The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
GCSE students across South Holland are finally able to celebrate after months of uncertainty.
Despite the controversy surrounding this year’s exams and how grades were calculated, students received their results yesterday (Thursday) as expected.
Spalding High School saw 98 per cent of students achieving a Grade 4 or higher in English and maths, with 83 per cent achieving a Grade 5.
Headteacher Michele Anderson said: “Congratulations to our Year 11 students for everything they have achieved in this most difficult of years.
“Their results are a testament to their hard work and perseverance and they should be very proud of themselves.
“This is an excellent set of results and we are thrilled that the High School students have done so well again this year especially as it follows Ofsted’s re-designation of the School as “outstanding”.
“We are pleased that this week the Government decided to abandon the use of the standardised algorithmic Calculated Grades and instead, trust the knowledge and professionalism of teachers in awarding Centre Assessment Grades. This decision has spared thousands of Year 11 students across the country the disappointment and frustration that many Y13 students experienced last week.
“We continue to be very proud of our students’ EBacc results with 96 per cent of students entered for the qualification. 98 per cent of students achieved a Grade 4 or higher in English and Mathematics and 83 per cent achieved a Grade 5+. Year 11 have been awarded 1,499 GCSE qualifications, with 51 per cent of these at grade 9-7 the very highest grades possible nationally.
“However, it is not just about the highest grades but the progress the students have made in their time at the High School and we are delighted with the progress that everyone has made.
The High School’s top scholars who achieved an average GCSE point score greater than 8.0, are Aditi Aggarwal, Georgia Bell, Lucy Blackbourn, Jennifer Burke, Ellisha Cookson, Elesha Foord, Poppy Gill, Karen He, Haniya Khurram, Alisha Mustafa, Aqsa Nasim, Isobel Pang, Megan Seaman, Julia Topka, Georgie Van Dyke, Melissa Wales and Ella Warren.
Mrs Anderson continued: “Special mention to Georgie Van Dyke who has secured 12 GCSEs at grade 9.
“Students have had to deal with a number of challenges and uncertainties in recent months and are to be commended for their resilience, perseverance and maturity.
“The current public debate about the examination system applied this
year should not diminish the hard work and commitment of students and staff over the two years of GCSE study.
“The High School is delighted that the students have done so well in their GCSE subjects; they should be as proud of themselves as we are of them.
“Year 11 have been rewarded with grades that will stand them in good stead for the next step in their education.
” The great majority of Year 11s will be returning to the High School in September to take up A Level courses along with a large number of transferees from other schools. We are looking forward to welcoming them all. We wish all our students the very best of luck and every success in the future and will continue to support all students in securing their progression routes. We are still accepting applications to our Sixth Form for September and would urge students to get in touch.”
- Boston College English and Maths students were celebrating after receiving their well-deserved GCSE results.
After an uncertain year, where a large part of the course was taught remotely, learning from home, these results show the hard work and dedication put in by the students – and is demonstrated further by 100 per cent pass rate across both GCSE English and Maths.
The results awarded now mean that many students who did not achieve the grades at secondary school, can progress onto their next step within education or the workplace.
One of those students celebrating was, Karl Dean, of Spalding, who gained a grade 6 in Maths.
Karl said: “I never managed to complete my GCSEs at school due to personal reasons, but I decided last year to return to college as an adult learner and complete my GCSE Maths.
“It was something that I wanted to do for myself and I am really proud of the outcome. My lecturer was great, always available and added energy to our classes – even when COVID hit they were understanding and concerned for our well-being as well as progress.”
Karl is now looking in to completing his Lean Six Sigma qualifications.
