GCSE records continue to tumble across Warwickshire

If sixth formers’ A-level results last week appeared to defy reports of an end to grade inflation, their younger counterparts seem determined not to be outdone, with another crop of record performances.

It was another best ever year at Campion School, where all students gained at least five A* to C grades, and 57 per cent gained at least five A*-C grades including GCSEs in English and Maths - twice the rate in 2009.

Headteacher Mark Feldman said: “The year on year improvement in results at Campion is remarkable. We have made particular gains in the numbers attaining the higher grades in the GCSE core subjects of English, Maths and Science. We are so proud of the effort and achievement of our students.”

Trinity School pupils also achieved a record performance in their GCSEs, with a 87 per cent pass rate for five A* to C grades - an improvement of 11 per cent on last year’s results.

The school also had a 72 per cent pass rate for five A* to C including English and Maths - an improvement of 14 per cent on last year.

New Principal Chris Gabbett said: “This is an outstanding result. Our students have worked very hard over the past two years, and I offer them my warmest congratulations.

“Results like these don’t come without the support of committed teachers and caring parents and I thank them as well for doing so much for the benefit of the Trinity community. As well, a huge thanks to Ed Musson, the outgoing head of year eleven, who set his year group such consistently high standards.”

Aylesford School recorded its best ever set of results with 67 per cent of students gaining five or more qualifications including English and maths at A* to C grade.

All but six per cent of students gained five or more GCSE qualifications at A* to C grades and 100 per cent gained five or more pass grades overall.

Headteacher Steve Hall said: “On behalf of governors and staff I would like to congratulate all students on their wonderful achievements.

“The results are a tribute to the dedication of students, the quality of the teaching and the great support of parents and families.

“It is always a great pleasure to see students’ hard work pay off and for them to realise the rewards of their talent and academic discipline.”

At Myton School in Warwick, 94 per cent of students gained five A* to C, with 33 per cent gaining five A* or A grades and 30 per cent of all awarded grades at A or A*, 57 per cent A* to B and 83 per cent A* to C.

Headteacher Paul MacIntyre said: “We are proud of our students’ achievements which have been gained through their hard work, support from outstanding teachers, in a great school and positive partnerships with families. We will have record numbers of students staying with us to A-level.”

Year 11 students at Southam College have surpassed all previous school records with 80 per cent achieving five A* to C grades including Maths and English and 96 per cent achieving at least five A* to C grades.

Assistant headteacher Mel Mason said: “We are delighted that students have achieved such high standards and that their hard work has paid off. The school continues to improve year on year and we would like to thank parents for their support in moving Southam College forward.”

Ofsted’s judgement of outstanding for Kineton High School’s capacity for further improvement was validated again this year by an 83 per cent pass rate of five GCSEs at a grade A* to C - a 5 per cent jump from last year.

Headteacher Julia Morris said: “We are all very proud to see the hard work of young people and staff paying off in these outstanding achievements.”

Round Oak School in Warwick achieved a 100 per cent pass rate. Almost a quarter of pupils at the school, which caters for children with a broad range of needs including moderate, severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties, have autistic spectrum disorders and a smaller proportion of students have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.

Headteacher Jane Naylor said: “Taking GCSE’s for students at our school is a huge challenge. These wonderful results reflect the incredible hard work of our teachers and students.

“We are delighted with these results and feel they are well deserved. All of these students will now be moving into sixth form, either here or with other education providers. I wish them great success with their future studies.”

It was another record-breaking year at Warwick School, with 78 per cent of entries recorded at A or A* grades and 95 per cent A* to B grades. Five of the pupils achieved a full set of 11 or 12 A*s.

Headteacher Edward Halse said: “I fully expected this year group to do well because they are talented and have worked very hard throughout their school careers. But I was especially thrilled to note that a record 41 per cent of all entries were recorded at A* at a time when the national percentage of top grades is falling.

“I pay a giant tribute to the boys, their gifted and committed teachers and, importantly, to the parents who work in close partnership with the school to ensure our boys do realise their potential here.”

Princethorpe College headmaster Ed Hester said he was delighted with progress at his school, where almost 40 per cent of grades were A*s or As, more than 70 per cent were Bs or better, and 15 per cent of pupils received at least nine A* or A grades.

Mr Hester said: “It is marvellous to be able to celebrate such success and all credit goes to the pupils and staff for their hard work. While we have a wide range of pupils it is particularly encouraging to see we had our biggest number of A* grades by some margin this year.”

New heights were reached for 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.

Headmaster Bennet Carr said: “One obviously aims for improvement in examination results over time but this year’s significant rise in the number of highest grades, on top of last year’s record results, is really very pleasing indeed and is testament to the wonderful commitment shown by both the students and staff at KES.

“They can all be rightly proud of their achievements. These results clearly give our students an excellent foundation on which to build success in the sixth form and beyond.”

The Kingsley School in Leamington has continued its trend of achieving top grades at GCSE with some outstanding individual performances by students.

Girls at the independent day school did particularly well in sciences and many are celebrating getting A* and A grades in all their exams.

The overall pass rate at the school was 100 per cent with 98 per cent of students achieving five passes at grades A* to C and 75 per cent gaining A* to B grades.

Headteacher Heather Owens said: “I am incredibly proud of what the girls’ efforts and the hard work of Kingsley staff have achieved.

“Ours is a unique and supportive environment which fosters a positive attitude to learning.

“Attainment here is consistently high but these results are as much about individual personal achievement, sometimes beyond expectation, as the grades.

“This is undoubtedly due to small classes and Kingsley’s personalised approach to learning.”

It was also a 100 per cent pass rate at King’s High School in Warwick, with 99.8 per cent of girls achieving all A* to C grades and 73 per cent of entries achieving A* or A grades. Four girls achieved a clean sweep of at least nine A* grades, while a six achieved eight A*s.

Headteacher Elizabeth Surber said: “We are very proud of all of our exam results this year and our GCSE girls have worked hard to achieve these excellent results. We are looking to forward to welcoming them back to begin their A Level studies.”

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.

Headteacher Kate Barnett said: “It is so pleasing to see girls achieve grades that reflect their potential and we warmly congratulate them and their families, who have been behind them all the way.”

“These excellent results celebrate our ethos: we recruit bright girls; our teachers inspire, challenge and support them and they can excel in lots of different ways, making them happy and confident students who go on to to do well.”

Year 11 students at North Leamington School have achieved really well against their personal targets with 81 per cent of them gaining five or more Grades from A* to C and 56 per cent achieving five or more Grades A* to C including English and Maths.

Joy Mitchell, the school’s headteacher, said: “I am really pleased with this year’s GCSE results because of the number of individual successes that we have had for so many of our students in what has been a scenario where it appears that goalposts have been moved - particularly in core subjects of Maths and English.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the students, staff and parents or carers for their hard work, support and commitment this year.”