BEXLEY: A record-breaking year for GCSE exam results

FOLLOWING a record breaking year last year, the achievements of Bexley students have risen again.

Beths Grammar School in Bexley Village was the top boys' school in the country with all 159 Year 11 students successfully gaining at least five GCSE A* to C grades including English and maths, which no other boys school in the country could match.

And every secondary school in the borough has met the Government target of 30 per cent of pupils with at least five A* to C grades including English and maths.

At Townley Grammar School it was 99.5 per cent, with Bexley Grammar School on 99.1 per cent and Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School on 97.4.

The borough’s non-selective schools were also well ahead of the 30 per cent Government target.

St Catherine’s Catholic Girls’ School achieved 77 per cent, Blackfen School for Girls 54 per cent and Trinity School 53.6 per cent.

Hurstmere Foundation School for Boys gained its best ever result of 43 per cent five top grade GCSEs including English and maths, with St Columba’s Catholic Boys’ School on 42 per cent.

For the new Harris Academy Falconwood, the number of A* to C grades including English and maths leapt 17 per cent to 42 per cent this year, while the Bexley Business Academy recorded an even bigger 40 per cent rise, from 29 per cent last year to 41 per cent this year.

At Welling School the figure this year was 37 per cent, Cleeve Park School recorded 35.6 per cent, and Bexleyheath School, 35.4 per cent.

The number of pupils who achieved five A* to C grades in general was also up, with every school achieving a pass rate of at least 52 per cent.

St Catherine's was the top performing non selective school with 86 per cent of girls achieving at least five A* to C grade exams.

There was success for Bexley's two academies.

At the Bexley Business Academy the percentage of students achieving at least five GCSEs in the top four grades has doubled from 30 per cent in 2007 to 60 per cent this year with 91 per cent gaining at least five passes.

Among its star students were Burcen Ahmet and Beatrice Obigbesan with 15 passes, and David Collier, Rex Deguzman, Harry Sinclair and Anuoluma Iyanda with 14 passes.

Headteacher Guy Nichols said : “We are absolutely delighted with the results that our students have achieved this year.

" We would like to congratulate all of our students on their successes and wish them the very best for the future.

He added: "I thank all staff for their dedication and commitment which have made these brilliant results possible.

"There is no doubt that the strategies for improvement we have adopted have resulted in students performing to the best of their ability, and the capacity we have built-in for further sustainable improvement, will ensure that future students do even better.”

The academy's chairman of governors, Tim Garnham, added: “I am thrilled the Academy has significantly exceeded the Government’s 30 per cent target and can report the best set of GCSE results in its history.

"Just 7 years ago the vast majority of students left the predecessor school with no meaningful qualifications.

"This year we are reporting 59 per cent of our students are achieving five or more good GCSE grades.

He Said: "This success is a tribute to the hard work and commitment of our secondary headteacher Guy Nichols and his dedicated staff, who teach each student that the roots of true achievement lie in the determination to become the best that you can.”

At the Harris Academy Falconwood, formerly Westwood College in Welling, 92 per cent of pupils achieved fove or more A* to C grade exams, compared with 47 per cent last year when it was still the college.

The school's chief sponsor Lord Harris of Peckham was at the school when the results were announced, to congratulate the students.

Harris Foundation's chief executive Dr Dan Moynihan said he was delighted to see the academy achieve such rapid improvements.

The academy opened in September last year and this year work will begin on its new £25m buildings, due to open inSeptember 2011.

Welling School students achieved a percentage pass rate for at least five A* to C grade exams of 52 per cent, with 97 per cent of pupils gaining at least five GCSE passes.

Top achievers were Gemma Banham, Molly Baxter and Duke Fay who all gained 10 GCSEs in the top four grades.

Tony Yau and Kathryn Powell achieved 11 passes, and Nicholas Storey 10passes.

Headteacher Diane Khanna said: "Our results this year show an outstanding improvement.

"Congratulations must go to the pupils, parents and staff."

Beths Grammar School headteacher Jim Skinner said he was "exceptionally pleased" with this year's results, after learning the school had outperformed every other boys' school in the country.

All the boys at the school take some of their GCSE exams early and take one or two AS level exams alongside their remaining GCSEs, to provide the extra challenge able students need.

Star pupils were Vinesh Mistry who gained nine A* or A grade GCSEs together with two A grades at AS level; Jack Parr with 10 A* and A grade GCSEs and one A grade at AS level; Adam Whiley with 10 A* and three A grade GCSEs and an A at AS level and Ben Perryman with seven A* and three A grades at GCSE and two A grade AS levels.

Other GCSE high achievers were Jordan Donnelly (eight A* and six As), Dominic Heslin-Rees (seven A* and eight As), and Matthew Nour (eight A* and four As).

All three also achieved an A grade AS level exam.

Mr Skinner said he was delighted the students had been so successful, and congratulated them for their effort and hard work throughout the years which had enabled them to reach their target grades.

GCSE students at Trinity School, Belvedere this year smashed the school's records.

More than 98 per cent of pupils got at least five exam passes while 70 per cent achieved at least five passes in the top four grades - a 10 per cent increase on last year Around a quarter of the grades achieved this year were either A* or A.

Among the outstanding performers were Alice Cleverley (four A8, four As, one B and a merit), Sarah Williamson ( four A*, three As, three Bs and a merit), Alex Kerwin (three A8, five As, one B and a merit), Megan Newnes (three A*, five As, one B and a merit), Elizabeth Faniyan (two A*, six As, one B and a merit), Chelsea Giddings (six As, four Bs and a pass), Tomiwa Oluade (one A*, three As, four Bs, one C, one D and a pass) and David Le Bas (four As, four Bs, one C, one D and a pass)Headteacher Ian Collins said the school was rpoud of each and every pupil's achievements.

He added: “Trinity has encouraged and enabled every pupil to be successful in all aspects of their learning.

"We are delighted by their achievements and I would like to pay tribute to the hard work of pupils and staff which has enabled us yet again to surpass all our targets.”

At Hurstmere Foundation School the overall pass rate 99 per cent, with 78 per cent of boys getting at least five A* to C passes.Headteacher Andy Stringer said: "Once again Hurstmere boys have producced outstanding results this year."The school acheived its best ever percentage of boys gaining five A* to C passes including English and nmaths."We would like to congratulate the boys on their results whicjh are a testament to their hard work, the efforts of the staff and the support of parents."

Most students at Bexley Grammar School, Welling, took 12 GCSEs and 50.3 per cent of passes were at A* or A grade and 95.7 per cent at A to C grades.

Oliver Hayes was among seven pupils who gained 10 A* grades despite missing at least two terms over the past two years because of ill health, which needed several operations.

The others were Fazel Farhang, Joshua Landsdell, Emily Austin, Harish Faulkner, Gursumeet Jhaj and Daniel Robinson.

Bexleyheath School was another celebrating its best ever results.

The percentage of students achieving at least five GCSEs in the top four grades rose by 15 per cent to 56 per cent, the highest ever recorded by the school.

More than 300 pupils who took the exams notched up nearly 300 A grades and nearly 30 A* between them.

Pupil Harry Jarman achived 16 passes including seven As and eight Bs, while Sidika Hassan gained six As and seven Bs among her 16 passes.

Principal Robert Dore, said: "These results are extremely pleasing and are a well deserved reward for our whole school community drive to continually raise standards.

"It is essential that we maintain this momentum to ensure that our students are as well qualified and well prepared as possible for their future studies or the world of work.

"They are to be congratulated alongside our staff and the students’ parents for their support along the way."

And Graham Carloss, who has just retired as head of the upper school after 36 years at Bexleyheath School, said: "I am absolutely thrilled with the news of record breaking results in GCSEs this year.

"I am convinced that the school has the ability to maintain this progress still further in the future."

The pass rate of five A* to C grades at Townley Girls' Grammar School was 99.5 per cent this year with the percentage of A* and A grades rising by five per cent to 61 per cent of all exams.

Its top achievers this year were Andrea Pereira and Brooke Porter (10A*, one A), Adjoa Abekah-Mensah (10A*), Jessica Rea and Saima Waseem (nine A*, two As), Latisha Oozageer (nine A*, one A),Lauren Blood and Saraniya Ratnalingham (nine A*), Alexandra Bonner (eight A*, three As), Amy Garner, Jena Herbert, Charlotte Ashby and Nsikaniyeneabasi Udofia (eight A*, two As) and Maria Olawale, Kiranjit Jhangaria and Sheona Norton (eight A*, one B).

Headteacher Linda Hutchinson said: "We are extremely proud of all our Year 11 students whose results are outstanding, yet again."

And at Cleeve Park School the overall pass rate was 98.3 per cent with 61 per cent of pupils gaining at least five A* to C exam results.

Top achiever Ellie Adams, gained 10 GCSEs at A* or A grades.

Headteacher Jeremy Hodkinson said: "The rate of five A* to C grades has increased from 52 per cent in 2008 to 61 per cent this year.

"These are outstanding results and I congratulate the hard work and effort of the students and their teachers."

Sixty-nine per cent of pupils at Blackfen School for Girls achieved five or more GCSEs at the top four grades and 100 per cent of the girls gained at least five passes.

Headteacher Matthew Brown said he was delighted.

He added: "The students have really worked hard over the last year and have made tremendous progress.

"The results achieved are the culmination of hard work by students, staff and parents.

"They are a passport for further study. I congratulate each and every one of the students on their work."

Among the school's notable achievers were Toyosi Bello (six A* five As), Zainib Conteh (seven A*, four As), Ashisha Amin (four A*, six As), Anastasia Doronina (four A*, five As), Laura Hayday (two A*, six As), Emily Kirk (one A*, nine As), Taddy Oulai (two A*, eight As),Jonanne Ball (one A*, seven As), Toyosi Fuwa (three A*, three As) and Priya Bhogal (two A*, eight As).

Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School results showed 98.9 per cent of pupils chived five or more GCSEs at the top four grades and there was a five per cent increase in A* and A grades this year.

Exceptional results included Jenny Appleton, Emily Clayton, Robert Machado and Scarlet Steggall who all achieved 12 passes at A* and A grades.

The school said the rise in passes at the highest grades was a result of the commitment of all teachers focussing on the gifted and talented pupils in the school, as well as the leadership of the gifted and talent strategy by co-ordinator June Ben-Rabah.

St Columba's Catholic Boys' School achieved an overall pass rate this year of 96 per cent, with 66 per cent of boys gaining at least five A* to C grade passes.

The new headteacher at Erith School, Julie Turner, said she was thrilled with this year's record shattering GCSE results.

She said: “We have at last flown through the 50 per cent 5A*-C grades target for Erith School students and, to cap it all, we have enabled 36 per cent of our students to beat the key target of 30 per cent five A*-C grades including English and maths.

"These are our best results ever – by a long way! 4per cent and 8 per cent rises respectively; this is no mean feat! "I congratulate the staff, the students and their parents who have been so supportive.”

Chairman of governors, David Friend said he had been surrounded by beaming students as they opened their results envelopes.

He said some had been in shock at how well they had done and others just could not believe that all their hard work had paid off so handsomely.

He added: “I was taking lots of photographs for the return to school assembly and they were just queuing up for their turn.

"Extraordinary. Quite amazing. I loved every minute of it.”

Deputy head of Year 11, Heather Miller, congratulated top student Mustapha Smith, who achieved six As, seven Bs and one C, recalling how “Mustapha had committed himself totally to examination success at the beginning of Year 10.

"His dedication never wavered and he has been fully rewarded”. She said top girl achiever, Sarah Fuller, who achieved five Bs and nine Cs was "simply the best.

" She worked so hard and still had time to help others. She put hours into after school revision classes, carefully following advice, always pushing herself to find some improvement on the day.

"She really has deserved her outstanding results. Ms Miller added: "This has been the best day of my career so far, seeing just about everyone achieve their full potential. What a day. I’m exhausted. They deserve their holiday. This will put pressure on our sixth form places."

Other top achievers were Maxim Volhin (oneA*, four As, five Bs, four Cs), Bonaventure Bidokwu (one A*, three As, four Bs, five Cs), Lanre Azeez (two A*, seven Bs, four Cs), Katie Herridge (six Bs, seven Cs), Kayleigh Miller (one A, five Bs, seven Cs), Emmanuel Techie-Menson (two As, eight Bs, three Cs), Stephen Wright (two As, five Bs, five Cs), Sophie Akrach (three Bs, eight Cs, one D), Victoria Barnes (three As, four Bs, five Cs), Jerri Collins (two Bs,10Cs), Alexandra Horsman (one A*, two As, eight Bs, one C), Luke Miller (one A, six Bs, six Cs), Olu Ogunseyinde (three As, six Bs, three Cs), Adam Smith (one A, six Bs, five Cs), Lily Burke (two A*, three As, four Bs, two Cs, one D), Samantha Cooper (eight Bs, four Cs), Sophie Douglas (three As, five Bs, three Cs) and Hannah Dowsett (two A*, three As, five Bs, one C)

Also click onto our gallery of photographs of celebrating students.