Kenilworth School celebrates better than ever GCSE results
Kenilworth School GCSE Jennifer Bollands, Poppie Walters, 'Mitch' Ward, Sarah MacPherson and Laura Arnold celebrate.
KENILWORTH School pupils achieved their best-ever GCSE results leaving head teacher Hayden Abbott dizzy with delight.
Among the 264 who sat the exams was 16-year-old Rachel Knott who achieved a staggering 12 A*s plus one A closely followed by fellow student Michael Elsy notching up 11 A*s. Mr Abbott said: “The students have done phenomenally well. These are the best set of GCSE results we’ve every had with 93 per cent achieving A* to C overall and 85 per cent achieving A* to C including English and maths.
Mr Abbott took over as head of the school in April, 2008, when most of yesterday’s celebrating students were just half-way through their first year of secondary education. It meant he was able to see their development as they rose up through the years.
Twins Rachel and Julie Emmerson picked up 17 A*s between them.
Julie, who got 11 A*s plus one A was away on holiday when Rachel turned up to pick up her own six A*s and five As.
She said: “I’ve already texted Julie in Sweden and we’re both really pleased. We didn’t revise together but both kept up with the work as it went along. We’re both in to science and maths but not sure what we want to do for careers.”
Michael Elsy said: “I’m still a bit dazzled by my results. I did do quite a lot of revision and guess my favourite subjects are German and the sciences. I’ll problably do something with those for A-levels.”
Aine Bennett, also aged 16, felt the secret of his success was “not leaving everything until the last minute.”
Aine, who picked up ten A*s and two As said: “French is my favourite subject along with economics and English literature. I know I continually put in a lot of effort because you can’t afford to leave everything until the last minute.”
As scenes of jubiliation filled the school grounds off Leyes Lane, Mr Abbott added: “Our results may be getting better and better but I don’t see this as a reflection of exams getting easier as some might suggest. It is a reflection of the students working harder and wanting to do well because they know there are fewer opportunities out there.
“Our teachers are also working harder to support the children - they are becoming more and more aware of the requirements of the examination boards and this success is also a tribute to them.”
Last year the number of GCSE pupils at Kenilworth School achieving A* to C grades including English and maths was 78 per cent.
New heights were reached the second consecutive year at King Edward VI School in Stratford. Some 77 per cent of GCSE papers at the grammar school were graded A* or A, almost ten per cent higher than last year, and 38 students achieved at least ten A* or A grades.
At Stratford Girls’ Grammar, 12 girls received ten or more A*s, and 80 per cent of girls achieved eight or more A*s or As, the best ever for the selective state school, which became an academy last summer. A* or A grades accounted for 82 per cent of all grades and 97 per cent were A* to B.
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Weather for Kenilworth
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 12 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
