Students across the area are collecting their GCSE results today (Thursday August 20).
At Axe Valley Academy head teacher Laura Jenkins congratulated all her students on their results.
She said: “I could not be prouder of every single one of them.
“Their hard work and dedication to their studies means that they have today been awarded the grades that they deserve.
“They are here today collecting their hard-earned examination results and I wish to pass on my congratulations to them all.
“Once again Axe Valley Academy students have shown that they are simply wonderful.
“These results are not only evidence of the hard work of students but also the exceptional guidance of our staff and the support from their parents.
“Axe Valley is a very special community that these students have shaped in a way that leaves a legacy of hard work, determination and kindness.”
At Colyton Grammar School the Centre Assessed Grades awarded to this year’s GCSE students means that they are well placed for the next phase of their education, according to school leadership.
As with A-levels, GCSE examinations were not sat due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following last week’s disruption around A-level results, the Government decided that this year’s GCSE results would be taken from the Centre Assessed Grades provided by the teachers who have taught this year’s GCSE cohort.
At Colyton Grammar School this was not taken lightly. Each student received an initial assessment from their teachers, which was then reviewed within a subject department, by peer-to-peer across the school, the head teacher Tim Harris and then the Fischer Family Trust, as a trusted third party.
Mr Harris said: “We have done everything we can to ensure that each GCSE student has received the grades they deserve – the process has been very rigorous.
“This year’s results are very good indeed and accurately reflect the abilities of the GCSE cohort.
“My congratulations go to our GCSE students, and to my colleagues who have worked so hard to ensure fairness and clarity.
“We are confident that our GCSE students are well placed to embark on the next phase of their education.”
For the majority of Colyton’s GCSE students it means staying on into the school’s sixth form. They will be joined by a number of students from other schools in the area which do not have a sixth form and who have achieved the appropriate grades to join.
Mr Harris added: “With so much uncertainty, especially after the events of last week, we wrote to all incoming sixth form students from other schools to let them know that we would accept them based on their Centre Assessed Grades – this was before this week’s announcement that those grades would be the final results in any case.
“We look forward to welcoming those students, and Colyton students who have decided to stay with us at sixth form, when the new academic year starts next month.
“If there are students from other schools out there who have the grades and who want to join a sixth form with the best reputation in the region for progression to Oxbridge, Russell Group universities and vocational courses such as medicine and law, then they can still apply by contacting us at admissions@colytongrammar.com. “
Colyton has recently invested in a complete refurbishment of the sixth form study area and introduced a dedicated sixth form café to be run by catering experts Innovate.
At The Woodroffe School, in Lyme Regis, there were some exceptional individual performances across the range of GCSE subjects, which included the hard to attain Grade 9s.
Saffron Clark gained nine grade 9s and two grade 8s; Eleanor Robson-Ellis achieved eight 9s and one 8; Sid Hancock eight grade 9s, one 8, one 7 and one 6; Grace Cawthorne seven 9s, two 8s and two 7s; Amber Aldridge seven grade 9s and three grade 8s; Ellyn Kendall six 9s and four 8s; Amy Le Bas achieved six grade 9s and four grade 8s; Louis Whittome achieved five 9s, five 8s and a 7.
Head of Year 11, Claire Petty, said: “We look forward to welcoming many of these hard working students to the Sixth Form and wish to congratulate those named above and the many more like them who put in the hard work during their time at Woodroffe to achieve an excellent set of results.
“It was pleasing to see so many top grades across all subject areas.
“Students will be leaving Woodroffe to take places at Sixth Form, college, apprenticeships and employment.
“We wish them well and are confident that they are on course to succeed in their chosen fields.”
At Holyrood Academy in Chard headteacher, Dave MacCormick said they were delighted with the Government’s decision to award students their Centre Assessment Grades or Moderated Grades, whichever were higher.
He said: “The period of uncertainty and challenge associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has required our students to show tremendous resilience and stoicism.
“I am so proud of the positive and hardworking attitude of our Year 11 and 13 students who, thanks to the support of their families and our dedicated staff, now have grades they deserve and of which they can be rightly proud.
“This was an outstanding year group who would have been exceptional had they had the opportunity to sit their exams.
“We are very proud of Year 11’s successes and I would like to thank every one of them for their contributions to our school community so far.
“We wish them the very best of luck in their next steps and look forward to seeing them for their rearranged Prom soon!”
Holyrood Academy has taken steps to ensure that all Year 11 students can register as Holyrood Sixth Form students by guaranteeing any Year 11 student a place on their A-Level, Level 3 BTEC or Yeovil College Vocational Partnership pathways.
Mr MacCormick said: “Every young person has been affected by this pandemic and we believe that they deserve and are entitled to our support going forward.
“I am proud of what Holyrood Sixth Form has to offer as it enters its 50th year and we welcome discussions with any students who would like to study with us.
“I think that our stance on A-Level results over the past week demonstrates that the students come first here and our absolute commitment is to their success.”
Any local students interested in studying at Holyrood Sixth Form should contact Felicity Challis (head of Sixth Form) at fchallis@educ.somerset.gov.uk ahead of Sixth Form enrolment on Thursday, September 3, from 1.30pm at Holyrood.
.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here