Key moments
Many successes at York College
At York College hundreds of students of all ages are celebrating considerable success having re-taken their GCSE maths and English exams, as well as a smaller number of students who have studied GCSE biology.
They include full-time carer Gemma Potter, 22, from York who is over the moon with her GCSE results in Maths (Grade 4), English (Grade 4) and Biology (Grade 6). She says:
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I slogged away on these GCSEs in my spare time because I want to be a nurse and I needed these qualifications to progress my career.
The studying was hard-going at times but luckily the tutors were very supportive. It was all so worth it and now I feel fully prepared to stay on at the college to start an Access to Higher Education Diploma in nursing, to make my dream career a reality.
Anna Scott, age 17 and previously of Danesgate Community Centre, is elated to have passed GCSE maths with a Grade 4. “The tutors really helped and supported me, I couldn’t have done it without them,” she said.
Builder Linden Clark, 33, achieved impressive Grade 7 grades in both maths and biology. Now sport student Chelsea Dawson, aged 17, has her grade 4 in maths, she can “chase my dream of becoming a PE teacher”.
Principal Alison Birkinshaw says:
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I really congratulate our GCSE students this year.
Every one of them has demonstrated great tenacity, resilience and motivation to improve their skills and qualifications and for this they should be admired.
Picture gallery – Millthorpe School celebrations
Praise from the top!
Huge congratulations to all our young people who’ve achieved such good school results today! ????Good luck on the next stage of your learning and journey of life. @CityofYork #york
— Mary Weastell (@maryweastell) August 23, 2018
Fulford School students celebrate – pix
‘Truly excellent results’ across York
The number crunchers at City of York Council have been doing their thing.
Across the city’s schools, provisional results show that 70.6% of pupils gained grade 4+ in English and maths which is expected to be above the national average.
Grade 5+ in English and maths are in line with last year’s results, and also expected to be above the national average.
Additionally, the average points score for six core subjects (known as the English Baccalaureate or EBacc) is 4.56 in York this year. Pupils who gain grade 9-4 in English, maths, two science subjects, a modern foreign language and a humanities subject achieve EBacc.
Cllr Keith Myers, executive member for education, children and young people, said:
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Once again young people across the city have achieved some truly excellent results.
They have worked tirelessly, with the support of their schools, parents and carers, helping York to achieve some of the best GCSE results in the country.
Creating a highly qualified, highly skilled workforce is critical to growing the city’s economy and I’m delighted that young people across the city have done so well.
“These results underline not only the hard work and dedication of our young people, but also the strength of the city’s schools and the quality of the teaching,” added director of children’s services Jon Stonehouse.
Top marks for Queen Margaret’s girls
York girl and Queen Margaret’s student Liberty Sinclair performed particularly well in today’s GCSEs securing accomplished grades across the board.
Liberty is an accomplished artist and keen sportswoman, representing Queen Margaret’s in hockey and lacrosse.
Other star performers included Anna Barker from Malton. She came out with 10 GCSEs, eight of which secured the coveted grade 9 and a further GCSE in history achieved A*.
Queen Margaret’s head Jessica Miles said:
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Anna is an all-rounder, a motivated and talented individual who has taken full advantage of QM’s holistic offer.
She is an enthusiastic and grounded and through her diligent and tenacious approach to work she has consistently been a high achiever.
Spanish girl Maria Mateo Jalon also scored a string of top grades, despite English not being her first language.
Bootham School scores some cracking results
They’re celebrating a tremendous set of results at Bootham School. Here are the headlines:
- an overall 85% pass rate
- more than 90% of students achieved 5 or more results at the equivalent of grade 4 or C or above
Pride of place goes to students Kiran Scott de Martinville, Kipp Whysall, Eddie Phillips and Will Jennings whose average overall results were above the equivalent level of the old A* grade.
A further 11 students’ average results were above the traditional A grade level. Headmaster Chris Jeffery said:
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There are lots of happy young people with plenty to feel proud of at Bootham this morning!
I am really proud of the way that our young people and their teachers have negotiated the pitfalls inherent in the introduction of the new GCSE exams, and commend them all for their persistence in managing such challenging change.
At Bootham we do an even mixture of the new style GCSEs with numbered grades and International GCSEs which have retained letters and thus crude percentage statistics might be misleading as they are not comparing like with like.
In addition, and as always on results day, there are a number of stories of real achievement against the odds and of students making the very most of their talents. These stories will never be adequately reflected in mere statistics.
More Vale of York Academy pix
Vale of York Academy students overjoyed by results
This just in from principal of Vale of York Academy, Helen Dowds:
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In a year of significant national change and challenges, Vale of York Academy has seen students overjoyed with their excellent GCSE results today.
This year, we are seeing the school’s best results for five years, which demonstrates the strong progress our students have made during their time with us and the progress the school is making as a whole.
This year, we have shown an improvement in our Progress 8 score, our Basics 9-5 and 9-4 percentage attainments are above the DFE target and 7% of our cohort achieved 5 or more Grade 9-7 or equivalent.
As well as the amazing results by head girl Holly Cairns, head boy Joseph Stancliffe is also celebrating with four Grade 9s, four Grade 8s and an A.
“Everyone here would like to thank the 2018 Year 11 cohort for all of their efforts and wish them all the best for their future in further education, training and employment,” said Helen.
Excellent performance at Fulford School
Fulford School head teacher Lorna Savage congratulated the Year 11 students on their “excellent performance in the summer exams and on recording another great set of GCSE results”.
Some headlines:
- 77.8% of students achieved the Basics standard pass performance measure of grade 4+ in English and maths
- The average Attainment 8 score across the cohort was 54 points – the broad equivalent to grade B
- 36.2% of full course GCSE entries were at grade 7+
- 30 students gained at least 9 passes at grade 7+ with eleven of these students achieving an exceptional 5 or more passes at grade 9 or A*
Lorna Savage said:
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These excellent results reflect the talent and hard work of our students, the support they have received from their families and, crucially, the excellent teaching and support provided by the staff within our school.
Today is another great day to be part of our Fulford community and to celebrate the successes of our students.
This well-deserved success creates an excellent basis for our students to build on in the future.
Congratulations and well done to all involved.
It’s nine nines for Holly!
Holly Cairns has swept the board in her GCSE results.
The outgoing head girl at Vale of York Academy has achieved an incredible nine Grade 9s – as well as a Grade 8, an A* and an A.
She also received a Grade A in her A level maths which she collected last week and a Grade A in AS level maths last summer. Holly said:
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I’m a little bit in shock but over the moon!
I didn’t think I could beat the feeling of getting my A and AS Level results, but today wins, hands down! I feel very lucky to have been a part of Vale of York Academy.
The staff there have supported me all the way through my studies so I’d like to say a huge thank you to them all.
Principal at Vale of York Academy Helen Dowds said everyone was delighted for Holly’s “truly outstanding achievement”.
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She has worked incredibly hard, applied herself with enthusiasm and resilience and has been a delight to teach.
As our outgoing head girl, Holly has shown real dedication to the school and her peers this year and I’m sure she has a very bright future ahead of her. We’re very proud of her and wish her well with her future studies!
Holly is now going on to Archbishop Holgate’s School Sixth Form where she will take A levels in biology, chemistry, physics and further maths, with the aim of then going on to study medicine at university.
Some more Manor Academy pix
Manor hits the heights
Students from Manor Church of England Academy are celebrating after some excellent results.
Here are the headlines:
- 80% of students achieved the benchmark of 9-4 in English and maths with 61% achieving grades 9-5 and 19% achieving grades 9-7
- In the combined GCSE English exam 79% achieving grades 9-5 in language, literature or both, with 43% achieving grades 9-7
- In mathematics 65% achieved grades 9-5 with 27% of students achieving grades 9-7
- 27 students achieved 5 or more grade 8 or 9 results
- the number of Manor students achieving grade 9s is well above the 2017 national average
Principal Simon Barber said:
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We are really proud of these results. They are a testament to the incredible hard work put in by our students and staff over five years – all that hard work has really paid off!
On behalf of all the staff at Manor I’d like to congratulate our students on their achievements and we look forward to celebrating with them later in the year.
Lots of great All Saints pix
A brilliant year group at All Saints
At All Saints RC School, they have seen “some outstanding individual results, with some students attaining the highest levels across the board, and there are increased numbers of students achieving a good pass in English and maths”.
The results will lead to record numbers of students having the opportunity to take their studies further both in the school sixth form and elsewhere.
Learning leader for Year 11, Debbie Glew, said:
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It has been my great pleasure to look after such a brilliant year group who have all worked unbelievably hard to get to where they are today.
I am so proud of each and every one of them and wish them all the best as they go into the next phase of their lives, and I know I am going to miss them terribly.
Headteacher Bill Scriven said:
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I am so pleased that so many of our students have risen to the challenge of the new GCSE courses and worked so hard to achieve the successes we celebrate today.
The exams can bring tremendous levels of pressure to be faced by our young people, and the results mark the reward for all the resilience shown by them in the last few months.
My heartfelt thanks go to the parents, staff and Governors for their active and generous support in helping our youngsters to cope with these challenges.
More happy Archie’s pix
Exceptional performance from Archbishop Holgate’s students
Archbishop Holgate’s School headteacher Andrew Daly said last year’s student progress was “outstanding” – in the top 10% nationally – and early analysis indicates 2018 results are equally as strong.
Altogehter 86% of students passed their English GCSE and 74% of students passing their maths – “a superb achievement given the rigour of these qualifications”. Mr Daly added:
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Building on our excellent Sixth Form results last week I am delighted to say that our Year 11 students have also performed exceptionally, across the full range of reformed GCSE qualifications.
Over three-quarters of all subjects performed in the top 25% or better for student progress. This reflects the strength and breadth of the curriculum and the hard work of students and staff here at Archbishop’s.
I would like to thank all our students and their parents for their commitment to the school. For me and the staff it is a great privilege to be part of an outstanding school and to know we continue to make a real difference in the lives of these young people.
Quarter of St Peter’s School students get 9s
Pupils at St Peter’s School are celebrating securing 44% of all GCSE and iGCSE grades at A* or 9-8.
This year seven subjects were assessed using the new 9-1 scale, and more than a quarter of all grades awarded in those subjects were at 9, equivalent to a high A*. The national percentage of Grade 9s awarded was 4%.
Altogether 92% of grades at St Peter’s were awarded at A*-B or 9-5, up from 91% in 2017.
Acting headmaster Dr Alastair Dunn said:
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It is delightful to see our pupils fulfilling their potential so impressively, and taking justified pride in all that they have achieved.
After such a strong performance across a broad curriculum these young people will begin their Sixth Form studies with a track record of success, the habits of perseverance, resilience and curiosity, and a very confident academic grounding.
More pix from Jo Ro School
In the top picture is one of the school’s top performers Nina Mitchell, who achieved 7 Grade 9s, 2 Grade 8s and an A*. Fab work Nina!
Strong performances at Joseph Rowntree School
Here’s the news from Joseph Rowntree School headteacher Richard Crane:
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We are delighted with the outcomes for students of all abilities for students at The Joseph Rowntree School in their GCSEs.
Much has been made of the challenges of the new GCSE subjects and the impact of the 9-1 scale, and staff and students have worked very hard to meet this challenge.
We are especially pleased, once again, with results in the core subjects of English, Maths and Science.
This was the first year of the new Science GCSEs and our students have done extremely well in all areas of the courses including many students gaining the new grade “9”.
There have also been strong performances in many other subject areas across the school.
We wish our students all the very best of luck in their future studies and careers, and would like to thank them for all of their hard work, and also thank parents for all of their support for their children during their studies for the examinations. Congratulations to all!
More top grades than ever before at York High School
The good news keeps on coming. York High reports that this year has seen more qualifications awarded at 7+ (A, A*) than ever before at York High School.
Altogether 22 students have achieved a 7 in at least one subject leading to 71 of the top qualifications achieved.
Although the new exam system was designed to make it harder to achieve the top qualifications “these amazing students have shown that hard work leads to success”.
Head of school Rod Sims said:
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The results this year show how important hard work and good revision are in ensuring success for all students.
Those students who have worked hard and revised are being rewarded today.
Whoops!
I have had to giggle that Chemistry is spelt wrong on my daughter’s GCSE exam results sheet #gcseresultsday @BBCBreakfast pic.twitter.com/rycrDs4gkc
— Jeremy Buxton ? (@JeremyBuxton) August 23, 2018
How it is for so many parents today
Sitting in car in school car park waiting for son. Lots of other parents looking at each other anxiously #gcseresults2018
— MrsD (@Debied123) August 23, 2018
Preparations at York College
Happy #gcseresultsday2018 to everyone collecting their results today. ?#GCSE pic.twitter.com/AmHRvJKOl6
— York College (@york_college) August 23, 2018
Meet the Millthorpe stars
These are the 13 Millthorpe students who gained 10 or more grades at 7/8/9 (equivalent to A/A* and above):
Annie Brown, Matt Phillips, Tim Burgess, Freya Reid, Joshua Haddock, Poppy Kyle, Sophie Law, Olivia Macnab, Martha Madden, Cormac Malone, Jai Rowley, James Short and Harry Walker.
Annie achieved the highest possible grade in 10 subjects, Matt achieved 8 and Freya and Tim each achieved 7.
Head of school Gemma Greenhalgh said:
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Congratulations to all our students for their achievements today.
This year group have worked really hard with the challenges of the new GCSEs and have demonstrated that, regardless of their starting points, they have all made excellent progress during their time here.
We are exceptionally proud of our students who leave Millthorpe School well prepared for their future education post-16.
Excellent results at Millthorpe
The celebrations are starting at Millthorpe School which has recorded excellent results in the new exams.
Here are the headlines:
- 66% of students achieved passes at grade 4 (equivalent to grade C) or better in both English and Mathematics; results improved by 6% this year
- 39% of students achieved the English Baccalaureate (grade 4 or better in English, Maths, two Sciences, a Modern Language and a Humanity)
- 42 students (1 in 4 of the total) gained 5 or more grades at 7/8/9 (equivalent to A/A* and above)
- 13 students (1 in 13 of the total) gained 10 or more grades at 7/8/9 (equivalent to A/A* and above)
Fantastic end to the year
Huntington headteacher John Tomsett said the impressive results demonstrate how every student does well at Huntington and every single examination entry matters. He said:
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In an era of unprecedented change in secondary education, our staff have worked tremendously hard to help our students achieve these outstanding results.
These best ever GCSE results come hot on the heels of our best ever A level results and are a fantastic end to the year during which we were judged to be Outstanding by OFSTED.
Huntington’s students have proven a match for the new, more challenging GCSE and A level examinations. I am sure that our relentless focus on improving the quality of teaching is at the heart of our students’ success.
‘Best ever’ results for Huntington
Huntington School is on a roll!
The school reports:
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On top of our A level performance, which put the quality of A level teaching in the top 1% of schools in the country, at Huntington School there has been around a 10% improvement on last year’s results at GCSE.
The 2018 GCSE results are far and away the best set of GCSE results Huntington students have ever attained.
Here are the headlines:
- English & Maths combined 4+: 83% (+10% on 2017)
- English Language 4+: 87% (+11% on 2017)
- Maths 4+: 85% (+6% on 2017)
- Ebacc grade 4+: 46% -12% on 2017
Twelve Huntington students attained five or more of the new grade 9s.
One student gained nine grade 9s, one grade 8, one grade 7 and an A* grade in Further Mathematics. She gained a grade 9 in all three Modern Languages – French, German and Spanish.
The new grades
It’s all new this year.
Under sweeping GCSE reforms in England, traditional A* to G grades have been replaced with a 9 to 1 system, with 9 the highest mark.
In general, a grade 7-9 is roughly equivalent to A-A* under the old system, while a grade 4 and above is roughly equivalent to a C and above.
In the subjects that are being awarded new grades for the first time, it is expected that broadly the same proportion of students that would have got a C or above under the old system will get at least a 4.
Fewer students will receive a grade 9 than would have received an A* under the old grading system. This is because part of the reason for introducing a new grading system was to allow more differentiation among the brightest students.
According to one estimate by Cambridge Assessment, as few as 200 candidates could get a clean sweep of grade 9s across all of their GCSEs this year.
It also means that this year, teenagers will get a mix of lettered and numbered grades, depending on the GCSEs they take.
A big day for so many
Welcome to the YorkMix live coverage of GCSE day today.
Get in touch – you can email us at [email protected] or tweet us at @theyorkmix.
And the very best of luck!