Gresham’s is celebrating another year of successful exam results, with its highest-ever GCSE pass rate and 98% of Sixth Form pupils securing places at either their firm or insurance university choice.

These results highlight Gresham’s as a school that combines academic excellence with creativity, innovation and a forward-looking approach to education.

Record-breaking GCSE results

This year, an outstanding 97% of all GCSE entries were graded 9-4, significantly above the national pass rate of 67%. At the highest grades, 49% of all entries were awarded grades 7-9, more than double the national figure of 22%. An impressive 31.2% of results were graded at A*/9/8, and more strikingly, pupils achieved those top grades in every single GCSE subject on offer at Gresham’s.

Across the year group, 56 pupils achieved at least one coveted Grade 9, and eleven pupils accomplished a remarkable clean sweep of grades 9-7 across all their GCSE subjects.

In an exciting story of individual pupil success, leading UK awarding body, Cambridge OCR, acknowledged one Year 11 as one of the top performers in GCSE Art and Design: Three-Dimensional Design, making them one of the top-performing pupils in the country. These outstanding stats and achievements are representative of an exceptionally high standard of work and mark the distinguished level of accomplishment across the cohort.

Among the UK’s Top 20 for the IB Diploma

Gresham’s is the only school in Norfolk to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme, and following their 2026 results, continues to be in the Top 20 schools in the UK for highest IB average point score. With an average of 35.2 in 2026, 60% of examinations were awarded a Level 6 or 7 (equivalent to an A or A* at A level) and 63% achieved 35 points or above (equivalent to A*A*A at A level). 

A level and BTEC builds on a strong record

At A level, 42% of all grades were awarded at A* or A, compared with a national average of 28.5%, while an impressive 89% of grades were awarded at A* to C. The school continues to be a leader in art-based subjects, with 100% of pupils achieving an A* or A in 3D Design, Art and Graphics.

These results come shortly after Gresham’s was awarded a significant strength for its creative arts curriculum by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI). Achieving a significant strength is a rare outcome under the current inspection framework and reflects the consistently high standards and quality of provision it delivers.

This year, pupils studying BTEC qualifications achieved the best results since the BTEC National Diploma was introduced at Gresham’s. The programme has continued to grow, with subjects now spanning Agriculture, Performing Arts, Digital Music Production and Sport. An impressive 65% of pupils achieved Distinction-level results, marking a particularly strong year for Gresham’s BTEC provision.

Bright futures and exciting destinations

With such outstanding outcomes from 2026 leavers, it’s no surprise that universities have once again been quick to welcome Gresham’s pupils, with 98% securing places at either their firm or insurance choice.

Members of the Class of 2026 will now embark on the next stage of their journeys at universities across the UK and around the world, including Bath, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Coventry, Derby, Durham, Edinburgh, Exeter, King’s College London, Leeds, Loughborough, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford Brookes, Royal Holloway, Sheffield, Southampton, St Andrews, UCL, UEA, Warwick, York and Munich.

Alongside university destinations, pupils have secured places at prestigious specialist institutions including the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Royal Academy of Music, Royal Scottish Conservatoire, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Harper Adams University, and two will head to Norland University, the world’s first university dedicated to early childhood; while others have chosen to pursue degree apprenticeships and professional career pathways.