Ealing Students Celebrate Success in 'Harder' GCSEs

New records being set in local schools despite change in grading system

Elthorne students with their GCSE results

Elthorne Park High School says this year’s GCSE results are likely once again to position them as one of the top 100 non-selective schools in the country.

Despite the new system reportedly being much more rigorous than the previous grading of the exams, the school still produced outstanding results that they believe are their best ever. Most exams have now been converted to the new 9-1 grading system.

78% of students gained grades 9-4 in English and Maths and 60% achieving grades 9-5. With 48% of the year obtaining an EBacc – double the national average! - we are thrilled to have achieved our best ever results in the year that virtually all GCSEs have converted to the more challenging 9-1 grading system.

82 grade 9s or A*s were achieved overall. Strong results were seen across the curriculum, but of particular note were the sciences where 98% of students achieved grades 9-5 in Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Languages results were equally impressive with 100% of students in French achieving grades 9-4, 98% of students achieving grades 9-4 in Spanish and 92% of students achieving grades 9-4 in German. They also have much to celebrate in the performing arts with 100% of students achieving grades 9-6 in Music.

The top achievers are George Powell (7 grade 9s, 2 grade 8s and a grade 7), Nithila Daby (7 grade 9s, 1 grade 8 and 2 grade 7s), George Stephens (6 grade 9s, 3 grade 8s and 1 grade 7) and Curtis Parfitt-Ford (6 grade 9s and 5 grade 8s). We are also delighted with the achievement of Susan Idris, who has made phenomenal progress against the odds since joining us from overseas as an EAL student less than 2 years ago. Susan achieved an amazing 8 9-4 grades overall including English and Maths.

Headteacher Eliot Wong said “These incredible results are a testament to both our amazing students and dedicated, expert staff. We continue to improve more and more each year and I am once again immensely proud of everyone that makes our community here at Elthorne so successful. I look forward to welcoming all of our outstanding students back to our sixth form to undertake the wide range of A levels and BTECs that we have on offer, following our equally outstanding set of Post 16 results this year.”

St Benedict’s, Ealing, say they are celebrating the school’s best ever GCSE results, with 66% of pupils being awarded grades 9 to 7, the equivalent of A*-A in the new style GCSEs. This represents a 12% increase from last year’s results, and an impressive improvement of almost 20% since 2016.

Four pupils have achieved nine grade 9s, including two with 10 of the top grades, an exceptional achievement since 9 equates to a higher mark than the old A*. Eight pupils have attained 7 or more grade 9s and 11% of St Benedict’s GCSE candidates were awarded straight 9 and 8 grades, which is equivalent to achieving a complete set of A* grades.

The Headmaster, Andrew Johnson, said,“I am extremely proud of our pupils’ achievement, and congratulate them on their huge and very well-deserved success. Our pupils, and their teachers, have worked very hard to achieve these excellent results. The new style GCSEs have been designed to be academically more demanding, and we have sought to prepare our pupils rigorously for this, by creating a culture of academic endeavour, intellectual curiosity and high expectations. Equipped with the ability to learn, research, evaluate and apply their knowledge, they are now very well prepared for advanced level study in the sixth form.”

This is the first cohort of pupils to have taken the new style of GCSEs being awarded for the first time this year. Hailed as the most significant change in the examination system since O-levels were replaced 30 years ago, these exams are said to be “more demanding, more fulfilling and more stretching”, and were introduced by the former education secretary, Michael Gove.

Grades from 9 to 1 replace A* to G. According to Ofqual, which regulates public examinations in England, the new grade 7 starts at the same standard as the former A grade, meaning 9, 8 and 7 grades replace the old A* and A. The 9 is equivalent to the top half of A* awards, while an 8 encompasses the bottom portion of A* and the top part of an A.

Cath Jadhav, the director of standards at Ofqual, said “Grade 9 is not the same as the old A* grade. It’s a new grade designed to recognise the very best performance. So in every subject there will be fewer grade 9s awarded than A*s in the old GCSEs.” On average across the country, only 4% of candidates achieved the new grade 9 this year

Details of results from other local schools will follow as we receive them.

August 23, 2018