GCSE Success and Celebrations after Several Years of Covid Disruption
Even the heavy downpours this morning could not dampen the spirits of the CFS Year 11s receiving their fantastic much earned GCSE Grades. Smiles, hugs and tears of joy were aplenty, with the pupils, teachers and school leaders celebrating another year of strong results.
Whilst pupils conducted rigorous assessments in the last two years, this is the first year group to have undertaken external examinations since before the pandemic. Not that their journey has been remotely normal either – since Year 8 pupils have experienced two prolonged lockdowns, several isolation periods and even this year, in Year 11, many weeks of staff and pupil Covid absences. Principal, Mrs New, said this morning, ‘The resilience of young people never ceases to amaze me. I am so proud in particular of this year group who, despite everything that has been thrown at them with many parts of the wider world often feeling in chaos around them, have kept their heads down, kept smiling and ploughed on with determination, patience, good humour and – perhaps most importantly – kindness. And today is just one way we can see and truly celebrate their achievements, with a set of fantastic results including so many outstanding individual achievements. Congratulations to them all, and I wish all of them every happiness as they move onto pastures new. This year sees the first results from pupils who were also part of our Primary school, and they leave behind them a lasting legacy.’
Provisional figures already show that nearly a third of pupils achieved the top grades of 7 or above in English. Over a third of the year group opted to take Triple Science this year, receiving individual GCSEs in Biology, Chemistry and Physics, with the majority achieving at least a Grade 5 and over a third the very top grades. Pupils across the year group also made strong progress in Mathematics, with fantastic achievements also in Computer Science, Dance, Food and Nutrition and many other areas.
But today was about the individual pupil results and, as Mrs Tulley (Head of Year 11) said, ‘So many of them have smashed it out the park. With high attainment, greater than targeted results, and countless individual successes with some pupils pushing against such adversity this year and never letting it stop them. I am so proud of every single one of them.’
Particular successes include Abi Satchelli who was awarded three Grade 9s, four Grade 8s and three Grade 7s, and Rose Downey who achieved one Grade 9, five Grade 8s and four Grade 7s. Tabi Belcher, Toby Mole, Ryna Valecke and Luke McCrone all achieved a full suite of Grade 6s and above including many at the highest grade and Evangeline Cotterill achieved six of the top GCSE Grades. CFS were also celebrating today pupils who have made exceptional progress since the start of Year 7, including Alec Beaumont, Thomas Cooter, Rory Johnson-Light, Benjamin Riall, Elliot Smith and Katy Thomas. Congratulations to them all.
