Students and staff across the Isle of Wight are celebrating today (Thursday) as this year’s GCSE results are revealed.
Provisional figures reported by secondary schools indicate that GCSE students on the Isle of Wight have attained higher grades than in previous years.
The early indications are that the proportion of students attaining a grade 4 or above in English and maths this year has improved from 55 per cent in 2018, to 60 per cent.
The ‘attainment 8’ outcome which measures the results across the wider curriculum is also significantly better.
At Carisbrooke College, Suzanne Whitewood spoke with several students about their results and their plans and hopes for the future. A number will be doing their Sixth Form studies at the Isle of Wight Education Federation VI Form College at Nodehill.
Elisabeth Cody achieved 3 x 9 and 4 x 8. She is going to study English and History at Cowes as the courses there specialise in her love of history. This year’s exam centred around the history of the Middle Ages and Elisabeth’s favourite topic, the history of Medicine.
Lauren Forshaw will also be doing her Sixth Form studies at Cowes where she will undertake Photography as her main topic.
Jessica Flanders’ best grades were 4 x 9. She will now be attending the Isle of Wight Education Federation VI Form College to further her studies.
James Chandler is already attending the Military Training College at Ryde. His GCSE passes will enable him to undertake further studies so that he can achieve his ambition of becoming a Marine in HM Forces.
Matthew Parr-Burman, Executive Headteacher and Head of Carisbrooke College, said:
“We would like to say a huge well done and congratulations to the students at Carisbrooke for their work this past year. Many have been rewarded with their hard work with excellent GCSE results for which they should be very proud. The last two years at Carisbrooke have been particularly challenging with lots of staff changes and moving into a new building but this has clearly not affected the students who have done very well indeed.
“For the school the results have shown a large jump on the 2018 results to now be much closer to what we feel we are capable of. We are still very ambitious as a school to be even better and to work even harder for our young people so they get results that they can take with them for their future lives.
“Finally, I would personally like to say thank you and well done to our staff who have been outstanding in their commitment to the young people of Carisbrooke College. I never failed to be impressed by their hard work and passion to help young people here”.
At Cowes Enterprise College, over two-thirds (68%) of students achieved a Grade 4 or higher in both English and Mathematics – with a Grade 4 set by the Government as a pass.
Additionally, over three-quarters of students (78%) achieved a Grade 4 or above in English, while 73% of students received a Grade 4 or above in their maths alone.
The school has also achieved significant improvements in results across a number of subjects including in Biology, Chemistry and Physics, with many results above the national average.
Among the large number of high performers included:
- Ellie Insley who achieved 3 Grade 9s, 4 Grade 8s, 4 Grade 7s and a Distinction*.
- Georgie Price received 3 Grade 9s, 3 Grade 8s, 3 Grade 7s and a Distinction*.
- Emma Wyeth attained Grades including 3 9s, an 8, 4 Grade 7s and a Distinction*.
- Charlie Kermode achieved 3 9s, 2 8s, 2 7s and 2 6s.
- Ewan MacMillan achieved five Grade 8s and 3 Grade 7s
Rachel Kitley, Principal of Cowes Enterprise College, said:
“We are delighted to see that our students’ hard work has been reflected in this year’s excellent results. These strong outcomes are a testament to the dedication, talent and positive attitudes of our students, supported by their teachers, families and our wider school community. We are extremely proud of our young people and look forward to continuing to build on this success over the coming year.”
Staff at Medina College say they are very proud of the achievements of Year 11 students in 2019.
Miss Begley, Head of School said:
“We are very proud of the achievements of our year 11 students with their GCSE results. There were some excellent individual results with students achieving the highest levels across a range of subjects. These results reflect the hard work of our students over their time at Medina.
“Our students and staff have worked incredibly hard for a significant period of time now and the continued improvement is there for all to see. This year, again, we have seen new examinations for some subjects as well as the embedding of the new grading system for the majority of subjects.
“It is particularly pleasing that we have a large number of students getting very good grades. For the majority of our students this is an excellent opportunity for them to continue with their studies post 16; our VI Form Campus is still accepting applications http://www.iiviformcampus.org.uk/
“Lastly, I would like to say to all of our students: be proud of how far you have come, know you have put in the time and effort. Whether you are excellent at English, magnificent at Maths, stunning at Science, glorious at Geography, fabulous at Fashion, kind and respectful to others, helpful around the school or just generally amazing, I am proud of each and every one of you and you will have got the grades your efforts deserve. We wish all our students every success for the future. ”
Christ the King College is also celebrating impressive GCSE and BTEC results, which, like those at A level, demonstrate improvement from last year.
72% of students achieved a Grade 4 or better in both English and Maths. This is a 12% improvement from the previous set of results. Governors and staff are incredibly proud of students, not only for the academic achievements highlighted today, but for the many personal, athletic and artistic accomplishments they have shown throughout their time at the college.
Nora Ward, Head of School said:
“I am so pleased for the students today; they have worked unbelievably hard and deserve all of their successes. My thanks go out to the staff at Christ the King, who have a depth of knowledge and expertise, and the families who have worked in partnership with us to support the children in our care. Our parents at Christ the King have helped us with the many changes we have made this past year, and I continue to be grateful for their trust and support.
“Our next steps over the coming weeks is to support our students as they consider the exciting educational opportunities ahead, and we look forward to welcoming many of them back to Christ the King as members of our Sixth Form.
“I am very proud, of course, of the group of students who have achieved the very top grades in their subjects; for example, five students achieved grade 9 in 5 or more subjects, putting them amongst the most exceptional scholars in the country. Additionally, I particularly want to say well done to those students who have carried on this year through challenge and adversity, but have given their very best and have much to be pleased with today.
“The standards of provision are very high at Christ the King College and these results demonstrate the care and attention we continue to offer our students.”
Councillor Paul Brading, Cabinet member for children’s services, education and skills, said:
“Huge congratulations to all the students and staff for all their hard work and dedication.
“I’m really pleased with the large improvement in both English and maths, but also in the advances made across the broader curriculum. Teamed with the provisional A-level results from last week, this is great news for the Island and shows that we are moving in a very positive direction; education is improving and our young people have the skills to succeed in whatever they choose to do next.
“We will now wait for all the results to be verified later in the autumn term.”
Report with additions from Suzanne Whitewood
