GCSE results and reaction from across Greater Yarmouth: how did your school do

Students and staff at Ormiston Venture Academy in Gorleston celebrate their GCSE results (Image: Archant)

There were smiling faces at Flegg High School in Martham where 58pc of students achieved five or more A*-C grades including English and maths - up 7pc on last year, and 67pc achieved five or more A*-Cs.

Flegg High School students on GCSE results day (Image: Archant)

At Ormiston Venture Academy, Gorleston, nearly 3 out of 10 students achieved at least three A*-A’s, 60pc of students achieved five or more A*-Cs including English and maths, and 96pc achieved five or more A*-C.

Flegg High School students Olivia Bayfield, 16, and Claudia Green, 15, on GCSE results day (Image: Archant)

At Caister High School, there was a fall from 46pc to 42pc in students getting five or more A*-C including English and maths, while 61.5pc achieved at least five A*-Cs.

Headteacher George Denby said the fall was “a direct result of altered controlled assessment modes and adjustments to boundaries that seem unique to schools favouring the Welsh board in English this year, similar to those schools who used the AQA board last year.”

At Acle Academy, 52.2pc of students got five or more A*-C including English and maths - down from 56pc last year, while 68pc achieved five A*-C - down from 73pc.

Disappointment too at Cliff Park High School in Gorleston where 38.3pc achieved five or more A*-C - a significant fall from last year’s 57.4pc. However, over 70pc of students achieved five A*-C grades.

Friday update: Results from Lynn Grove High School in Gorleston have yet to be released to the Mercury.

Norfolk County Council said today’s GCSE results have come in what is reported to be one of the toughest years since the qualifications were introduced.

County-wide, provisional results show that 54pc of pupils gained five A* to C grades, including English and maths, compared with 55.6pc in 2012 (a 1.6 percentage point decrease).

This is a dip that is expected to be reflected nationally after reports of tougher exams in English, maths and science and a drop in A*-C grades overall.

Mick Castle, cabinet member for education and schools at Norfolk County Council, said: “Students and teachers have put a huge amount of effort into these exams and deserve recognition for their work.

“The dip in performance appears to be a national one and reflects the government’s drive to make the exam system tougher. “However, we already had a significant task in Norfolk in supporting and challenging schools to raise levels of achievement and that focus will intensify with the additional funding we have made available. We will be unyielding in our efforts to support schools to improve.

“We have many good and outstanding schools in Norfolk and several schools that have posted significant improvements this year – despite these more challenging exams. Our focus now is to get these schools and teachers working with those that need extra help, sharing best practice to ensure that there is excellence across the board for Norfolk’s children and young people.”

Here are the results and reactions in full:

Flegg High School, Martham -

58pc (54pc in 2012)

67pc (70pc in 2012)

“We are delighted that so many of our students have achieved excellent results, rewarding their hard work and commitment and recognising the support of their parents and all the staff and governors in the school. We are very pleased that our results are better than last year and that our key headline figure of 5A*-C (inc Eng and Maths) has increased by 7% from 2012. This will provide a firm foundation for further necessary improvements in the coming years. We wish all our students every success as they head on to their next challenge.” - Dr Simon Fox, principal.

Great Yarmouth High School -

40pc (45oc in 2012)

53pc (58pc in 2012)

“We are on a journey of improvement – behaviour and work ethic are now so much better, and I am very proud of our students’ achievements. There is still a way to go and I am disappointed with the fall in headline A* to C grades including English and Maths – it should be far higher. This a direct result of altered criteria in English that seem unique to schools following the Welsh Board this year, similar to those schools using the AQA board last year. We will of course be challenging this discrepancy.

“Can I send particular congratulations to Daniel Beddoes, Daria Dlugosz and Christopher Harris, all of whom achieved 5 or more passes at A* and A, and all those young people who worked hard to achieve.” - Wendy Missons, headteacher.

Ormiston Venture Academy, Gorleston -

60pc (59pc in 2012)

96pc (96pc in 2012)

“This is a fantastic set of results for our students and I would like to congratulate each and every one of them on their achievements. It is great to see that at Venture we have a culture of success matched to the student’s high aspirations. The students and staff deserve to celebrate these outstanding results.” - Simon Gilbert-Barnham, principal.

Caister High School -

42pc (46pc in 2012)

61.5pc (61.49pc in 2012)

“We are disappointed in the fall of headline figures of A* to C grades including English and Maths. This is as a direct result of altered controlled assessment modes and adjustments to boundaries that seem unique to schools favouring the Welsh board in English this year, similar to those schools who used the AQA board last year.” - George Denby, headteacher.

Acle Academy -

52.2pc (56pc in 2012)

68pc (73pc in 2012)

“Despite some outstanding individual student performances, there is no disguising the fact that these are disappointing results” - Tim Philips headteacher.

Cliff Park High School, Gorleston -

38.3pc (57.4pc in 2012)

73.6pc (73.1pc in 2012)

“We are extremely disappointed with a fall in the headline figure of A* to C grades, including English and Maths. Other schools using Welsh Board GCSE English have seen a similar decline.

However, over 70% achieved 5 A* - C grades, comparing favourably with other schools with many students achieving highly encouraging results. Particular congratulations go to Charlotte Howard, Shona Hepworth and Matthew Wigmore who each achieved 14 grade A/A*s.

It is pleasing to report that 66% of pupils achieved a grade C or above in Maths, above the national benchmark for the second consecutive year,” - Rob Sherington, headteacher.

•Lynn Grove High School results to come.