"When I told my mum, she was as shocked as I was," he said. "I feel like the general consensus is that everyone got lower than they thought they would.
"People are telling me they either just made it or they are disappointed," said Limatola, who is now heading to the University of Nottingham to study physics instead of his first choice, the University of Edinburgh.
Richard Challoner, a boys' Catholic state school in New Malden, Surrey, closely matched the national average of 23% for state schools in the proportion of students achieving A*-A in 2019. The school bucked the trend this year, having 28.1% of entrants achieving A*-A.
Having felt disappointed at first, Limatola said he was now focused on his new, unexpected journey. "I now need to look for accommodation - I will see how it goes, I did not prepare for my insurance. I'm going to have lunch with my mum and then celebrate later, I need it!"
Denne historien er fra August 18, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian.
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Denne historien er fra August 18, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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