Croydon GCSE pupils excel in English and Maths

Croydon GCSE pupils excelled in English and Maths this year, provisional results show.

The percentage of pupils achieving grades 9 to 5 in the two subjects has increased to around 44 per cent – 2 per cent more than last year and above the national average in 2018.

Grades four and above are passing grades but national comparisons use grades between 9 and 5.
Melissa Biggs, 16, got 10 GCSEs, mostly eights and nines. The Oasis Academy Coulsdon pupil will be going to sixth form to study psychology, biology and textiles.

“I’m really pleased with my results. I studied pretty hard, I pretty much had no social life but it definitely paid off,” she said.

Andrew Booth, principal at Oasis Academy Coulsdon, said: “I’m very pleased, there’s been a lot of hard work and dedication from the staff and kids.

"It’s our tenth year of results and from that point of view I would argue it’s our best results ever.
"The students have done exceptionally well and these results will give them the opportunity to go to the colleges they want. Overall I’m very pleased.”
Sixteen-year-old Shea Williams, Croydon’s deputy young mayor and a pupil at Harris Academy South Norwood, was among the pupils collecting their results today, achieving three nines and seven eights.
She said: “I’m so proud of my results. I worked so hard for them. I came in with a bit of a blank state of mind I was a bit nervous but I knew I would get the results I deserved.”

Nick Soar, Executive Principal of Harris Academy South Norwood, said: “Today’s results reflect the many, many hours of hard work that our students have dedicated to their exams. They can feel justifiably proud of a strong set of results.

They achieved a strong set of results across a challenging and diverse set of languages, including Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish, French and Italian. Well done, congratulations and thank you to all students, as well as the inspirational teachers and parents who supported them through their examinations.”

Konrad Gogolewski collected 11 GCSEs including two eights, seven sevens, one six and one five from St Mary’s Catholic High School. “I’m most pleased with chemistry because that’s the subject that means the most to me and what I want to study,” he said.

Patrick Shields, headteacher at St Mary’s Catholic High School, said: “I’m delighted with the tremendous results that have been achieved this year. It’s been a lovely year group with young people who have done themselves, their parents and the school proud with their hard work.”

Councillor Alisa Flemming, cabinet member for children, young people and learning, said: “I’m tremendously proud of all our young people and what they have achieved and wish them all the best in their next adventures.

“It’s fantastic to see results improving at schools across the entire borough as young people take their next steps and start to choose their future.

“These outstanding results show how hard young people, teachers, parents and carers have worked over the last years.”