Taunton School - Senior

At the start of August, Year 11 student Benji performed in the 'Fox King World Tour' dance show at the McMillan Theatre, Bridgwater. 🕺

Benji performed four full dance routines:
🩰 A Ballet inspired by the paintings of Degas
🚶 A Modern to a version of The Proclaimers '500 Miles'
🇹🇭 A Tap routine to 'One Night in Bangkok'
🌍 A Lyrical to 'Wonderful World'

As well as two cameo roles: 'The Pilot' in the opening 'Jet Set' number, before becoming the larger than life character of Harold Zidler in the Moulin Rouge number, to introduce the 'Can Can'!

Well done, Benji. 👏

At Taunton School, we are proud to be one of very few schools in the UK running multiple academic pathways. In a vibrant and diverse Sixth Form of 260, every student can find their route to success.

Following last week's A-Level and BTEC results, and IB Diploma results in July, we are delighted to announce our combined headline statistics for all three qualifications.

🎓 A-Level, BTEC and IB: 42% A*-A and 68% A*-B
🎓 A-Level and IB: 39% A*-A and 69% A*-B

We celebrate the results achieved by all students but also look each year at the achievements of our top 100 performers:

🎓 Top 100 A-Level, BTEC and IB: 50% A*-A and 79% A*-B
🎓 Top 100 A-Level and IB: 43% A*-A and 75% A*-B

Congratulations to all of our 2026 leavers on their efforts. We wish them the very best for their next steps!

A huge congratulations to our incredible Sixth Form students on another year of excellent A-Level, BTEC and IB results. 🌟

61% of A-Level results have been graded A*-B, while 34% are either A* or A. 60% of BTEC results are Distinction or Distinction*. Combined with the International Baccalaureate (IB) results from earlier in the summer, 42% of the School’s Year 13 results are A*-A or equivalent with 68% being A*-B.

Among this year's standout performers is Rohan, who achieved an incredible four A*s in Chemistry, Maths, Further Maths and Physics and is heading to the University of Bristol to study Aerospace Engineering.

Other exceptional achievers include Mia, who earned three A*s and will study Accounting and Finance at the University of Edinburgh; Ben, who achieved three A*s and an A while representing England in hockey and will go on to study Mechanical Engineering at Durham University; and Tilly, whose outstanding results have secured her place at the University of Oxford to study History.

We're equally proud of our top BTEC and IB achievers. Oscar, Ben and Dora each achieved D*D*D* in BTEC Sport & Exercise Science, Freddie achieved D*D* in BTEC Business alongside an A in A-Level Economics, and Paul was our highest-scoring IB student with an impressive 42 points.

We couldn't be prouder of all our students and can't wait to see what the future holds for them! 🎉

Read more here: https://shorturl.at/drGMB

We are very excited to introduce the newest member of the Taunton School community: Chandler the aspiring Guide Dog! 🐶

Chandler is a five-month-old yellow Labrador-cross-Retriever belonging to Head of Biology Miss Wedgwood and Chemistry teacher Dr Snell. From September he will regularly come to school to spend time with our students before he heads off to Guide Dog school when he is around 12-14 months old where he will learn how to support people with visual impairments.

Guide Dogs UK trains roughly 850 dogs every year which go on to be a lifeline for blind and partially sighted people. We are very proud to be playing a small part in this and we can’t wait to follow Chandler’s progress!

Student Matilda recently spent a week touring schools across Norfolk with the National Youth Orchestra, as part of a project designed to inspire young people to engage with orchestral music. 🎻

Performing in a variety of schools, the orchestra delivered an exciting programme featuring everything from Hedwig's Theme from Harry Potter to a mashup of Olivia Dean's The Man I Need and RAYE's Where Is My Husband?

Matilda said: “The atmosphere while we were playing was amazing, and sharing those moments with the orchestra and the audiences made the week so memorable. It was a brilliant experience, and I'm grateful to have been part of a project that brought live music to so many young people.” ✨

We are delighted to celebrate an outstanding achievement by two of our Year 9 long-distance swimmers, Susy and Izzy, who have successfully completed a relay swim across the Bristol Channel! 🏊👏

Covering the route set down by the Channel King, Kevin Murphy, from Glenthorne, Devon, to Porthcawl, Wales alongside Head of Long-Distance Swimming, Mr McCarthy, in just 10 hours and 4 minutes, the team recorded one of the fastest relay crossings known to have been achieved.

At just 14 years old, Susy and Izzy are also among some of the youngest swimmers to have completed a Bristol Channel crossing and are also believed to be perhaps the youngest holders of two of the three original UK Triple Crown Relay crossings having conquered the English Channel last year. The North Channel awaits when they are 16, the minimum age permissible.

This is an incredible achievement in one of the UK's most challenging stretches of open water and the second highest tidal range in the world, all in support of The Big Swim campaign raising awareness of sewage pollution in our seas.

Congratulations, Susy and Izzy! 🙌

Read about what’s next with The Big Swim here 👉 https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xgFPS0

You can also support the initiative on the team’s JustGiving page 👉 https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xgFSP0

A huge congratulations to our Prep and Senior students on their outstanding LAMDA & Vanguard examination results! 🎭🌟

The prestigious LAMDA qualifications in Acting, Devising and Poetry are a significant achievement, with Grades 4 and 5 equivalent to GCSE level and Grades 6, 7 and 8 comparable to AS and A-Level. This year, 58% of our LAMDA candidates were from the Prep School, making their success even more impressive.

For students with a passion for poetry and the spoken word, the Vanguard examinations provide an excellent opportunity to develop and showcase creativity, confidence and communication skills. We are delighted that 100% of our candidates achieved a Merit or higher, 90% were awarded a Distinction, and 30% achieved Honours (90+/100).

We are incredibly proud of every student for their hard work, dedication and success. These fantastic results are a wonderful reflection of their talent and commitment. 👏🎉

Read more at https://courier.tauntonschool.co.uk/junior/junior-july-2026/excellent-lamda-results-for-prep-senior-2/

It has been another fantastic cricket season this year, with many exceptional achievements made! 🏏

The year started off strong with OT Kian Roberts becoming our first professional cricket player with Somerset County Cricket Club since OT Tom Abell who has been a mainstay in the squad for a number of years.

The cricket provision has continued to grow, with 48 players involved in county pathway programmes, seven players selected for the Somerset Academy Programme, and increased opportunities for both boys and girls through specialist coaching and development pathways.

A huge well done to Oscar C who captained the Somerset County 2nd XI this season, playing alongside four other students who gave brilliant performances.

Team achievements included:

🏆 U15 Girls – County Indoor Finalists
🏆 U14 Boys – County Cup Finalists
🏆 U15 Boys – County Cup Semi-Finalists
🏆 U18 Boys – Regional Finalists & Last 16 Nationally
🏆 U18 Girls – Regional Finalists & Last 8 Nationally

There were also plenty of standout individual performances, including four centuries, 12 half-centuries, a hat-trick, and multiple five and six-wicket hauls.

Continued investment in facilities, including a new bowling machine and scoreboard on The Front, expanded community partnerships with local schools and clubs, and the appointment of a dedicated female coach have further strengthened our thriving cricket programme.

And of course, the season wouldn't be complete without the annual Parents v Pupils Cricket Afternoon, which delivered plenty of sunshine, competition and laughter for all involved!

A huge well done and thank you to everyone who helped make this another successful season for our student cricketers. 👏

We are delighted to celebrate the achievements of our Year 12 students in both the Cambridge Economics Challenge and the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge this year! 📈🧪

In the inaugural Cambridge Economics Challenge, 13 students took on a demanding 75-minute exam featuring 50 degree-level and highly technical questions.

Seven students achieved national awards, including Nathan A who received the prestigious Rose Ryal Award – the highest available and presented to just 14 of more than 1,900 entrants nationwide. As a result of his exceptional performance, Nathan has been invited to attend a four-day residential camp at St Catharine’s College and the Faculty of Economics at the University of Cambridge this September.

Also recognised were:
🌟 Crown Award: Amarra B, Alex H
🌟 Mint Award: Alice B, Heryck G, Carl S, Sofia P

Meanwhile, 16 students entered the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge, tackling a 90-minute examination designed to test knowledge and problem-solving beyond A-Level and IB syllabuses.

An impressive 12 students earned awards:
🥇 Gold Award (top 10% nationally): Thomas D, Alan X
🥈 Silver Award (top 30% nationally): Ralph D, Atul G
🥉 Copper Award: Toby C, Hartley C, Olivia D, Nicolas DT, Kate H, Anzor M, Will M and Austin W

Congratulations to all of our students for these exceptional achievements in two highly competitive national challenges. 👏