Students have “smashed down barriers” to ensure they are ready to walk into their dream jobs when they leave education.

Year 11 students at BMAT STEM Academy, in Harlow, today became only the second cohort to collect their GCSE results at the specialist school.

For the second year running, the traditional external exams were cancelled and students instead graded on a combination of in-school assessments, work already completed and coursework.

Despite the challenges of lockdown and remote learning, head of school Dustin Schuyler said his school is providing an “education unlike any other”.

He said: “We are proud of our students and what they have accomplished in what has been a very unusual and disrupted couple of years. “Regardless of the adversity they have faced, our students continued to persevere and overcome. This is showcased by their outstanding results and achievements.

“BMAT STEM Academy continues to smash barriers and provide an education unlike any other in the area. Our school, with a unique curriculum offer around science, technology, engineering and maths for students from Year 10 to 13, focuses on careers and opportunities for our students.

“These, our second GCSE cohort of students, have produced some fantastic overall and individual results. Our growing school will see many of these students stay on at the academy for sixth form. We will have all four year groups for the first time and are excited to continue to build off of our recent successes going forward.

“There are terrific job opportunities and career paths in the area and we are working together with these companies to make sure our students are ready to walk into those jobs.

“A very big well done to all of our students!”