Two Ukrainian refugees have achieved top grades at A level after fleeing the war last year and taking up a free place at Brighton College.
After leaving their homes, Vlad Pokoievych and Vlad Minenko eventually found a place in England among the 23 boys and girls given free places at the independent school.
Vlad Pokoievych now has a place at Bath University to study business, with four A levels, graded A*, A, B and C.
Vlad Minenko has a place at Manchester University to study mechanical engineering, with three A levels, graded A*, A and B.
The pair’s top grades were among 339 A* results this year – the most common grade achieved by students at Brighton College – and a new record.
The school said that 69 sixth formers earned three A* grades, 25 earned four A* grades and five earned five A* grades.
The top performer was Mike Nekrasov with seven A* grades who is expected to take up a place at Oxford University to study maths and computer science.
Overall, the school said, the proportion of A*, A and B grades was almost identical to the proportion in 2019.
Stan Norman was among those awarded five A* grades. He is a keen cricketer, who represents Jersey, and is due to study natural sciences at Cambridge University.
Others with five A*s were Thomas Penner, Ben Becarevic, Andy Tam and Tommy Zhang.
Many students are taking up places at leading universities to study science, medicine and engineering, the school said, while others are following different dreams.
Ben Moon achieved three A* grades and plans to study musical theatre at the prestigious Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.
Alex Reeves-Bonoldi, who joined Brighton College on its “Opening Doors” scholarship is due to go to Cambridge to read history and Spanish, with four A*s to his name.
Hermione Boyle, with four A*s and an A, has a place at Cambridge to read medicine, and the head of school, Sarah Keast-Butler, earned three A*s and an A and has a place at Cambridge to read geography.
Cambridge remains the single most common university destination over the past five years for Brighton College pupils.
There has also been a significant increase in the number of students heading to American universities, including Sam Patterson, who earned four A*s and has a place to study at Duke University.
The head master, Richard Cairns, said: “I am so proud of our sixth form leavers.
“This was one of the most diverse year groups we have ever had, containing as it did many pupils on our Opening Doors scholarship programme as well as several of the 23 Ukrainian refugees who joined us on similar scholarships.
“Aside from this, it also includes pupils with such diverse interests – from those aiming to become professional sportsmen and sportswomen in the footsteps of Marcus Smith (who represents England in the World Cup next month) to artists, engineers, dancers, musicians, historians and computer scientists.
“I am delighted for all of them. They have had a tough five years through the pandemic and deserve every congratulation.”
