GCSE

NEWBURY NEWS GCSE RESULTS

Thursday, August 29, 2019 18

Newbury Weekly News

‘And we’ve smashed it again’ Thrilled principal of St Gabriel ’s pays tribute to the ’versatility and adaptability of our young people ’ Report by DAN COOPER email dan.cooper@newburynews.co.uk twitter @danc_nwn

MARY HARE

‘Barriers overcome’ MARY Hare School said it was pleased with its GCSE results this year, despite exam changes making it harder for deaf pupils. Among the school’s notable GCSE successes this year, was Benedict Morgan, who got 9s in chemistry and English literature, as well as two 8s, and three 7s. The school also praised Rebecca Dakin, who got a 9 in food technology. Principal Peter Gale said: “Mary Hare provides education to a wide range of deaf students, some, very able and others facing a range of challenges directly or indirectly caused by their deafness. “Therefore we celebrate the high grades at GCSE, which demonstrate our academic ambi- tions while equally celebrating the much more modest achieve- ments of others – remembering that these represent huge progress for the individual. “We look carefully at the indi- vidual needs of each student and offer a curriculum that will give them the best chance of success both in terms of qualifications, but also wider opportunities to move on to their chosen next steps. I am very proud of what our students achieve.” Vice principal, education and curriculum, Simon Thompson, said: “The new GCSE system means that deaf pupils have addi- tional difficulties to face and they have to work that much harder to overcome the barriers presented by their deafness. I want to say well done to all our GCSE students.”

ST GABRIEL’S them joining the sixth form next month.” Elizabeth Edwards, who has been at St Gabriel’s since she was just three years old, achieved three 8 grades, five 7s and an A* in further mathematics. The 16-year-old, from Kingsclere, is staying on at the school for her A-levels.. She said: “I’m really pleased with my results. I’m just ecstatic, but also very relieved. “You always hope to do well but you never know how the exam has gone until you open the enve- lope.” She added: “I’m staying on at St Gabriel’s because I absolutely love it here. I don’t ever want to leave.” Meanwhile, Mimi Bennett achieved an 8 (English litera- ture), five 7s (geography, English, Italian, religious studies and photography), two 6s and two 5s. As a result, she is off to Peter Symonds College, Winchester, to study her A-levels. She said she was “really happy” with her grades. Annabelle Gibson achieved an impressive six 9s, two 8s and two 6s. She said the results were better than she was expecting and she is now heading to Queen Mary’s College, Basingstoke, to study mathematics, further mathemat- ics, chemistry and psychology.

FOLLOWING its best A-level performance, St Gabriel’s School was celebrating again after an impressive set of GCSEs. More than 55 per cent of all grades were at 9-7 (A*-A). In total, 42 per cent of all indi- vidual science results were at 9/8, as well as 50 per cent of mathe- matics results being 9-7. The school said: “These outstanding results show the commitment, hard work and dedication that the pupils and staff have put in to make sure that this success has been achieved.” In the individual subjects, 100 per cent of Greek and 80 per cent of technology results were at 9/8. Principal Ricki Smith said: “I think last year I said we ‘smashed it’ in terns of our GCSE results. Well, we smashed our A-levels last week and we’ve smashed it again in this year’s GCSEs. “We are thrilled to be celebrat- ing some truly exceptional results. “Every year there is a great deal written about falling stan- dards, which seems unjustified at a time when we should be paying tribute to the versatility and adaptability of our young people and the teachers that prepare them for their public exams. “This cohort has done wonder- fully well and we look forward to

Celebrations at St Gabriel’s Schoolresultsday

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Independent Day School Boys 6 months - 11 years Girls 6 months - 18 years

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St Gabriel’s Sandleford Priory Newbury RG20 9BD 01635 555680 www.stgabriels.co.uk