Oxford Brookes, Birmingham, Warwick, Nottingham, Exeter and King’s College London.
More than examination results
While examination grades rightly provide an opportunity to celebrate academic achievement, Catholic education is about much more than examination performance.
The mission of a Catholic school is to educate the whole person, intellectually, spiritually, morally and socially, helping young people recognise their God-given gifts and use them in the service of others.
That wider vision can be seen in the destinations of this year’s students. Alongside university places, young people are progressing to apprenticeships, vocational qualifications, employment and further education, pursuing ambitions across medicine, engineering, science, law, the arts, education, technology and many other fields.
The stories behind the grades are equally important. Every result represents a young person who has faced challenges, discovered strengths, developed resilience and been supported by a community of teachers, families, friends and parish communities.
A message of congratulations
The Diocese of Northampton warmly congratulates every student at St Thomas Becket Catholic School, St Paul’s Catholic School, St Thomas More Catholic Secondary School, St Michael’s Catholic School in Aylesbury and High Wycombe, St Joseph’s Catholic High School, St Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School and Thornton College.
We also give thanks for the teachers, support staff, chaplains, governors, parents and carers whose encouragement and commitment have helped make these achievements possible.
For those celebrating outstanding grades, these results are a wonderful reward for their hard work. For those whose results were different from what they had hoped for, Results Day is not the measure of their worth or the limit of their future. There are many pathways ahead, and Catholic education seeks to remind every young person that their dignity and potential extend far beyond a set of examination grades.
As the Class of 2026 begins the next chapter of its journey, we pray that each young person will continue to grow in confidence, wisdom and faith, using the gifts God has given them to make a positive difference in the world.
Congratulations to the Class of 2026 and thank you to everyone who has helped them to flourish.
