Outstanding GCSE results for students

Outstanding GCSE results for students

28 August 2019

LOCAL students have once again excelled at their GSCE exams — with several schools reporting best ever results this year.

The achievements of the students, many of whom will go on to sit A-Levels, continued to reflect the district as one of the top performing in Northern Ireland.

Overall, girls in Northern Ireland continued to out perform boys but the gap narrowed from 8.2 to 7.1 percentage points. 

The Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) said that there was a slight increase, 1.1%, of students achieving the top A*-C Grades.

Unlike the A-level results the previous week, students went to their respective schools last Thursday morning to receive their exam grades.

Most students will remain at their schools but some will move into the 6th form at other schools to sit A-Levels or progress into higher education, apprenticeships or employment.

Down High School reported students achieved the best overall GCSE examinations results since the school’s records began.

Overall, 98.4% of Year 12 pupils attained seven GCSEs at grades A star to C (including English and Maths) with 100% receiving at least five grades at A star to C. 

Overall excellence was achieved by 20 pupils who gained ten straight A star or A grades, with a further 19 pupils receiving nine A star or A grades. More than half, 56%, of all the grades achieved were A star or A and over 80% of all grades were A star to B. 

Jamie Adams secured ten A* grades, while Andrew Clarke, Molly Crawford and Sarah Magwood all achieved nine A stars and one A.

Mrs Maud Perry, principal, was delighted by the successes of the pupils.

She said: “Down High pupils are among the best qualified of their generation and beyond the curriculum, our pupils are enriched, socially confident and ready to take their place as leaders of the future in whatever fields they choose.”

Mr Joe McCann, principal of St. Patrick’s Grammar School in Downpatrick, said the outstanding results achieved by the Year 12 students’ saw an impressive 92% of students achieve seven or more GCSE grades at A*-C, including English and Mathematics.  Over a third of all grades were A*/A and 15 students were awarded nine or more A*/A grades. 

Mr McCann added: “These results are testimony to the hard work of the students and the teachers who supported and guided them throughout their two years of GCSE study.”

St Mary’s High School in Downpatrick reported another year of excellent results with 93% of students achieving five or more GCSE passes at A* -C with 78% achieving five or more GCSE passes at A* -C, including English and Mathematics.

Ms Rosemary McLaughlin, principal, said: ” The Board of Governors and I I would like to congratulate our Year 12 students and thank our staff for their dedication and the parents for the very supportive home/school partnerships that have culminated in such an excellent set of results.”

Mr Justin Sharvin, vice-principal of De La Salle High School in Downpatrick, said that the school was delighted with students’ results.

“Many of our pupils achieved the desired grades to return to De La Salle for Post 16 studies as well as take up apprenticeships and other related courses,” he added.

“This is testament to the hard work of the pupils coupled with high quality teaching and learning from a dedicated and committed staff.”

Blackwater Integrated College in Downpatrick said that students achieved the college’s best ever results with 92% gaining five or more GCSEs at grades A star to C — which is well above the Northern Ireland average for five or more A-C grades, including Maths and English.

Outgoing Head Boy Max McKervey, achieved eight GCSEs while Head Girl Bethany Burke had her efforts rewarded with grades A-C in seven subjects, including Maths and English.

Fellow students Niamh Armstrong, Neave Brown, Leo Clarke and Carly Cranston also achieved eight subjects, including Maths and English.

The principal, Mr Stephen Taylor, said that the college was looking forward to the new school year and welcoming its biggest ever intake next week.

Assumption Grammar School in Ballynahinch also praised its students for another outstanding year of results with almost a quarter of Year 12 girls achieving at least nine or more A or A* grades. 

Over 95% of all grades were A star to C and virtually all students at the single-sex school, 99.1 %, achieved five or more GCSEs.  

Mr Peter Dobbin, principal, celebrated the diligence and commitment of the students, the dedication of the teachers and the invaluable support of the parents. 

He said: “We have a unique school community here at Assumption and I am delighted that the hard work of the whole school community has paid dividends. In keeping with our school ethos of ‘Fully Alive’, these young women have succeeded in achieving at the highest levels academically while excelling in an array of extra-curricular activities at local, national and international levels, as well as growing in confidence and self-discipline.”

Mr Mark Morgan, principal of St Colman’s High & Sixth Form College, Ballynahinch, described the school’s results as “exceptional”.

He said that 92% of pupils secured at least five A star to C grades and 79% secured at least seven A star to C passes.

Mr Morgan added: “These outcomes reflect the hard work of both teachers, pupils and parents and create a strong foundation as students go forward to complete Post 16 study at the school and then onto higher educational college, university, higher learning apprenticeships or direct employment.”

The High School in Ballynahinch reported that its GCSE results were “well above the Northern Ireland average”.

The principal Mr Paul Marks spoke of the school’s pride at the students’ achievements.

“This is down to the hard work of the children, the essential support of parents and the dedication of all our staff, all of which I am very grateful,” he said.

“We would like to wish our pupils well as they set out on their next steps in education or employment.”

Mr Seamus Hanna, the newly appointed principal of St Colmcille’s High School in Crossgar, said he was very proud of the achievements of every single pupil.  

“All pupils worked to the best of their abilities and achieved their goals,” he added.

“The school has celebrated the success of all their pupils and are confident that all have choices and opportunities for their future.”

Ms Sarah-Lucy Hynds, principal of Saintfield High School, said that the school and teachers were happy for their Year 12 students who achieved their “personal best” last week.

She added: “A special mention must go to our top performing students — Katie Hunter, who achieved six A grades and two B grades, Edith Hogg who was awarded an A star, five As and two B grades, and Erin Sethuraman on achieving an A star, five As and two Bs. 

“We wish each and every student much success and happiness for the future and hope that they 

continue to thrive in their chosen pathway.”

Mr Kevin Lambe, principal of Shimna Integrated College in Newcastle, said that the school was welcoming back “record numbers” into its Sixth Form this week following excellent GCSE results across the curriculum. 

He said: “We have students achieving top grades ranging across the traditional academic subjects such as further mathematics, sciences, languages and humanities and the newer vocational subjects such as horticulture, understanding business enterprise with languages and tourism and personal development and employability.

“We also celebrate the students who are moving on to training courses in plumbing, equestrian studies, computing etc in further education.”  

St Malachy’s High School in Castlewellan described its students’ results as “outstanding” with 82% of students achieving A star to C grades in five or more subjects and 56 students achieving seven or more A star to C grades.

The school said many students secured several A star and A grades in a wide range of subjects. 

The principal Mrs Orla O’Neill praised the students, teachers and parents.

“These wonderful results are very well deserved, reflecting everyone’s hard work and commitment not only after five years in St Malachy’s but also bearing in mind the excellent foundations laid in our feeder primary schools,” she said. 

“Valuing every pupil and having high expectations of each one is at the core of what we are about at St Malachy’s and this group of students have certainly lived up to these high expectations.”