Freya shares her amazing A Level results and the opportunities that lay ahead

How did you feel after receiving your results? 

I felt very relieved to achieve an A* in Business and an A in Geography and Psychology because I knew that all the work I’d put in over the last two years was worth it.  

I also felt really proud of myself, particularly about getting an A in Geography as my Geography had been a bit touch and go and I had to put a lot of extra work in to ensure that I got the A. 

How challenging has it been for your final year at Tudor? 

The upper sixth year of course is a huge challenge. The workload was very intense and felt a bit overwhelming at times, as well as, of course, the stress of university applications and decisions. 

However, despite all the challenges that come with the upper sixth year I still found that I was able to find a good balance between my work and my co-curricular activities and spending time with friends. Therefore, upper sixth surprisingly has actually been one of my favourite years at Tudor. 

Tell us about the support you received both from staff and your fellow students. 

The support provided at Tudor is outstanding and one of the main reasons, I believe, sets it apart from other schools. The support is offered from all avenues meaning that you never feel short of it.  

From the academic staff for example, subject teachers go above and beyond to help you. Often giving up their spare time to provide one on one sessions if you need anything specific explained in more detail or to help with skills like exam technique.  

The house staff are also absolutely brilliant at looking out for people and noticing when you might be feeling a bit down. They always make sure to check in and ensure that we are aware they’re always available for a chat.  

Finally, the support from fellow students is a massive part of Tudor life, particularly during the upper sixth exam period. We all looked out for each other whether that be through group study sessions in the common room, letting frustrations out on the tennis court or leaving good luck notes in dorms before heading into an exam. 

What's next for you? 

I plan to take a gap year, during which I am going to do some nannying and hopefully get some work experience to help me decide on what I might want to do in the future. As well as this my intention is to travel to Australia and Bali and I have applied to work at a summer camp in America as a camp counsellor, which I am very excited about.  

I have a place at Newcastle University to study Psychology in 2023 however, I have now decided to change to a combined course of business and journalism, media and culture instead. I also have a place at the oxford media and business school for 2023, so I am deciding between the two options currently. 

What will you miss most about being at school? 

I will greatly miss the strong sense of community that the Tudor environment provides, from day-to-day school life to walking around the site knowing you are always going to be greeted by smiles from all members of staff. To the friends for life that I have made but of course, inevitably will not see every day anymore.  

In one sentence, describe what you got most out of a Tudor Hall education. 

Confidence in my abilities, determination and a sound foundation to achieve whatever I set out to do in the future. 

Do you have any advice for girls who are about to enter Sixth Form in September? 

Take all the opportunities you can in the Lower Sixth, from travel, volunteering and leadership roles there is a huge expanse offered to you and you absolutely won’t regret taking them. Especially so you can be satisfied going into the Upper Sixth where you might have to slow down and focus more on the academics.  

I would also suggest that you ensure you have all your notes on Lower Sixth content prepared before you start your final year, so that when it comes to revising for your exams you don’t have to worry about making any notes you can just focus on revising and working on exam technique.