Headteacher Peter Woodman commented, “There was huge excitement, joy and some tears of relief as students opened envelopes to receive their GCSE results. Students have produced another bumper set of grades which exceed our best previous performance as a school.

This is the first year that students have been graded using a numerical system for maths and English. 83% of students achieved the new level 4 or standard pass or better in English and 83% achieved this in maths. 77% of students achieved both English and maths at a level 4 or above.

We are thrilled to see that all our students’ hard work has paid off. This year the exams in maths and English were harder with more content to cover and higher levels expected from students so it is gratifying to see that our headline figures have been sustained and improved on within this national context.”

With 239 students in the year group over 60% of all grades were at A*-B (or equivalent) and 31% of students achieved 5 or more GCSEs at grades A* or A (or equivalent). Over 81% of all grades achieved were A*-C (or equivalent). There were some stunning individual performances with 33 students or 14% of the year group achieving 8 or more GCSEs at A or A* grades (or equivalent). Top performers included Ella Clyne with 9 A*s and 2 9s, Rebecca Tanner with 7 A*s / 2 As and 9 and an 8,  Olivia Rodriguez with 6 A*s / 2 As and a 9 and an 8 and James Brew with 7 A*s / 2 As and a 9 and an 8.

Peter Woodman added, “We were thrilled to see so many students getting their target grades. These days are not just about those students getting the highest grades but about all students achieving the grades they need for their next step in education. The culture that we have developed here at The Weald means that students are prepared to work hard and be seen to work hard by their peers. It is fantastic to see the reaction from students when they see that all this hard work has paid off. We are particularly delighted at students’ performance on the new Progress 8 scale which measures progress from KS2 to KS4. Early indications suggest this will be very positive."