Another great year for GCSE results

THOUSANDS of pupils from high schools across Warrington received their GCSE results today.
There was plenty of excitement as youngsters arrived at their schools to pick up the keenly anticipated results.
All schools reported that pupils – and staff – had responded well to the challenges of the new GCSE.
Birchwood High School head Moira Bryan praised pupils for “an excellent set of results” reflecting the hard work and dedication of the young people, their parents and the staff.
She said there was a “fantastic atmosphere” at the school and pupils arrived to collect their results.
The school continued to improve, with an eight per cent increase in the number of pupils achieving the key government measure of English and Maths at grade 9 to 4 (old grades A* to C).
There was a 10 per cent increase in those achieving at least two grade 4s (old grade Cs) or above in science this year.
In the English department three quarters of all pupils achieving grade 9 to 4 (old grades A* to C).
An impressive 45 per cent of triple science pupils achieved a grade 7 (grade A in previous years) or above in GCSE Chemistry, with special mention to Sean Morris and Oliver Chi who both achieved grade 9s in all three sciences.
Ninety per cent of BTEC Health and Social care pupils achieved a pass or above in these subjects. In Health and Social Care, 64 per cent of pupils achieved a Merit or above. In GCSE Drama 84 per cent achieved a grade 4 (old grade C) or above.
There were many outstanding individual performances.
Viktoria Mudra achieved three grade 8s, four grade 7s, one grade 6 and one grade 5 as well as a grade B.
Sean Morris achieved five grade 9s, four grade 8s and a grade 7.
Jake Challinor got four grade 8s, two As and three grade 7s.
James Reeves obtained one grade 9, three grade 8s and three grade 7s.
Hannah Van Den Branden shone with three grade 9s, two grade 8s and two grade 7s.
Sandra Szulc achieved two grade 9s, one A* two grade 8s and three grade 7s Katie Bowater got one grade 9, five grade 8s and three grade 7s.
Also gaining an excellent number of top grades were Erin Donelan, Suzannah Forster, Thomas Maudsley and Oliver Chi.

Lymm High School reported another impressive set of GCSE results, following last week’s excellent A’ level results.
At least 81 per cent of students have met the government’s ‘basics’ measure of 9-4 grades in both Maths and English.
At the top end, a very impressive 27 per cent of students gained at least five 9-7 grades (equivalent to the old A*-A grades) with at least 45 students gaining 9-7 grades in eight or more subjects.
Twelve students gained the very top grades of 8 or 9 in at least eight subjects. They were: Imogen Walsh, Jade Carlin, Amy Wright, Cameron Green, Lewis Hindle, Ella Hoskinson, Amber Heckstall-Smith, Tom Davenport, Jada Moses, Jordan Jones, Marcus Mackay and Finlay Williams.
The school also performed very well again in terms of the numbers of students gaining a “strong pass” (i.e. grades 9-5) in English and Maths, with over 61% of students meeting this benchmark.
Headteacher Gwyn Williams, said: ““We’re really pleased. Last year saw record-breaking results for the school and it looks as if we are on track to broadly match those.
“I cannot speak highly enough of the staff and students for the way in which they have tackled all the challenges thrown up by the new GCSE specifications; they fully deserve this success and I congratulate them all.”

Sir Thomas Boteler CE High School had their best set of GCSE results ever.
Head teacher Beverley Scott Herron said: “We are so proud of all our Year 11 students and these achievements have been through commitment, hard work and dedication to everything we believe in our school.
“We have dramatically improved in terms of progress and had particular success with students achieving the higher grades (7, 8 and 9). The vast majority of subjects have improved significantly. We have especially good results in the following subjects at standard pass: Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Music, 100 per cent, French 93 per cent, Drama 85 per cent, Art 78 per cent, RE 75 per cent, English 73 per cent.
“We have had many outstanding individual performances this year in both attainment and progress, which is just phenomenal.
“ One of our students who has performed exceptionally well is Damien Dooley who is one of 200 students in the whole country to have achieved a 9 (A** equivalent) in every single subject (and he took 10).”
Other students who have outstanding results are: Francesca Taylor, Dylan Houghton, George White, Olivia Baker, Matthew Dimeloe, and Millie Davenport.
Mrs Scott Herron added: “I could not be more proud of our Class of 2018, as they have exceeded all expectations in both their academic achievement and in their personal conduct and professional outlook.
“We have had to work so hard to improve expectations, aspirations and standards from where we were in September 2014, our driver being improving the life chances of all our students. Sustainable improvement takes time and this is very evident in our results. The immeasurable progress that has been observed by so many external visitors to our school is now there for all to see and importantly is now visible in our GCSE results.