LEADERS at schools in the Downend area say they are “delighted” by the performance of this year’s GCSE students.
Year 11 pupils at Downend School and Mangotsfield School were among more than 600,000 across the country who picking up their results in late August.
This year’s GCSE candidates were in Year 7 at the start of the pandemic, but are the first year to see no adjustments made to their results to take lost classroom learning into account, as part of plans for exams to “return to normal”.
Nationally, the number of GCSEs at grade 4 or above was down slightly – 67.4% compared with 67.8% last year.
The percentage of GCSEs awarded at grade 7 and above was 21.7%.
At Downend School, teachers said students had produced “an exceptional set of GCSE results, with strong performance across a wide range of subjects”.
The school said 76% of students achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and Maths, with 49% getting a grade 5 or above in the two key subjects.
Across the board, 77% of entries achieved a grade 4 or higher, more than 8% above the national average rate, while a fifth of entries resulted in a grade 7 or above, equivalent to an A or A* under the previous marking system.
Head teacher Linda Ferris said: “We are absolutely delighted with this year’s examination results.
“So much hard work and effort goes into each and every grade, and we would like to congratulate all of our students on their achievements.
“There were a number of students with a string of top grades, but the hard work and dedication of all our students has allowed them to achieve personal bests, regardless of their starting points.
“These results are a testament to the commitment of both students and staff at the school.
“Results in core subjects were particularly strong. As a result, our young people are set to progress onto the sixth forms, colleges and apprenticeships of their choice.”