Sam Meston is celebrating the news he achieved A* grades in German and Philosophy and an A grade in Biology which means he is heading to Cambridge in September to begin a Chinese Studies course at St John’s College. 

Sam said: “I was so nervous for today. With the unpredictability of no exams, there has been a real sense of limbo over the past few months. It got to the point where I just wanted to know either way so I could finally have a sense of certainty, but I’m thrilled with the results. 

“I’ve always been interested in other cultures, but it has become a bit of an obsession over the last couple of years. I was lucky enough to spend time in China in the 2019 summer holidays with a couple of my friends who are international students at Dame Allan’s. 

“China is such an influential country with a wealth of things to learn across history, culture and politics – not to mention the language! I’ve got a basic understanding of Mandarin, but it’s so different to English and other European languages. Luckily, it is a substantial part of the course so I’m looking forward to building my skills.”