Pupils And Schools Alike Pleased With GCSE Exam Results

Published on: 21 Aug, 2020
Updated on: 21 Aug, 2020

Pupils at Guildford senior schools have been celebrating their GCSE results following the unprecedented upheavals of school closures and exam cancellations this year, not forgetting the government’s woeful handling of the exams grade allocation process.

Kings College in Park Barn reports the hard work of pupils and support from their teachers has paid off receiving grades that reflect the effort they put in over the course of their time in education, as judged by their teachers.

Louise and Lydia at Kings College get their GCSE results.

The school says staff worked extremely hard to make sure the grading for every student was fair, with a rigorous internal moderation of centre-assessed grades.

Kings pupils who did particularly well include head boy Callum Irvine, who achieved an impressive four grade 9s. Ziv Magbanua, who joined Kings at the start of Year 10, achieved two grade 9s and all other grades above 7. Amy Inman achieved two grade 9s. All three will be going to Godalming College to student A-levels.

Head girl Poppy Czajka achieved an impressive suite of GCSEs and now moves on to The College of Richard Collyer in Horsham.

Josh and Callum from Kings College read their GCSE grades.

The principal of Kings College, Alastair McKenzie, said: “I am immensely proud of our school community today. The positive trajectory of Kings is a victory for individual hard work and commitment – by students and staff – but it also about relationships.

“So many students have significantly over-achieved because of their appetite for learning and the academic nurturing from the teachers they trust and have inspired them.

“This year has obviously been exceptionally difficult for everyone and I am so delighted our students have got the outcomes they deserve.”

Anna from Kings College is pleased with her GCSE results.

Pupils at George Abbot School in Burpham have also faced months away from school, and their hard work in the run-up to lockdown has paid dividends.

Pupils who did particularly well include Amrit Sahu who achieved an impressive 12 Grade 9s. Harriet Twigger-Ross, who achieved 11 Grade 9s. Connor Acres, James Robinson, Martin Rumler and Elizabeth Friend-Smith who all achieved 10 Grade 9s. Luca Elliott and Emily Sims who both secured eight Grade 9s and four Grade 8s.

Pupils at George Abbot School celebrate their GCSE results.

The headteacher at George Abbot School, Kate Carriett, said: “Our students and staff have shown remarkable resilience in extraordinary circumstances. I am delighted that the centre-assessed grades have now been awarded to students and that they have been rewarded with the grades they deserve.

“I look forward to welcoming a very large number of our students back to our sixth form where they will continue to make exceptional progress; to those moving on to pastures new, we wish them luck, happiness and success in their onward journeys.”

Guildford County School in Farnahm Road highlights a number of pupils who have all achieved outstanding individual results: Ada Kirczenow, Emma Robertson, Ella Brooks, Bethany Muir and James Tidbury.

The school is also tremendously proud of Nicolas Gruter, Marina Warchus, Chloe Carmichael Parsons, Kit Kethero and Demi Kun who, the school reports, topped the value-added charts, achieving well above their individual target grades.

The school thanks its exams teams for making sure on Thursday morning (August 20), when pupils attended to receive their results, everything ran smoothly; and also to the many other staff who attended to help with the distribution of results.

In light of this year’s exam grading process, the school said: “We must not allow this to distract us all from celebrating the hard work of our students over the last five years.

“Indeed, we cannot allow our students to be defined by this most unusual of times.  These students did not get the chance to have their prom, so it is important that they see today as the chance to move on to the next stage in their education with the sense of achievement and recognition that they all so rightly deserve.

“We are delighted that for so many of these students the next stage is here with us in the sixth form – where we are still accepting applications from external students for a place on our courses from September.

The head of Guildford County School, Steve Smith, added: The uncertainty over the grade allocation process has been unfair to our Year 11 and 13 students, but I am glad that the right decision has been made and that teacher judgements are now seen as the trusted means by which to allocate grades to students.”

Story based on press releases issued by the three schools featured.