Announcement

Huge congratulations to all of our young people who have got their results today. The school is very proud of you.  The grades they have achieved will allow them to go forward and pursue a range of Level 3 courses.  A big thank you to all of the staff and families that have contributed to and supported those achievements.

Some of our highest achieving students this year include:

Lily H 9999999997

Ethan M 9999998888

Alexandra 9999988888

Alfonso  999999877

Kelicia 9999988887

Ethan W 999988887

Marcello 99998887

Arina 9997777

Devin 998888777

Elian 877777666

There are of course a myriad of factors behind these grades, just as there are for all of the young people who have achieved today. This is the last of our cohorts who were entirely with us for Covid. For instance, they spent their 7 and 8 in a mix of home learning and ‘bubbles’. It definitely wasn't the ideal way to start secondary education so well done to all students for the resilience that they have shown in this time. 

One particular person to pluck out of the above list though is Arina, who came from Ukraine in 2022. She has achieved an extraordinary amount in that time including a Grade 9 in English Literature. From leaving a war torn country and learning a new language to achieving these grades is a real ‘wow’ moment!

I was  talking to a parent this morning as she was celebrating her son’s success. He is going on to do Maths, Economics and Geography in our Sixth Form. She reminded me that when her son joined the school the family and her son were asked to write down their hopes and dreams. She said that she had written that her son would achieve but that mostly he would make lasting friends and that he would be happy. Her son, one of our prefects, has achieved all of those things. On a day when the school system is focussed on percentages and grades, this reminded me of what the education of the whole child looks like. 

Every year I am reminded that education and achievement are not always linear. I also met with a family this morning where their child’s results weren’t quite where we would want. By the end of the meeting, we’d managed to map a future course of action leading to one of the country’s best universities for their area of interest. It is the case for all of our students that, whatever the grades, these are a gateway to something else, to something better. That is one of the key functions of education and schooling. I think that people often forget what GCSE stands for, a General Certificate of Secondary Education. Now of course is the time for a little more focused, advanced choices. Well done to all of our Year 11s who are now continuing that journey (mostly at Elmgreen Sixth Form of course!). 

Dominic Bergin