Haverhill GCSE results: Students at Castle Manor Academy, Samuel Ward Academy, Stour Valley Community School, Stoke College and Linton Village College celebrate
Students at Samuel Ward Academy and Castle Manor Academy in Haverhill‘bucked’ national trends to achieve an incredible set of GCSE results.
Despite the challenges they have faced over the last two years, there were many smiling faces among pupils as they found out their grades.
At Samuel Ward, headteacher Andy Hunter said the year group has shown great determination to achieve their results.
“We are absolutely delighted with the GCSE results that our students have earned this year,” he said.
“Across the country, schools are seeing a drop in grades from levels that teachers assessed last year. But our students have bucked that trend and gone on to achieve even more highly.
“The whole year group worked enormously hard and showed remarkable resilience and maturity. I congratulate each and every one of them, but particular mention has to go to Isabelle Miller and Sienna Sanders who each achieved a remarkable nine GCSEs at grade 9, and to Ryan Murphy who achieved seven grade 9s and two grade 8s.”
Sienna, who is now going to Hills Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge to study maths, further maths, biology and chemistry, said: “I am speechless. I didn’t think I’d get all nines.
“I knew I put in the work but I didn’t think I’d do this good.
“When I first started off it was a struggle and I was getting low grades in sciences, and then after focusing on revision I got better every time.”
Ryan Murphy was equally delighted with his results.
“I’m ecstatic. I’m a lot happier with them than what I thought I was going to be.”
Ryan got grade nines in maths, science, English language, geography and drama.
When asked about the challenges of the pandemic, he added: “It’s been okay. I’m glad that we weren’t disadvantaged at all. I’m glad they evened it out despite the interruption. I had amazing teachers.”
Daisy Mason also achieved nines and eight in her grades.
She said: “I think I did really well. I am really pleased with how I did.
“I’m so happy. It was really tough because Covid hit when I was in year nine so I lost loads of learning from that, but I just worked really hard and knuckled down.”
Daisy is hoping to go to Hills Road to study English literature, history and geography.
The 120 students in Castle Manor Academy's class of 2022 achieved incredibly well and shown huge resilience and determination over the past three years of disrupted education.
The students have experienced lockdowns during their Year 9 and 10 and then many have had a disrupted time in Year 11 with time away from school learning at home due to Covid illness or isolations.
Head of Year 11 Rebecca Bushell said: "These results are due to the absolute hard work and every day determination of these students.
"It has been an incredible journey with them, and I am certain that they will all go on to have amazing futures, congratulations to them all. "
Headteacher Vanessa Whitcombe said: "I am so proud of all of our students and their achievements.
"These results come from a huge amount of hard work in uncertain times and our young people have surpassed themselves.
"Our congratulations go to all of them, along with best wishes for their next steps.
"They have been expertly supported by teachers and support staff and of course parents, and I would like to thank everyone involved in helping our students to reach their goals."
The school's head girl, Joni André, 16, was delighted with her seven GCSE's all at grade five and above, a VCert in Business and an RSL in Dance.
Joni, who now plans to study four A-levels at Haverhill Community Sixth Form, said: "I'm over the moon with the maths but I'm happy with everything."
Alex Hall, 16, of Haverhill, got three grade 8s, two grade 7s and three grade 6s, but it was his one grade 9 that most pleased him.
He said: "My highest is in physics and I got a grade 9, which is quite good because I want to do that further on at A-level. Maths was alright. I got an eight in the mocks so I sort of expected it. It went okay."
Alex is now heading to Hills Road to study chemistry, maths, further maths and physics.
Tamsin Rayment, 16, of Haverhill, was delighted with her two grade 9s, four grade 7s, two grade 6s and one grade 5 and now intends to take A-levels in English literature, history and sociology.
She said: "I got a nine in history and in English language. I am very happy. I'm most pleased with the history I think, because I did a lot of work for it."
Kadence Lester gained two grade 9s, one grade 8, four Grade 7s and one grade 6 and is off to West Suffolk College to study Art & Design Level 3.
The 16-year-old, of Haverhill, said: "I am really pleased. I just wasn't expecting it at all. In maths I didn't think I would get any higher than a four and I got a seven."
Another student to excel was Callum Thompson, who achieved six grade 9s and two grade 8s and is now off to Cambridge Regional College to study Game Design Level 3.
Stour Valley Community School in Clare marked two years of 'unprecedented disruption' with some excellent results.
Molly Anderson achieved eight grade 9s, one grade 8 and one grade 6, and will go on to study maths, further maths, physics and psychology at Hills Road in Cambridge.
Jessica Sibley achieved six grade 9s and four grade 8s. She will study music performance at West Suffolk College in Bury St Edmunds.
Headteacher Rachel Kelly said: “After such unprecedented disruption to their education in the past two years, we are delighted to see their hard work and resilience recognised and we are particularly pleased to see that so many of them made such good progress, way beyond expectations, from their individual starting points, at every level.
"All the staff at Stour Valley congratulate each and every one of the class of 2022 and wish them all the very best for the future as they move onto the next stage of their education."
Students at Linton Village College were praised by their principal for their 'resilience and hard work'.
Helena Marsh said: "Our students have demonstrated great resilience and hard work, in spite of significant turbulence to their education in recent years."
Particular success stories, added Mrs Marsh, include Rose Wallace, who achieved grade 9s across all ten of her subjects making her the highest performing student at LVC this summer.
Other pictured high flyers include Kristen Barry, who secured nine grade 9s and two grade 8s, Evan Partridge, who got eight grade 9s, two grade 8s and a grade 7 and Aisha Jawaid, who obtained seven grade 9s, two grade 8s, two grade 6s and an A grade in the Level 3 Free Standing Maths qualification.
Twins, Ben and Alex Clarke, also scooped an amazing set of GCSE results. Ben averaged a grade 9 across all of his subjects and Alex averaged a grade 8.
Both have been "exemplary in their independent revision and work ethic", said Mrs Marsh.
Miku Archer not only achieved a string of top GCSE grades (six grade 9s, two grade 8s and two grade 7s) but also won a silver medal competing for England in the Cadet (U17) Men's Foil category at the recent Commonwealth Fencing Championships.
Mrs Marsh added: "There are many achievements and educational journeys to celebrate and recognise today.
"We wish all of our young people all the best for the next step in their learning and their lives."
At Stoke College, in Stoke by Clare, students achieved excellent GCSE results, with nearly a quarter in the top 9-7 (A*-A in grade terms), and half at 9-6 (A*-B).
Faye Shane, academic leadership team member, said: “I’m so impressed with the determination and spirit of this cohort of students.
“They have faced previously unimaginable challenges over the past few years, yet have applied themselves to their studies with diligence and enthusiasm to great reward.
“We are absolutely delighted with our students’ achievements.”
Star performers, Ruby, Adam and Oliver, join several new students who are taking up Mark Wang Scholarships for Stoke College Sixth Form.
Ruby said: “I am unbelievably happy and proud of my fantastic achievements. I cannot put into words how happy I am and how grateful I am for all of the support, encouragement and inspirational teaching.
"I am looking forward to my new journey into the Sixth Form – a whole new adventure, making new friends and studying in greater depth.”
Principal, Dr Gareth Lloyd, commented: “I am so proud of our students and staff. Today’s GCSE results are a testament to the incredible academic work of our entire Stoke community: students, staff and our ever-supportive parents.
"I am naturally thrilled to see our top performers achieve outstanding results.
"I am especially delighted for those students who worked exceptionally hard under the guidance of our inspirational teachers and who achieved and surpassed all expectations.”
