17th January 25
On Saturday 7th December 2024, 90 Year 12, 13 and 14 students of the Academic English Department, all with varying levels of English, took their first external and official exam of the academic year, the IELTS exam, the English language qualification required for entry to university. Given the change in format of the exam, moving from paper-based to computer-delivered, there was much trepidation among the students, which proved to be totally unfounded.
Our students demonstrated a positive work ethic and an abundance of resilience throughout the first term – and were duly rewarded for their efforts.
The IELTS results, once again, have surpassed our expectations, with 66% of our students achieving an impressive band 6.0 or above, well before the end of the academic year. A number of students far exceeded the band score usually requested by universities, with scores of bands 7.5, 8.0 and 9.0, the latter score equating to native speaker level. There has been a sea of delighted faces in the Academic English Department, and that includes the teachers! A number of our Year 13 and 14 students have met university entry requirements, and those who have just missed them have a second opportunity to take the IELTS exam in May, here at DLD, a British Council approved IELTS exam centre since 2018.
Christalla Mavroudis-Head of Academic English