Students and staff at The Elms Academy in Clapham are celebrating this morning after GCSEs were awarded across the country.
This year, nearly half of Year 11s (49%) achieved a grade 5 or above in both English and maths, with three-quarters (75%) achieving at least a grade 4 in the two subjects. In English alone, an impressive 80% of students achieved a grade 5 or higher – with a third of the year group (33%) gaining a higher-level grade of 7 to 9.
Other subjects celebrating particular successes include GCSE Chinese, which has been a popular course at the school and which saw 100% of students achieving at least grade 4 this year. Music and performing arts also recorded 100% of students gaining a grade 5 or higher. Likewise, in History, an impressive 55% of students taking the subject achieved a grade 7 or above.
There were some particularly noteworthy individual performances from students, including:
- Aiden and Zieth, who each achieved eight grade 9s and two grade 8s;
- Jennifer, who achieved five grade 9s, four grade 8s and two grade 7s;
- Raqiya, who achieved four grade 9s, five grade 8s and one grade 7;
- Zahrah, who achieved three grade 9s, six grade 8s and one grade 7;
- Pietra, whose results included two grade 9s, one grade 8 and five grade 7s;
- Malaika, whose results included three grade 9s, five grade 8s and one grade 7;
- Habiba, whose results included two grade 9s, three grade 8s and four grade 7s;
- Airoa, whose results included two grade 9s, one grade 8 and five grade 7s.
Across the morning, as students celebrated many of them reflected on the hard work and determination they had put into their studies. They were also keen to thank staff and teachers for the encouragement they had received to be ambitious for themselves.
One student said:
“My teachers always believed in me and never gave up on me. They pushed me to do my best – better than I thought I could do. They gave me the best lessons, made us work really hard and now I have the best results to match. I am really proud of myself.”
Another student added:
“The teachers work so hard and come in to give us extra lessons after school, at weekends and the holidays. I am so grateful!”
With these GCSEs under their belt, students have been busy confirming their next steps. Many of the Year 11s will be choosing to return to the school’s Sixth Form this autumn to continue their studies at A Level. This follows the Sixth Form’s own successes last week, in which students celebrated some fantastic results and destinations – including two students securing places at the University of Oxford and many other Russell Group institutions and other high-quality options.
Amy Welch, Principal of The Elms Academy, said:
“Today has been a wonderful opportunity to celebrate with students and mark this important milestone in their school careers. This cohort made their transition into secondary school during the pandemic but through these challenges each student became an important member and contributor to our school community and their resilience has shone through. We are proud of what they have achieved in their GCSE qualifications but just as importantly how they are developing as young people with ambition, determination and integrity.
“It is brilliant that so many of this group will be returning to continue their studies at A Level and we know they all have such strong aspirations as they take their next steps, which we look forward to supporting.
“Our students have worked incredibly hard but today’s outcomes are also a testament to the impact of our staff and the relationships they have fostered with young people. I would like to thank colleagues for everything they do in their daily roles in support of our students.”