Bucks pupils celebrate GCSE results (From Bucks Free Press)

Bucks pupils celebrate GCSE results

12:03pm Thursday 23rd August 2012 in News

GCSE results may be down nationally – for the first time in 24 years – but schools in south Bucks have been reporting yet another strong year of results.

The national decline has been marginal, with 69.4 per cent of entries earning grades A*-C, compared to 69.8per cent last year and 22.4 per cent of pupils getting A* and A grades, down from 23.2 per cent.

Princes Risborough School announced an 8 per cent improvement in the number of pupils achieving five A*-C grades, including English and maths. Head teacher Pete Rowe said: “We are particularly pleased with a significant rise in our maths results to over 60% with English at 66 per cent. Once again the school is able to celebrate the superb partnership working between staff, students and their parents; together we are hugely proud of our youngsters results.”

Among the star pupil performances noted by the school were: Charlotte Birch with 4 A*s and six A grades, Jessica Cartwright 10 A*s and two As, Kathryn Jones 6 A*s and 5 As, and Toby Smith six A+s and 4 As.

At Wycombe High School 76 per cent of results were graded A* or A, with 54 students out of 180 achieving straight A* and As. A total of 61 per cent of pupils achieved eight A*-A grades.

Among them were Caroline Daniel and Beth Roberts-Rhodes, who both got A*s in all but one of their subjects.

Beth said she was shocked at her results, adding: "I've been waiting since the end of June. It's made two years' work worth it. I just want to get home now."

Headteacher Sharon Cromie said: "They are even better than last year so we are bucking the national trend. I'm delighted we've done exceptionally well.

"As always my thanks go to the students, their parents and of course the staff who have worked hard to support and encourage."
 

Over the road at John Hampden Grammar School it was another record year as 45 per cent of pupils achieved eight A* or A grades.

Among those celebrating were Alex Eaton, who got three A* and eight A grades, and Jack Turner, who achieved one A*, nine As and a B.

They spent their summer thinking about their results despite heading to the Himalayas to climb a mountain 6,666m tall.

Alex, from Great Missenden, said: "It was always there at the back of our mind. We had a long time walking to get there and we were thinking about our results."
Jack, from Marlow, said: "I'm happy with what I got and also relieved. I was a bit disappointed with the B but happy with the others."
 

They are off to the Reading music festival this weekend to help toast their success.

Results continue to improve at Cressex Community School , where 60 per cent of pupils achieved straight A*-C grades.

The success stories included Azhar Ahmed, who achieved six A-C GCSEs having only arrived at the school two years ago from Pakistan and barely able to speak English.

He said: "I was surprised I got six A-C.

"The teachers helped me after school. Every time you needed help they were there."

Pal Saif Ali got seven A*-A grades, including an A in maths, having also struggled with English when he first started at the school in March 2009.
Both will study ICT at Amersham and Wycombe College next year.

At the Royal Grammar School every student got five A*-C grades, with 98.9 per cent of the 188 pupils gaining eight A*-C.

Top of the class was Tom Taplin, who achieved 11 A*s out of 11 and secured an A grade in additional maths - the highest mark possible.

Other notable successes were Hugh Furness and Noah Blackmore, who achieved nine A*s and three As, and Mon Yeu Chan, who managed 10 A* and two A grades.
 

Headmaster Roy Page said: "It's through the hard work of the boys that they have achieved their grades, and the support and hard work of the staff which have enabled them to achieve another pleasing set of results.

The Highcrest Academy continues to go from strength to strength, with the number of pupils achieving at least five A*-C grades jumping from 83 per cent last year to 96 per cent this year.

Notable achievers were Laura Williams, who had four A*s, four As, one B and a double star distinction in a BTEC diploma, and Anna Khan, who managed seven A grades, one B and a star distinction at BTEC.

Three other students - Amy Harrison, Heather Curry and Sanum Mohammed - all passed AS Level subjects after taking the exam a year early.
 

Principal Sheena Moyinhan said: "These results are, once again, the best results in the history of the Highcrest Academy. They represent a continuing pattern of tremendous improvement.

"We are delighted that almost all students exceeded their challenging personal targets.

"The Academy wishes to publically thank the staff and students for their hard work and parents, governors and friends of the Academy for their support during the past year."
More A* grades than ever before were achieved at Great Missenden's Misbourne School, where fortunes have been turned completely around.

Just over a year ago the school was in special measures after a poor Ofsted report, but under the stewardship of headteacher Robert Preston 84 per cent of pupils have achieved five or more A*-C grades.
Mr Preston said the results were a "fantastic improvement" and "something very special".

He said: "I'm very, very proud of my students and the work my staff have put in. They are so motivated and our continued relentless focus on learning has really paid off."
Star pupils were Oli Clements, who achieved 11 A* grades and three As, Jess Curson, who managed eight A* and three As, and Stephen Cox, who took five A* and 10 A grades.

Students at Holmer Green Senior School delivered a strong showing, with 51 per cent of pupils achieving 5+ A*-C including English and Maths and 77 per cent achieving 5+ A*-C overall.

Amongst the high attaining students this year, Lucy Thompson achieved a school record of 7 A*s and 3 A grades along with a Distinction in ICT. Asha Astley and Ryan Dickson each achieved 3 A*s among their overall results and Matthew Dashper also achieved 3 A*s together with an A and 5 Bs.

Michael Jones, the Headteacher, said: “I feel so proud of the achievements of so many of our students. I would have to single out the results achieved by Chloe Jackson. Her story has been featured in the Bucks Free this year, due to her battle with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. She attended all her examinations, often in great pain, but with such a strong spirit and determination. “She is an inspiration to us all. And she didn’t do too badly either achieving 4 A*s, 3 As and 2 Bs – results that would make any young person feel incredibly proud! Well done to Chloe and to all our successful GCSE students this year and of course a huge thank you to the staff who gave them such terrific support and nurtured their confidence and abilities so that they were able to achieve so well.”

There were smiles all round at Chesham Grammar School . Alice Benton, 16, from Amersham got 10 A*s and two As. She said: "I am very excited-completely overwhelmed."

She got 100 per cent in her Music grade which she said she just did not have the words for.

She is going to study English Literature, History, Music and French. Ben Sweetman, 16, form Amersham got nine A*s and three As. He said he was aiming for eight A*s so was very pleased. Ennia Bardem said: "I’m pleased to get into sixth form. I got mostly Bs, but I got As and A*s in the subjects I’ll be doing in sixth form - maths, physics, chemistry , and drama. I’d hoped for a few more As, but I’m pleased. I’ll be starting to look into uni, to do something like physics."

At Dr Challoner's Grammar School the pass rate was 98.6 per cent with 83 per cent of the candidates achieving five or more A* to A grades. Eight students got 13 A*s, one of which was Aarib Khan. He said: "I studied really hard, especially for English. I am going to celebrate for the rest of the day."

He is going to study maths, further maths, biology, chemistry and physics at A-Level.

Alexander Campbell-Brown was left speechless after he got nine A*s.

He said: "My target was trying to get Bs. This morning my mum was saying we are proud of you whatever but you're not going to do very well. I am ridiculously surprised."

He was going to Reading Festival to celebrate.

Henry Bugg got 13A*s and one A. He said: "I am so pleased. I said I would be really happy with 10 A*s."

Headmaster Dr Mark Fenton said: "I am delighted that all the boys have done so well again this year. For eight of them to have achieved 13 A*s is unprecedented, but every boy in the year can feel genuinely proud that his hard work has paid off."

At Amersham School pupils got their best ever GCSE results for the fifth year running. The pupils got 97 per cent A* - C, which is an increase of 23 per cent. Headteacher Sharon Jarrett said: "The inspiring ethos of Amersham School ensures that every student is pushed to achieve, and indeed exceed, their full potential."

Rebecca Badrick added a further five A*s to those she achieved last year. She said: "I am really happy. I wouldn't have been able to do it without the teachers. The support is amazing here. I am so happy to be coming back to sixth form."

Her friends were off to Reading Festival but she missed out as she had to decide between a prom dress and Reading Festival, and she went for the dress.

Drew Tate got two As, four Bs and a C, while Joel Pallett got four As and three A*s, who were both very pleased. Elleni Rogers got four As and an A* and Phoebe Seaton got two As, two Bs and one C. They were both wearing wellies to pick up their results before they headed to Reading Festival.

At Chiltern Hills Academy in Chesham there was an improvement of five per cent on the results last year. Principal Kevin Patrick said: "We are very pleased with the GCSE and BTEC results; these are the first results for the new Academy. The results demonstrate the significant improvements we are making."

Letitia Lemon got five A grades. She said: "I didn't believe I had got them. I don't know. I don't think that highly of myself so I am very pleased."

Rufus Sear got one A* and five As. He said: "I got quite a few As, which I wasn’t expecting, plus A*s in some of my history modules. I’m going to do English, maths, science, and accounting in sixth form, with a view to working in accountancy, law, or politics. I think it's best to make the most of schooling in these tough economic times."

The Chiltern Academy is a dance school in Prestwood which also offers GCSE dance to students from the Academy and surrounding dance schools.

Principal Jane Anderson said: "Our results this year have been excellent considering all the students were age 13 and 14. Out of the nine girls who took the exam we got six grade As, one grade B and two grade Cs."

At Pipers Corner School in Great Kingshill more than three quarters of all results were A*-B grades and a number of girls achieved A*s and As in more than 10 subjects. Headmistress, Helen Ness-Gifford said: "This had been a delightful year group and their positive influence has been evident in the wider school throughout their time here. "They have achieved so much both in and out of the classroom. I am delighted with these results which yet again prove that Pipers’ girls can get the top marks in the full range of academic subjects on offer. These grades will prove an excellent foundation for their future A Level studies and their future careers."

Head teacher Jonathan Oliver, from the Wye Valley School in Bourne End, said the government’s decision to shift the grades had a negative impact on their GCSEs’ results.

“Students that would normally have a B or a C have now got lower grades”, said Mr Oliver.

This year, 48 per cent of their Year 11 students got at least a C in five subjects, including Maths and English.

Mr Oliver highlighted that, although the figure was slightly below their target, it has been improving for the past three years.

Top student Bruno Russell, 16, from Bourne End, got 6A* among the 13 subjects he took. His advice for future exam-takers was: “You cannot fluke exams. If you want good grades, you have to study hard.”

Bruno aims to get to university to study English Literature.
Head teacher John Fletcher, from The Beaconsfield School , said the new criteria have caused their average score in English to go down by seven per cent.
“Our staff and students were working towards a grade but then the government moved the boundaries up”, he said.

The overall results, though, have improved. This year, 54 per cent of their students got a least a C in comparison to 41per cent last year. Without Maths and English, the pass rate was of 92per cent.

Student Amy Sowood, 16, from Beaconsfield, got A* to B in 12 subjects. She said: "The revision classes after school really helped."

Amy plans to go to university and study a science-related course.

At Beaconsfield High School , 71.3 per cent of students got a least an A.
In English Literature, 100 per cent of students got A* to B. “What is not good about the changes is that we can no longer give our students some feedback”, said teacher Andrew McClean.

Student Faye Rota, 16, from Stoke Poges, who achieved eight A*- after attaining two A* and one A last year - said: “It was a nerve racking experience, I had to study very hard.” She plans to further studies to eventually become a lawyer.

At The Wye Valley School, 48 per cent of the students should follow on into the A-levels.

At The Beaconsfield School, around 60 per cent, whilst The Beaconsfield High School should see over 95 per cent of their students coming back.

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