PUPILS across Sussex have been celebrating after receiving their GCSE results from the first exams sat since the start of the pandemic.
Schools in the city and across the county reported better results than when exams were last sat in 2019, with some - such as Dorothy Stringer in Loder Road, Brighton, and Seaford Head School bucking the national trend and improving on last year’s results.
Assistant headteacher at Seaford Head Jon Purdey described the results day as his “proudest moment in education”.
He said: “For the way that they have worked over the last five years, these young people fully deserve their incredible results and are now really well set for the future.”
Pupils did not let the morning downpour dampen their spirits as they celebrated with their peers, with some heading straight to Reading festival after receiving their results.
Students overcame disruption to their studies caused by the pandemic to achieve results in the first set of formal exams in three years to help them get into sixth form, apprenticeships and the world of work.
Eastbourne College pupil Zain, who achieved a Grade 9 in all his subjects, said: “It has been a tough and tumultuous GCSE journey, but I am thankful that a culmination of my hard work and guidance from teachers has helped me achieve all 9s.”
Roedean student Maria Veness put her success down to having to sit many mock exams ahead of the real thing, bagging eight Grade 9s and one Grade 8.
The 16-year-old from Hove said: “Honestly, it was really tricky to navigate all the uncertainty around the exams plus all the homeschooling beforehand, which really slowed down the pace of study - it is stressful being on a computer eight hours a day.
“I felt like every Sunday I would have to have a little word with myself about taking things steady for the week ahead and just handling what comes my way.”
Maria also paid tribute to her supportive parents and said: “I am an only child and during lockdowns, I just had my mum and dad and no one else.
“They were furloughed as they work in the airline industry, so they were totally there for me and helped me enormously and I am really grateful to them for it.”
Stan Knight from Lewes Old Grammar School, who celebrated achieving eight Grade 9s and two Grade 8s, paid tribute to his teachers for their efforts during the pandemic.
He said: “The pandemic certainly didn’t help things but somehow I managed to get into a rhythm and didn’t let the upheaval get in the way of my studies. The school and all my teachers were good at keeping things as normal as possible too.”
Along with the disruption of Covid, one student faced the challenge of being treated for a cancer diagnosis just weeks before the start of the new school year.
Srimukhi Kalakonda received the news a fortnight after her dad was also diagnosed with cancer, but managed to secure two Grade 9s, four Grade 8s and one Grade 7, despite undergoing surgery last summer.
Other students achieved amazing results while also accomplishing great successes outside of the classroom.
Roedean pupil Rose Owens completed a 13-hour-long swim across the Channel for charity just hours after completing her biology exam.
The 15-year-old joined five other girls to raise £7,000, which will go towards supporting a group of Ukrainian refugee students starting at the school in September.
Meanwhile, the fastest 16-year-old in England, Miles Waterworth, secured a golden set of results with nine Grade 9s and two Grade 8s, coming after becoming the under-17 800-metre champion representing England at the Schools International Athletic Board Championships in Belfast this summer.
The Brighton College student said he was “very happy” with his results and will now go to the school’s sixth form to continue both his studies and his athletics.
Deputy leader of Brighton and Hove City Council Hannah Clare congratulated the students and said they had done “incredibly well”.
She said: “You all should be very proud of everything you’ve achieved and I hope you are excited for whatever comes next.
“Young people getting results today have been through some very difficult times because of the pandemic. You have shown tremendous resilience and dedication.
“Staff at our schools, colleges and independent training providers have risen to the challenges they have faced and I am really grateful for all their hard work.”
On a national level, the proportion of GCSE entries from students receiving a Grade 4, considered a pass, dropped by almost four per cent from last year to 73.2 per cent, but remained above 2019 levels.
However, the divide between the highest and lowest-achieving areas in England widened, with a ten per cent difference in the number of top grades in the North East and Yorkshire - which was at the bottom of the table, compared to London.
Schools minister Will Quince has insisted closing the attainment gap is a “huge priority” for the government, but Labour have accused the Tories of having “failed” children over the regional disparities in results.
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