IT WAS a very busy morning in the school library at Budehaven last Thursday as nervous but excited students collected their GCSE results.

Some took their envelopes into a corner of the library to open privately, others opened them with their parents and teachers, amidst gasps of delight, all receiving congratulatory hugs.

This is the first year group to attempt the new much more challenging GCSEs in English language, English literature and mathematics, where grades have been replaced by a number system graded 9 to 1.

Tracey Reynolds, headteacher, said: “Students and staff should be especially proud of our results this year. In a year of such change and volatility nationally, Budehaven students have stepped up and achieved some fantastic results. We are delighted to see the determination and ambition of students be rewarded in their GCSE results.”

Seven students achieve grade 9s. This new grade is even more difficult to attain than the old A* and is designed to recognise only the very highest performing students in the country. So huge congratulations go to Cerys O’Neil who achieved two grade 9s, Ellie Gregory, Abigail Wade, Liam Barbor, Amber Cummins, Zara Higham and Jamie Loader who all join the elite grade 9 club!

The school is also celebrating its best ever maths results with over 80% of students achieving their GCSE maths qualification. Maths built on its great results from last year and had a higher number of students than the national average achieving the new grade 9. English literature and English language also achieved results that are higher than national with 76% and 63% achieving their English qualifications.

Seventy three per cent of students achieved an English and a maths GCSE and three quarters of students achieved five or more good pass grades in their GCSEs.

Across the GCSE subjects at Budehaven, there were an impressive suite of grades at the very top end of the grading system. Budehaven art department impressed with a third of students achieving a top grade A*/A. In philosophy and ethics, 31% of students were celebrating top A grades. In geography and business studies, nearly 30% of students achieved an A*/A. The science department was celebrating core science results that were 11% higher than national results.

Head of Year 11, Mel Bardsley, was on hand to provide hugs and praise, along with encouragement for the next stage in students’ education. She was thrilled to see that students had achieved the grades required for their next steps, whether that be to those students who were delighted to know that they can now enrol next week onto A Levels and BTECs of their choice at Budehaven’s Sixth Form, to those moving on to specialise and harness their particular talents, such as heading to London to attend the Italia Conti Stage school, or joining a top equestrian college in the South East.

Darren Humphries, chair of governors, joined the students and staff in the school’s library and praised the students’ achievements. “Budehaven students and staff have worked extremely hard to achieve these results. I am pleased that their years at Budehaven have provided them with a springboard for even more success to come. Congratulations from all the governors.”

Enrolment for Budehaven’s Sixth Form takes place in the school library on Thursday, August 31. Enrol at any time between 9am and 12.30pm.