There were celebrations, hugs and more than a few emotional moments at Hulme Grammar School today as students collected a record-breaking set of A Level results and discovered where the next chapter of their lives will take them.
This year’s results are among the strongest in the School’s history, with an outstanding quarter of all grades awarded at A*, 50% at A*- A and 75% at A* – B.
Behind those statistics are individual stories of hard work, determination and ambition. They are also a reflection of something of which Hulme is particularly proud: a diverse community of young people from across Oldham and beyond, studying and succeeding alongside one another. Hulme is proud to play its part in improving social mobility across Oldham, and nowhere is that impact more powerfully seen than in the individual stories behind this year’s results.
A significant number of Hulme students are supported through bursaries, and today’s celebrations are therefore shared with the Old Hulmeian community and other benefactors whose generosity supports the Hulme Bursary Foundation. Their support enables talented and ambitious young people to access a Hulme education, regardless of their family circumstances, and can quite literally change the course of a young person’s life.
What makes the achievements of the Class of 2026 particularly special is the contribution these students have made far beyond the classroom. During their time in the Sixth Form they have represented Hulme in netball and football, performed in orchestras, choirs and large-scale musical productions, volunteered within the local community, mentored younger pupils and played an important part in the everyday life of the School.
Among this year’s highest achievers is Terence, who achieved an exceptional four A* grades and will now study Law at Trinity College, Cambridge. Pashtana, Zainab and Maruf each achieved three A* grades, with Pashtana and Zainab progressing to Medicine and Maruf to Dentistry. Hulme continues to educate the next generation of healthcare professionals, with an impressive 20% of this year’s leavers progressing to degrees in medicine and related fields.
But success at Hulme takes many forms, and students are encouraged to pursue whatever their talents, dreams and ambitions may be. Sonny will take up a place to study Music at the Royal Northern College of Music, while Lucy heads to the University of Salford to pursue her ambitions in the Performing Arts.
Hulme’s Head Students have also served the School with exceptional dedication throughout their Sixth Form years. Despite the many hours they have devoted to leadership and service, Charlie, Phoebe, Scarlett and Theo achieved an impressive six A* and six A grades between them. They now progress to a range of university courses stretching from Law to Engineering, taking with them not only outstanding academic results but the confidence, resilience and leadership skills developed beyond the classroom.
The Class of 2026 joins generations of Hulme students who have progressed to leading universities, apprenticeships and careers across an extraordinary range of fields, including Medicine, Law, Engineering, Humanities and the Performing Arts. Among the School’s best-known former pupils is physicist and broadcaster Professor Brian Cox, whose journey from Oldham to an international career in science is a reminder of just how far an education can take a young person.
And Hulme is already looking forward to welcoming the next generation.
Although places in the Sixth Form are limited, the School remains committed to giving ambitious young people from Oldham and the surrounding area the opportunity to fulfil their potential. Following GCSE results, Hulme will therefore hold a Sixth Form Clearing Day on Thursday 20 August from 1.00pm until 3.00pm, when Year 11 students and their families can call the Sixth Form Clearing Hotline on 0161 624 4497 or visit the School in person to discuss subject choices and find out whether a place may be available for September.
Principal Kirsten Pankhurst said:
“I couldn’t be more proud of these remarkable young adults of the Class of 2026. For the past two years they have applied themselves with enormous determination academically, but they have also given so much to Hulme – through sport, music, drama, leadership, volunteering and simply through the way they have supported one another and our younger pupils.
“Results Day is about grades, of course, but it is also about seeing doors open. Today our students leave us for universities and careers across the country, ready for whatever comes next. They are talented, thoughtful and ambitious young people, and I cannot wait to see what they do with the opportunities they have created for themselves.”
For more information about entry to Hulme Grammar School for September 2026, or to arrange a personal visit, please contact Amy Coulman on 0161 624 4497 or visit www.hulmegrammar.org.
Listen back to our exclusive radio interviews kindly hosted by Oldham Radio live from school.
