Hackney pupils pick up their GCSE results

Schools and colleges across Hackney take a break from the summer holidays today as nervy students arrive to collect their GCSE results.

For the first time, pupils will receive a mixture of letters and numbers as controversial reforms, which see English Literature, English Language and Maths graded from 9-1 rather than A*-G, kick in.

A 9 is the equivalent of an A*, and a 1 is effectively a G, but the keen-eyed among you may notice that there are too many numbers for each to have a matching letter.

What that means is an 8 is an A*/A, a 5 is a B/C, a 3 is a D/E and a 2 is an E/F.

For students to pass a GCSE, they will need a 4, which is the equivalent of a C grade.

The numerical system, brought in under former Education Secretary Michael Gove, is to be rolled out in full over the next three years, with ministers hoping it will create a greater distinction between students.

The reforms also introduced tougher exams in English Literature and Maths, with the latter now including material previously only taught at A-level.

Teachers across the UK have complained about a lack of textbooks and mock exam papers covering the new material.

Amid the confusion, the pass rate – the number of students receiving a C/4 or higher – across England, Wales and Northern Ireland has fallen slightly from 66.9 per cent to 66.3 per cent.

But screams of excitement could be heard at The Urswick School on Paragon Road as 51 per cent of its students achieved grade 4 or above in English and Maths, a nine per cent increase on last year.

There were some fine individual performances, with an “overwhelmed” Begum Karakus earning 11 GCSEs between A* and B, including grade 9s in English and English Literature and a grade 8 in Maths.

Begum said: “I never thought I’d get a 9 in English Literature. I’m overwhelmed with my results and looking forward to starting my studies to become a doctor.”

School chess champion Kacper Filar, 16, is also celebrating after passing 11 GCSE, which included an A* in History and Computing and a grade 8 in Maths.

Kacper, who arrived in the country from Poland at the age of 9, said: “I really wasn’t expecting to have done so well. The teachers here have really helped me over the last five years and I’m very grateful for all they have done.

“I’m not sure what career I will go into, but being able to speak English, Polish and French, that will be something I continue with.”

Headteacher Richard Brown praised his staff and students for “overcoming the obstacles” presented by the reforms, saying: “I am delighted. Our results are up on last year, yet in many ways this is a completely different exam just with the same name.

“The papers are more difficult and in some subjects there was real uncertainty among teachers and students as to what the exams would look like.

“This is my tenth year of GCSE results at the school. We have made so much progress at Urswick in that time and I am delighted for everybody.”

There were tears of joy at Our Lady’s Convent when student Hazel Boadu-Antwi phoned her mum and aunty to tell them about her grades – two As, one B and three Cs.

Hazel was diagnosed with leukaemia in July 2016 and has been in hospital for the last six months.

Thankfully, she is now in remission, but reflecting on the past year, she said: “All I remember is seeing my friends being productive in their studies, and it felt so frustrating to not have the energy to revise. I knew that as soon as I was out of hospital I would dedicate my time to revising and achieving amazing results.”

She did just that, and can now look forward to a celebratory trip to Thorpe Park with her family.

Ninety-two per cent of the 2017 cohort achieved grades between 9 and 4 in English in another successful year for the school.

One of those was Shannon Smith, whose 9 GCSEs between A* and A were the top grades at the school. She earned three 9s under the new grading system – one of only 2,000 pupils across the country to do so.

Overjoyed headteacher Justine McDonald said: “It is so great to see the hard work and dedication of these girls pay off. They can all look forward to incredibly bright futures, with many staying on here to study for their sixth form subjects.”

Students at Stoke Newington School took the new reforms in their stride, with 71 per cent achieving at least five grades from A* to C.

Over 75 per cent of pupils earned grades between 9 and 4 in the core subjects. There were 39 new top level 9 grades in English or Mathematics – with four students gaining a 9 in both subjects.

Headteacher Annie Gammon said: “We are very proud of our year 11 students – every one of them. We know that they are ambitious for their achievements; they worked hard and have been well taught and supported by our teachers.

“We continue to have excellent results in our creative subjects, as well as students achieving well in the fundamentals of Maths and English. We are really pleased with their success.”

There were smiles all round at Clapton Girls’ Academy as students delivered a record 40 per cent of grades between A*-A.

Seventy-seven per cent of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English Language, and 62 per cent did the same in Maths – 29 per cent and 15 per cent above the national average respectively.

The academy’s high fliers achieved 33 grade 9s, with three students joining the “Triple 9” club by achieving a clean sweep in English Literature, English Language and Maths.

Sukie Jenkins, the academy’s highest performer, earned three grade 9s to go with eight A*s in her other subjects. She said: “I am so happy. I will definitely be staying on at Clapton because of the supportive atmosphere. My teachers helped me to cope really well with the demands of the new syllabus. Everyone here is really pleased with their results!”

A special mention goes to Tahia Ahmed, who studied a whopping 13 GCSEs and finished with two grade 9s, a grade 8, eight A*s and two As – including A*s in Spanish, French and Latin.

Headteacher Anna Feltham said: “I am absolutely thrilled with today’s GCSE results. It has been such a pleasure to see the girls opening their envelopes and seeing the fantastic result of all their hard work and dedication.

“Their exceptional progress and achievement is also testimony to our brilliant team of experienced and dedicated teaching and support staff, who have supported and challenged all our students to achieve their very best.

“I cannot wait to see what this cohort of students achieves as they move into our thriving sixth form!”

Pupils at The Bridge Academy also bucked the national trend, with a third of all the school’s results graded at A*-A.

One successful student, Zehila, said: “I can’t believe it. I freaked out for so long thinking I hadn’t done well.  It just shows how revision works.”

Principal Chris Brown said: “I am immensely proud of the students – they worked incredibly hard to fulfil their potential and have risen to the challenge of the new examination specifications.

“I would also like to pay tribute to the hard work and dedication of The Bridge Academy staff – congratulations to all involved!”

Petchey Academy’s students outperformed the national results in English, Maths and Science at A*-A.

Forty-three per cent of pupils achieved grades between A* and C in nine or more subjects, and there was only a two per cent difference between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students, which the school says “proves its success in inspiring and supporting every child, whatever their background”.

Twenty-three students students achieved exceptional results of more than five A*-A grades – including two, Jameela and Sharifa, who joined the school in Years 8 and 9 respectively.

Principal Ms Cole said: “It has been a challenging year with the changes to curriculum and grading, but our students have persevered and achieved some excellent results. I am very proud of their hard work and look forward to seeing them back next year.”

Update: this article was amended at 10:44 on Tuesday 29 August. The original article stated that Jameela, a student at Petchey Academy, joined the school in Year 9 and spoke little to no English. Jameela actually started at Petchey in Year 8, and speaks fluent English, as she did at the time she joined the school.