Schools Across Fulham Celebrate GCSE Gold Standards
Councillor says it is 'heartening to see great results in challenging year'
According to provisional figures for 2017 from schools across the borough, the total this year was 68%, up 4% on last year.
This year the new numbered grades - from a low Grade 1, to a high Grade 9 - were introduced for English and mathematics only.
Grade 4 is the standard pass, and Grade 5 a strong pass.
Grade 7 is an old-style A, Grade 8 and A*, and Grade 9 pushes the bar even higher with the equivalent of an A** - a 'super grade' achieved
Other subjects were marked on the old system for the last time this year, before switching to numbered grades next summer.
Students at Hurlingham Academy in Peterborough Road achieved a "stunning" set of GCSE results – just a few years after its predecessor on the same site, Hurlingham and Chelsea School was under Ofsted special measures.
In a third consecutive year of significant improvement, 72% of students achieved five or more A* to C grades including 4 or above in both English and maths – up from 63% in 2016 and the highest ever.
The journeys travelled by many of the students made the results all the more remarkable.
Take Sunday Eguaroje, 16, was in the top 3% in England who achieved the new 'super grade' 9 in Maths.
Take only arrived in London from his native Nigeria in October 2016, midway through the course, yet has also managed six A grades, not to mention a 7 in English Lit and a 6 in English Language. Now he’s off to college to study maths, further maths, physics and chemistry at A level.
Equally impressive is Maria Pahat, who came to the UK from Romania a year ago. She gained the very top 9 in English lit, four A* grades, one A, one B, a starred distinction in IT and a 7 in English language.
Another success story is 15-year-old Ben Ntumba, who achieved grade 9s in maths and English lit, four A*s, two As, a starred distinction in IT and a B in music.
Principal Leon Wilson is delighted by the Fulham school's transformation."I’m very, very pleased," he said. "The journey we’re on will transform Hurlingham into one of the best schools in London… and I can’t wait to get back to work again in September.
"It’s all about the community we have here. The teachers enjoy coming to work because of the system, culture and disruption-free environment."
Maddies rule at Lady Margaret. Maddie Balada, Maddie Crump and Maddie Sanderson, pictured above were all among the stars of another dazzling year at the Parsons Green school.
Among Maddie Crump’s 11 GCSEs were A* grades in French, Spanish, Chemistry and History, and an 8 in the new English Lit exam. The 16 year-old will now return to the Lady Margaret sixth form to study Chemistry, Biology and Spanish at A level.
Maddie Sanderson, 16, achieved a sky-high 9 in the new English Language exam, an 8 in Maths, then straight A*s (but for one A) in her other subjects.
Maddie Balado, also 16, is also moving to college for A Level, so she can take PE alongside Biology and Psychology plus Textiles as a fourth subject. Eventually she’d love a career in nutrition.
She, too, swept the board with her results. "I’ll miss the people here,” she said. “It’s quite a small school, very homely, and I’ve really liked it."
At Lady Margaret, 88% of girls achieved the equivalent of A* to C grades at GCSE, with 34 girls out of 115 gaining at least eight subjects at the top two grades.
Headteacher Elizabeth Stevenson said: " It’s all about the girls. In among all these statistics, it’s about the individuals. That’s what matters most. All change is difficult and our English and Maths teachers especially have had to work very hard."
Among the students celebrating results at London Oratory is Peter Fadian, who is one of only 3% in England to get a 9 in the new format Maths exam, plus a top grade 9 in English Lit.
The rest of Peter’s 10 GCSEs were either A* or A, setting him on course to ultimately gain a British Army university scholarship.
Another high flier was James Coltman, 16. All ten of James’s grades were A* or A, with top 9s in English and English Lit, and an impressive 8 in Maths. He is staying on at London Oratory to study maths plus history and Latin at A level and economics at AS level.
Acting deputy head Gary Howells was particularly impressed by the way students and staff had coped with alterations to this year’s GCSEs. "As ever, we’re delighted with how well our pupils have done," he said. "The changes have undoubtedly been challenging for students and teachers, but it looks like everyone’s risen to that challenge."
"To see such great results in such a challenging year, is beyond heartening," says Cllr Sue Macmillan, H&F Cabinet Member for Children and Education.
"Many of our students have been personally affected by the Grenfell Tower disaster; but also there has been a restructuring of the grading system that has provided a new challenge for students and staff alike.
"Great teaching continues to bring great results in the borough,” said Cllr Macmillan. “The challenge now is to show these young people a pathway to the next stage in their life: be that in education, employment or training."
August 30, 2017