Over the years that I have been in education there have been numerous suggestions abut the nature and structure of 16+ qualifications. We have had GCSEs since September 1986, and they remain a credible academic challenge for our 16-year-old students who take around about ten academic subjects in a single sitting. Achieving high grades at this level is not easy, and all of our GCSE students deserve congratulations on all that has been achieved, with a pass rate at grades 9 and 8 of 39% they have shown themselves to be worthy of the challenge.
In many schools the year groups remain relatively static, those who join in Year 7 take GCSEs in Year 11, our population is more mobile and particular congratulations should go to the seven students who joined us in Year 11 and prepared for public exams in one year.
Two of our students achieved the distinction of “clean sweeps” achieving grade 9s in all of the subjects that they took. Similar congratulations to the eleven pupils who will become 6th Form Scholars having achieved 8 or more GCSE at grades 7-9. With a grade 9-6 pass rate of 76% the majority of grades achieved were within the old A*-B range and reflect the hard work and dedication of these pupils. All of our students can feel proud of what they have achieved.
Having endured a long summer of waiting for their results our students have every right to feel proud of all that they have achieved. We are looking forward to working with those who are progressing into our 6th Form and wish those who leave every success as they move to new schools around the world. They have shown themselves to be capable of achieving at a high level and we look forward to witnessing their continued development and success.
Nicholas Hammond
Headmaster
