Oxford-Bound Joshua Celebrates A-Level Success After Mastering University-Level Maths
Posted: 13th August 2026
Cardiff Sixth Form College student Joshua Lavelle is celebrating his A-Level results today after achieving a full suite of A*s in Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry and securing his place to study Mathematics at St John’s College, Oxford.
Joshua, who joined Cardiff Sixth Form College on a scholarship has distinguished himself as one of the College’s most accomplished mathematicians, pursuing university-level mathematics years ahead of schedule.
Throughout his time at Cardiff Sixth Form College, Joshua immersed himself in advanced mathematics beyond the standard curriculum, attending specialist STEP classes designed to prepare students for the demanding entrance examinations traditionally used by the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
Under the guidance of STEP Maths Teacher, Huw Kilner, Joshua progressed rapidly through the material.
“I attended both the AS and A2 STEP classes in my first year and eventually we ran out of pure mathematics material to cover,” said Joshua. “From there we moved on to university-level mathematics, which has been incredibly useful preparation for Oxford.”
His studies advanced to topics rarely encountered before the later years of an undergraduate degree, including the Dirichlet’s Theorem in number theory.
“We were studying mathematics that is typically taught in the third or fourth year of university,” he explained. “Those classes had a huge impact on me and showed me just how deep and fascinating mathematics can be.”
Joshua’s passion for the subject also led him to become President of Cardiff Sixth Form College’s student-led Maths Society, where students explored mathematical ideas beyond the classroom and participated in a wide range of national and international competitions.
Under his leadership, more than 50 students took part in competitions including the UK Senior Maths Challenge, British Mathematical Olympiad, Rightangle Team Competition and the Berkeley Mathematics Tournament
