King’s Ely pupils achieve superb GCSE results

August 26, 2022

GCSE students at King’s Ely have displayed vigour and adaptability in abundance, resulting in a quarter of grades achieved being the maximum 9.

This year’s GCSE examinations were marked by external assessors for the first time since 2019. The percentage of Grade 9s, which is equivalent to higher than an A*, achieved by Year 11 students at King’s Ely has risen from 16 per cent to 24 per cent.

The percentage of Grades 9-8, which is the equivalent of an A*, has risen to 42 per cent this year, from 35 per cent in 2019. The percentage of Grades 9-7, the equivalent of A*-A, has increased to 59 per cent, from 56 per cent in 2019. 95 per cent of results this year are Grades 9-4, which is the equivalent of A*-C.

Three King’s Ely students have achieved all Grade 9s – congratulations to Lauren Booth, who earned 12 Grade 9s, and to Liam John Lau and James MacGillivray, who both achieved 11 Grade 9s.

Twelve students achieved at least ten Grades 9-8 – Thomas Alderton, Robert Banwell, Raphael Bisson, Hugh Chippington, Opher Gate, Elizabeth Grimsey, Rufus Hillier, Sophie Hillier, Lily McCallum, Elizabeth Newman, Sydney Smith and Jack Tisi.

Jonathan Shaw, Head of King’s Ely Senior, said: “We are extremely proud of our Year 11 pupils for a fantastic set of grades. Despite the challenges of the last two years, we are delighted that 42 per cent of all grades were Grade 8 and 9. This is a tremendous achievement and a just reward for all the hard work by the pupils and their teachers. Many pupils have excelled, with over 23 per cent of all grades awarded being Grade 9. As a year group, they have been fully involved in school life, performing in concerts, starring in plays and leading on the sports pitches. Well done on these excellent results.”

Lauren Booth, who has been at King’s Ely since joining King’s Ely Acremont Pre-Prep in Year 1, said: “I’m so pleased with my results and I’m also relieved. I didn’t sleep at all last night (24 August) as I was so nervous. I can’t wait for Sixth Form now!” Lauren is studying Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Music for her A-Levels and is staying at King’s Ely for Sixth Form. She hopes to pursue a career in engineering and/or music.

Thomas Alderton achieved 10 Grade 9s and one Grade 8. He joined King’s Ely Acremont Pre-Prep in Year 2 and is staying at King’s Ely Sixth Form to study Maths, Further Maths, Biology and Chemistry at A-Level. Thomas, who hopes to study a degree in biochemistry, said: “It has been such a long time since we have been assessed in this way, so I felt nervous about my results. I’m very pleased with my grades, it feels like all the hard work and revision has paid off. I’m really looking forward to all the new experiences in Sixth Form and studying subjects which I am passionate about in greater depth.”

Lily McCallum joined King’s Ely Acremont Nursery when she was a baby and is staying on for Sixth Form to study Spanish, Maths, Biology and Chemistry at A-Level. Lily achieved nine Grade 9s and two Grade 8s.

Hugh Chippington joined King’s Ely Senior in Year 9 and is staying on for Sixth Form to study all STEM A-Levels. Hugh has wanted to be an aeronautical engineer since he was aged seven.

As is reflective of an all-round education, King’s Ely students have achieved strongly in a range of GCSE subjects. Creative subjects, for which King’s Ely is internationally renowned, were strong once again this year, with 100 per cent of students achieving Grades 9-7 in Music, Textile Design and Photography.

The pass rate in Mathematics is 100 per cent and able mathematicians also achieved highly in the challenging Further Maths GCSE examination, with 88 per cent of the students who took this qualification achieving Grades 9-7. But Maths is not the only STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subject in which students have excelled this year. In Biology, Chemistry and Physics, nearly 50 per cent of all GCSE results were the top Grade 9.

John Attwater, Principal of King’s Ely, said: “It is easy to forget how disrupted the current GCSE generation’s education was in the crucial Year 9 and Year 10 stages where the foundations are laid for the exams they have just taken. Set against this backdrop, the humblest pass can be viewed as a real achievement demonstrating resourcefulness, adaptability and trust in the team around you, all things which will serve these students well in years to come and in some cases even more important to them than the subjects themselves. That this has been met and exceeded by so many throughout the country should make us all optimistic for the future. Well done to them, and at King’s especially our thanks go to teaching and examination staff, parents, friends and other supporters, and to the exam boards who have done really well to give students the best chance to show what they can do.”

Twenty pupils from all corners of the globe also received their results today having studied the one-year IGCSE programme at King’s Ely. The 25-week intensive course sees young people studying in their non-native speaking language, and the average number of subjects taken is six. After just two terms of face-to-face teaching, King’s Ely is delighted to report another excellent set of IGCSE grades, with the overall average being a Grade 7 (the equivalent of an A) across all subjects.

Special mention must go to four students who achieved an average of Grade 8 or above across their six subjects – Yixiang He, Hoi Lam Lee, Lok Hin Ong, and Fares Obeid. Fares achieved five Grade 9s and one Grade 8 in his six subjects, while Anders achieved three Grade 9s and three Grade 8s. Both Anders and Fares are looking forward to starting their A-Level studies at King’s Ely next month, as is most of the Year 11 cohort.

Matthew Norbury, Director for International Students at King’s Ely, said: “I am immensely proud of not just the one-year IGCSE results but also the achievements of our international students taking mainstream GCSEs and indeed A-Levels. Each year, students whose first language is not English and who have often been in the UK for only one or two years are able to demonstrate superb effort and determination and match this to high aspirations.”

King’s Ely received an ‘excellent’ rating in all areas following its latest ISI Inspection, recognising the highest levels of academic rigour, pastoral care, and opportunities outside the classroom. To discover more about opportunities at King’s Ely, please visit www.kingsely.org