Students from schools in Hammersmith & Fulham were jumping for joy over GCSE results yesterday, August 21.

Among the headliners at Lady Margaret School in Fulham were Eliza Waskett and Lauren Constanti-Crosby, who each achieved 11 A* grades, and Hepzibah Rattray and Franke Greig, who each gained five A*s and six As.

Eliza, 16, said: “I’m quite shocked by how good my grades are, considering how I thought the exams went. I wasn’t certain at the time if I’d done well!”

 
Above: Rebecca Abdelmalak, 16, from Sacred Heart School

In Hammersmith, Sacred Heart High School star pupil Rebecca Abdelmalak, 16, took a leap towards her goal of studying medicine at Cambridge after nailing straight A*s in 13 subjects.

Rebecca admitted locking herself in her room for ‘months’ to earn top grades in chemistry, biology, physics, maths, statistics, English literature, religious education, maths, ICT, Arabic, core science, French and English language.

“I woke up really early before the exams because I couldn’t sleep,” she said: “I had butterflies for the entire morning and I thought I was going to have to run away! I didn’t want to do exams anymore but when I opened my results today I thought there had to have been some kind of mistake – I didn’t believe it!”

Her fantastic results mean she has secured a scholarship to Latymer Upper School to study biology, physics, chemistry and maths.

 
Above: Kenan Salkic, 16 (left) and Jayvee Mendoza from Burlington Danes

In Shepherd's Bush, future engineer and entrepreneur Kenan Salkic, of Wormholt Road, said hitting his high targets gave him the confidence to chase his ambitions.

“I’m thrilled, I’m happy, I’m excited, I’m glad!” said the 16-year-old student at Burlington Danes Academy. “I feel like all the hard work I have put in has paid off, especially with all the grade boundary changes and how it was supposed to be much more difficult than before. I have done better than I expected.”

At Burlington Danes, 75% of of students achieved five GCSEs graded A* to C - above the national average. The school's outgoing principal Dame Sally Coates says: " I am delighted with this year’s GCSE results. The students’ hard work and perseverance has really paid off. They have made incredible progress over the past years and I feel confident they will go on to make the most of their potential."

The top performing school this year was Sacred Heart High School in Hammersmith, where results improved on last year, with 94% of students achieving five or more A*-C grades in subjects, including maths and English – up 3% on last year.

There was a huge improvement at Phoenix High School in White City where the number of students achieving five or more A*-C grades in subjects, including maths and English, went up by 10% from last year.

There were 1,115 students sitting exams and of those, 64% got five or more A*-C grades (including English and maths) – above the national average last year of 59%.

Councillor Sue Macmillan, H&F Cabinet Member for Children and Education, says: "There are some incredible success stories this year and the students, their families and teachers should be very proud of their achievements."

The range of subjects being studied this year were wide and varied, ranging from art to Arabic, business studies to astronomy. There were also success stories for students doing BTEC qualifications and AS Levels.

It was an especially proud day for Fulham Enterprise Studio students – the first year group at this innovative school to sit national exams. They achieved highly in their chosen specialist subjects, like construction, where 75% of students gained an A* equivalent.

Bernie Peploe, executive principal of the Fulham College Academy Trust, saysP: " We are delighted at the excellent first round of results for Fulham Enterprise Studio and at the continuing success of our Fulham Cross girls and Fulham College boys. Their hard work and commitment and that of the teaching staff is reflected in the excellence of their achievement."

 

August 22, 2014