GCSE EXAM SUCCESS
Warminster School’s GCSE pupils have rounded off a summer of exam success by performing strongly in this year’s GCSE examinations. Set against a context of increased rigour and a new grading system, our Year 11 pupils achieved well above national average in all subjects. Of particular note is the cohort’s performance in mathematics, where the School has enjoyed steady, year-on-year improvement in recent years. This year’s pupils have achieved a 99% pass rate, with a third of the pupils achieving an A* or A grade at IGCSE or a Level 9, 8 or 7 in the new GCSE. To further challenge the top pupils, an additional, very demanding Further Mathematics certificate was taken with three A* with distinction grades and 42% of pupils entered gaining an A* or A grade. The performance in the separate sciences likewise offers cause for celebration, with 59% of pupils entered gaining an A* or A grade.
In Modern Foreign Languages, 60% of pupils gained an A* or A grade; this is against a backdrop of national figures which show a worrying and significant decline in the number of pupils taking a language at GCSE.
While many pupils exceeded expectations, there were some outstanding individual performances: Jade Hartley achieved 11 top grades, comprising nine A* grades, a Level 9 in the new Mathematics GCSE and an A* with distinction in the demanding Further Mathematics course. Benjamin James, Sophie Watson, Shelby Pickands, Katherine Caldwell, Lucie Brinker and Alex Wong all achieved highly, gaining 25 A* and 20 A grades between them.
We look forward to welcoming back our many talented Year 11 pupils next term, ready to start the A Level or International Baccalaureate Programme in the Sixth Form.
Headmaster Mark Mortimer commented: “As with the A Level and IB results, I am proud of the Year 11 pupils and delighted that the great majority of them have fulfilled their potential and achieved the best results of which they are capable. As a year group, they have had to deal with much national uncertainty about new examinations and grades; they have responded with aplomb. I look forward to welcoming them back for their sixth form studies.”