GCSE results - live blog (From Hereford Times)

4:09pm

Powys County Council have released this statement:

Yet again pupils have achieved excellent GCSE results in Powys in the 2012 WJEC examinations.

Almost seven out of 10 results (69.8 per cent) are at grades A*to C and more than one in five (21.4 per cent) are at the highest grades A* to A, maintaining the excellent performance of Powys schools in recent years.

Results at grades A* to B have increased substantially (by 3.2 per cent) from 2011 and results at grades A* to C have increased by nearly 1 per cent.

The percentage of grades A* to C in Powys is more than 4 per cent higher than in Wales as a whole and the overall pass rate of grades A* to G in Powys has increased slightly to 99.3 per cent, 0.6 per cent higher than in Wales as a whole.

This year's results at the highest grades A* to A at 21.4 per cent are more than 2 per cent higher than in Wales as a whole and the percentage of results at grades A* to B at 42.8 per cent is more than 4 per cent higher than in Wales.

The increase in performance at the highest grades in Powys is at odds with Wales as a whole where performance has fallen slightly when compared to 2011. Little change is expected in the overall figures when results from other Examination Boards are added as approximately 90 per cent of examination entries are with WJEC.

These results maintain the high standards seen in previous years' performance and remain consistently above the all-Wales averages. The overall pass rate in Powys at a little over 99 per cent is also slightly higher than the corresponding figure for England as is performance at grades A* to C.

In addition, many pupils have also achieved equivalent qualifications in vocational subjects.

Stephen Rogers, Powys County Council's Head of Schools, said: "Our warm congratulations go to all pupils for achieving such excellent results which demonstrate their great commitment and hard work.

"This is made possible by the support they receive from dedicated teaching and support staff in all our schools and also from their families."

4:00pm

John Kyrle High School in Ross-on-Wye have released the following statement:

John Kyrle High School has celebrated its best ever GCSE results with 63 per cent of the cohort gaining five+ A* to C grades, including English and maths, and 86 per cent of the cohort achieving five or more GCSEs at Grade C or above. 

Following its outstanding A-level results last week, the school was also very pleased with the results of its high-ability students who will be joining the Sixth Form in September,  with 44 per cent of the year group attaining at least three or more GCSE grades at A*/A.

Headteacher Nigel Griffiths said he was delighted for students, parents, staff and governors, all of whom had worked very hard to achieve these standards. He said it was a fantastic end to the summer and a fitting way to celebrate the school’s first full year as a New Convertor Academy.

He pointed out that the strong performance across all subject areas reflected very well upon the school’s multi-specialist status. Mr Griffiths noted: "The school’s excellent performance is based upon students achieving in traditional subjects, such as modern languages, which are considered more difficult but which we see as essential for their all-round education and future Higher Education and employment opportunities."

3:43pm

Fairfield High School have released this statement:

Headteacher at Fairfield High School, Sue Gaston, is utterly delighted to announce that Fairfield has bucked the national trend of falling GCSE grades with students again achieving 99 per cent five A* to C grades – for the second year running.

"We are even more excited to share the news that our headline figure of five A* to C grades, including English and maths, has increased by 7 per cent on last year's exceptional result to an outstanding 79 per cent, maths achieving 83 per cent and English 88 per cent respectively.

"Fairfield is a small school, but our ambition for our students is huge; we have achieved these thrilling results through the excellent team work between staff, parents and students.  Many congratulations are due to everyone concerned."

3:37pm

Hereford Cathedral School released this statement:

Pupils at Hereford Cathedral School have achieved record numbers of A* grades at GCSE, as more than one in three of all grades (38 per cent) attained were at the top A* level.  As was the case last year, over three-quarters (83.5 per cent) of all grades were at least a B grade, with over half (62.7 per cent) of all grades at A* or A. 

The School’s ability to excel in traditionally ‘difficult’ subjects was highlighted by all 18 additional maths candidates achieving either an A* or A.  Meanwhile the School’s chemistry department enjoyed a record year, with 98 per cent of all grades achieved being either an A* or A grade. In total, 10 of the school’s 21 subjects studied at GCSE witnessed 100 per cent A* to C pass rates; six of these achieving 100 per cent four years running (biology, chemistry, physics, English language, music and PE).

Headmaster Paul Smith said: “These are excellent results and I am delighted for the pupils, the staff and, of course, the pupils’ parents.

“This year’s results continue the pattern set by our A-level students last week, and further support our status as the leading school in Herefordshire and one of the leading schools in the country.”

3:27pm

The Bishop of Hereford’s Bluecoat School released this statement:

Students, parents and staff at The Bishop of Hereford’s Bluecoat School are absolutely delighted by another set of excellent examination results.

2012 has seen the school achieve its ‘best ever’ results; 87 per cent of students achieved five A*to C grades, while 71 per cent achieved five A*to C grades including English and mathematics.

The results, which surpass even last year’s record breaking achievement, are testimony to the hard work of students and staff and the school’s high aspirations for every student. We are particularly pleased with GCSE mathematics and science results; 82 per cent of the students passed mathematics with a C or above, while 92 per cent achieved a C or above in science.

3:23pm

Weobley High School have released this statement:

This has been another very strong year for GCSE results at Weobley.

Pupils have performed extremely well with 92 per cent achieving five or more high-grade GCSEs.

They have performed particularly well in core subjects with 92 per cent achieving at least one high-grade GCSE in science and 76 per cent achieving a high-grade GCSE in mathematics. Five or more A* to C, including GCSE English and mathematics, reached 61 per cent.

3:11pm

Wigmore School have released this statement:

Congratulations to all Year 11 pupils at Wigmore School in yet another record breaking year.

Every pupil achieved five or more A*to C grades, giving the school a 100 per cent higher pass rate. The number of A* or A grades increased to an outstanding 44 per cent.

Mr Shaw, headteacher, said: "Our Year 11 pupils have once again produced record results. More importantly, they leave behind a trail of great memories that can’t be measured. They were excellent ambassadors for Wigmore and will be greatly missed."

3:01pm

3:00pm

Monmouth School and Haberdashers’ Monmouth School for Girls have released this statement:

Monmouth School and Haberdashers’ Monmouth School for Girls (HMSG) were delighted with this year’s excellent results as the Schools celebrated their first cohort of iGCSE Science results alongside their usual GCSE results.

The schools switched to iGCSE in biology, chemistry and physics, a more rigorous examination equivalent to an old O Level, to ensure that all their students were stretched and better able to face the challenges of A-level and university.

Alongside many other of the top schools in the UK, as iGCSE results are not counted in national league tables, the schools will only appear in A-level league tables this year.

Haberdashers’ Monmouth School for Girls achieved a 96.82 per cent pass rate (A* to C grade) and Monmouth School achieved a 95.5 per cent pass rate.

The A*/A grades at HMSG were 67.2 per cent, with 27 girls (32 per cent of the cohort) achieving A*/A in every subject.  Monmouth School recorded 58.3 per cent A*/A grades.

2:50pm

Lucton School have released this statement:

Ninety-five per cent of Lucton students achieved five A* to C grades with this excellent set of results, the second highest percentage in recent years. Nearly a third of all exams taken achieved A or A* grades and nearly two-thirds were A* to B grades.

This is the second year in the last three that this percentage has been over 90 per cent, demonstrating a consolidation of the improving academic results at Lucton.

As you might expect, Lucton’s headmistress, Mrs Gill Thorne, is delighted by the results.

She said: "Being a mixed ability school, we are used to variable results, but any selective grammar school would be proud of the 95 per cent five A* to C grades. I am particularly pleased with the consolidation in our top grades following the last two years’ record results. Many of our Year 11 students are staying on and it is really promising for Lucton’s growing Sixth Form.”

2:42pm

A statement from Malvern St James Girls' School said:

Malvern St James Girls’ School once again celebrated excellent GCSE examination results today, marking yet further outstanding academic and personal achievements for the girls this year.

The GCSE results show an exceptional 58 per cent of all grades awarded were A*- A. The maths department is celebrating record-breaking results, achieving 74 per cent of all grades at A*- A; likewise the physics department with 96 per cent of grades at A*- B; whilst the drama and food technology departments gained a stunning 100 per cent at A* - A.

Headmistress Patricia Woodhouse said: "All credit to the girls and their teachers who have given their school so much to be proud of today. We wish these young women ongoing success with their A-level studies here at MSJ, where their future is clearly very bright!".

2:21pm

From Facebook: Stephanie Presdee: "...totally beaming .....all my daughters hard work paid off. She deserves her place at Sheffield Uni reading Bio medicine."

2:16pm

Monmouth Comprehensive School released this statement:

Students at Monmouth Comprehensive School achieved an outstanding set of examination results. Following on from the highest ever grades achieved at A-level last week, students surpassed all previous records at the school. Eighty-six per cent of students achieved the core indicator of  five A* to C grades, with over 45 per cent of all grades being the two highest.

Mr. Davies, the Headteacher, said “Students, teachers and parents working together ensure success. Our students, our parents, our teachers and support staff, along with our community, should be very proud.”

2:10pm

Earl Mortimer College and Sixth Form Centre released this statement:

The first ever cohort of students to complete their GCSE (or equivalent) examinations at the newly built £22million Earl Mortimer College and Sixth Form Centre in Leominster have beaten the new National Targets.

Principal Adrian Long said: "We are proud of our students and their teachers for their outstanding achievements. Maths and the sciences achieved some of their best ever pass rates. Attainment at the new College is up again, year on year, which gives a real vote of confidence for the future of our community’s young people".

1:58pm

Sue Woodrow, headteacher at Aylestone Business and Enterprise College said:

"Aylestone Business and Enterprise College are very pleased that results across the board have been very strong again this year, with 89 per cent of students achieving five A*-C GCSE or equivalent grades.

Many students achieved A and A* grades, and representative of these high achieving students are Rebecca Howarth and Martin Haines who achieved  9A and 7A* and 13A and 2A* respectively."

1:50pm

From Facebook: Carly Bauert: "Both children off to the Hereford Art College :-)"

1:46pm

Gary House, the headteacher at Lady Hawkins School in Kington, said:

Due to the diverse nature of external accreditation offered at the school not all the results are confirmed to date. At present 28 per cent of our students have achieved the English Baccalaureate benchmark, 98 per cent gained five A*-G, 61 per cent gained  five A*-C grades and 43 per cent have gained five A*- C including good grades in English and mathematics.

Linked with our very successful OFSTED inspection of February 2011 in which the school was graded “Good with Outstanding features” these results show that the school community is working together to raise achievement and build a strong foundation of success for life-long learning. This has come about through the hard work and partnership of students, staff, parents and governors.

I want to say ‘well done’ to all concerned.

1:34pm

Whitecross Hereford High School and Specialist Sports College have released this statement:

2012 has proved a record year for Whitecross Hereford: High School and Specialist Sports College. Celebrating their best ever GCSE results where 58 per cent of students achieved five or more A* to C grades including English and maths.

Students also excelled in English and mathematics where over 70 per cent of students achieved an A* to C grade in English and 72 per cent A* to C grade in mathematics; the highest ever figures in the school’s history.

Denise Strutt, headteacher said: "We have always been totally committed to achieving the highest grades so that our students can compete with the best both locally and nationally. The results this year reflect our wonderful students who constantly amaze us with their passion for life and willingness to go the extra mile. On behalf of the senior leaders in school and the Governors I would like to recognise the dedication of our teachers and the support of parents."

1:22pm

Bromyard's Queen Elizabeth Humanities College released this statement:

Queen Elizabeth Humanities College is once again delighted to celebrate great GCSE results. Sixty-five per cent of students achieved five or more A* - C grades including English and maths: once again the school outperforms the national average.

Headteacher, Dr Michael Goodman said, "I am pleased that we have consolidated the progress we have been making over the past three years and I am confident that next summer will see another record year for results. QEHC has certainly turned the corner and  achievement is now part of the culture of the school."

Already the school is on course for outstanding results in 2013 with 69 per cent of year 10 students gaining A*-C as part of the school’s early entry in English including 20 per cent gaining the top grades of A or A*. Additionally year 10 students have achieved significantly well in Religious Studies.

1:04pm

Clive Lambert, the headteacher at St Mary's RC High School, said:

"We are very pleased by the achievements of our young people at GCSE this year. The overall figure of 87 per cent 5 A*-C grades is the second highest the school has achieved. Including English and maths the provisional figure is around 64 per cent.

This year the girls have outperformed the boys after last year's reversal with over 70 per cent of them obtaining 5 or more GCSEs with English and maths and 91 per cent 5 A* - C grades overall, an excellent achievement.

St Mary’s is very proud of all its students and wish them well for the future; also we would like to thank parents for their considerable support of the school and children. As head teacher I would like to say thank you to all the staff of St Mary’s for another successful year."

12:43pm

John Masefield High School in Ledbury have released this statement:

Following on from last week’s outstanding A-level results, Year 11 GCSE results at John Masefield broke their highest ever average points score per student, with an average score of 537 points which is far in excess of the national average.

 Ninety-seven per cent of students gained 5 A* - C grades, with 61 per cent achieving 5 or more A* - C grades including English and maths.

Thirty-one per cent of students achieved the English Baccalaureate qualification, again a figure well above the national average.

Eighty-seven per cent of all results were at grade C or higher and 32 per cent of entries resulted in A* or A grades which is a great achievement and testament to the commitment to provide an outstanding comprehensive education for all students at John Masefield High School.

Results in maths were extremely impressive with 80 per cent of students receiving a grade C or higher. In biology 55 per cent of students received an A* or A grade and in each of chemistry, English literature, French, geography, German, history and physics over 40 per cent of the students gained an A* or A grade.

These well-deserved results are the product of an excellent work ethic from students, strong support from parents and dedicated teaching and mentoring provided by staff.

Headteacher Andy Evans said: "These impressive results have are a product of consistent application and dedication from our students. Whilst the number of A* and A grades are particularly high, I am equally proud of every one of the students and know how hard they have worked to achieve their grades."

10:00am

9:50am

Christ College, Brecon have released this statement:

Pupils receiving their GCSE results at Christ College, Brecon today are celebrating a haul of top A* grades, with more than one in five achieving the grade.

There were particularly outstanding performances in art and photography, where 83 per cent of grades were awarded the A*, confirming the school’s longstanding record of excellence in the creative arts.

Pupils studying the sciences also had cause for celebration with 34 per cent of grades in chemistry, physics and biology at A*, while in mathematics one in four grades achieved was an A*.

Pupils studying French also stepped up to the mark with a third of grades awarded achieving the top A* result.

Nearly half of all grades achieved the A*/A grade.

Head teacher of Christ College, Emma Taylor, said: "One size doesn’t fit all at GCSE and we have a uniquely flexible GCSE choices system at Christ College, so that a very creative pupil can pursue several creative subjects, a strong scientist can gain A* grades in 3 separate sciences and a budding linguist can shine in more than one language.

"It is great to see so many pupils justifying these choices, playing to their strengths and producing excellent grades after working impressively hard with the close support and mentoring of tutors and teaching staff."

She added: "In a highly competitive university environment, where many institutions sift out applications on the basis of GCSE grades, these pupils have taken the first step in giving themselves a range of choices after school. They have also laid the foundations for the next two years of specialist study at A level, and I am excited about what they will achieve as they move on to the Sixth Form.”

9:28am

9:22am

The Hereford Academy has released this statement:

The Hereford Academy is delighted to announce their best ever GCSE results.

Principal John Sheppard said: "An outstanding overall performance with 95 per cent of students achieving 5A* - C.  

"English and mathematics obtained our best ever results in these subjects. In addition to this we have achieved outstanding results from subject areas which include health and social care, art and science - again, the best results to date. 

"Particular thanks must go to all staff for their commitment and to the students’ parents and carers for their loyalty and encouragement. Congratulations to our hard working students for achieving their personal best".

The Hereford Academy moved to a brand new state of the art building in September 2011, creating a brilliant environment for our students. We are delighted that the new building has inspired our students and we will continue to build on our success.