St Leonards Pupils Celebrate Excellent BTEC and IB Career-related Programme Results

Graduating pupils at St Leonards School are celebrating another outstanding set of results in the International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP). This year’s cohort secured a remarkable average of 145 UCAS tariff points, outperforming traditional academic pathways and equating to AAA at A Level.

Demonstrating the global reach and versatility of the IBCP, the graduating class have secured places at higher education institutions across Scotland, the wider UK, and internationally. Destinations for this year’s leavers include prestigious institutions such as the University of Stirling, Jacksonville State University, and the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, among others.

Leading the academic performance this year was Martin Shone, who earned the top score in the year group with an extraordinary 186 UCAS tariff points, outperforming the A-level equivalent points score for A*A*A*. As part of the core programme, Martin produced a standout Reflective Project investigating the ethics of sporting organisations promoting brands with questionable reputations. Martin will now go on to study at the University of Minnesota this autumn, having been signed on a scholarship to their NCAA Division 1 golf programme.

Chris Meighen, Head of Sixth Form, said of the BTEC and IBCP success:

“Our CP programme continues to go from strength to strength with more and more students seeing the benefits this IB programme delivers for their future aspirations. The results speak for themselves but the real celebrations are in the individual success stories, whether it is those students that have signed top golf scholarships in the US, those that are going on to one of the leading UK theatre schools off the back of their curated portfolios whilst at St Leonards or those that have ignited a passion for Business and Marketing, just one of the aspects of the CP, and are now going on to study this at university. ”

Head of St Leonards, Simon Brian, added:

“I am so pleased for this group of young people. Behind these results are individual stories of hard work, growing confidence and pupils discovering what they are really good at, what excites them and where they want to go next. That is what I particularly value about the Career-related Programme. It gives young people the opportunity to combine strong academic study with their own talents and ambitions, whether that is golf, business, the performing arts or something else entirely. We are seeing pupils leave St Leonards for universities, specialist institutions and golf programmes in the UK and overseas, following pathways that are genuinely their own. I am immensely proud of what they have achieved, and even more excited about what comes next for them.”

The IB Career-related Programme at St Leonards blends practical, career-focused learning, anchored by the BTEC in Business, with the academic depth of two or three IB Diploma courses. Coupled with a core framework focusing on service learning, language development, and real-world skills, the pathway equips students with the versatility needed for higher education and future industry careers.

As St Leonards prepares to welcome its 2026/2028 IBCP cohort, these latest results reinforce the programme's success in nurturing ambitious, well-rounded global citizens.