Students at Varndean School have improved their GCSE exam results with 61 per cent of students gaining five A* to C GCSE passes, including English and mathematics. This improvement is the school’s best ever and is particularly impressive given the worsening national trend.
GCSE results: the big picture
Early estimates indicate that the new government measure of Progress 8 for Varndean is +0.22. This means that students at Varndean improve their grades by an average of +0.22 more than expected based on previous key stages. Progress 8 has effectively replaced value added as the measure which shows how much a particular school boosts student performance.
Nine students achieved ten or more A* or A grades and almost 20 per cent of all students achieved five or more A* or A grades.
Forty per cent of all grades awarded were A* to B and three students achieved a Level 3 extended project qualification usually reserved for sixth form students, two of whom achieved A grades.
Student progress continues to rise year on year. The school said that it was particularly pleased to see significantly better progress being achieved by students from disadvantaged backgrounds although none of the staff will be satisfied until there is no gap at all in educational outcomes for disadvantaged young people in the city.
Message from the head
Head teacher William Aristide-Deighan said: “We are extremely proud of the achievements of all of our students who worked so hard for these results.
“Our continued success is grounded in the solid relationships we foster through our small school structure alongside the unrelenting dedication of all of our staff and support gained from our families.
“It is fantastic news for the whole school and community that we have been able to continue our positive trend in the school’s exam performance. I am especially pleased that once again there has been a strong and improving performance in English and mathematics.
“At Varndean School we value individual student choice through a broad, enriched curriculum along with our renowned provision for the arts and technology but ensure there remains a strong focus on these core subjects.
“The governors and I would like to thank parents, staff and students for a great year and wish our leavers happy and successful futures.
“We continue to work effectively with schools nationally and across the city where schools lead 22 teacher networks to ensure best knowledge is shared.”
Success stories
Some of the high flying students are pictured with the head.
Ava Jordan and Ruby Alderson achieved nine A* and two A grades. Maisie Hare attained seven A*, four A grades and an A for her Level 3 Extended project. Jake Cruttenden got six A*, three A’s and three B grades.
Charlotte Macdonald got five A*, five A’s and one C grade. Wednesday Croft got A*, five A’s and one C grade as well as an A for her Level 3 Extended project. Anthony Wu got four A*, seven A’s and one B grade. Anna Berry got five A*, five A’s and two B grades.
Ismail Louarradi, Julija Novikova, Ashlyn Gaywood, Amera Amar and Tian Shan all having made exceptional progress across the board.
