The national media representation of the GCSE results today centred largely on the fact that the Covid Pandemic was now ‘out of the system’, and that, with it, results had seen some sort of return to normalcy from the higher percentages seen over the last few years.
‘GCSE pass rate falls for the third year running’ was the leading statement from the BBC website today. ‘Top GCSE grades fall’ was the headline from Sky News. ‘Last of the Covid Generation to open their results’ was the Daily Mail view.
I’ve always stressed the importance of looking beyond the negative percentages and labels placed on students to really understand the individual, the context around their journey and subsequent achievements.
From our very first visitor today, it has been a joyful experience at the College, tempered with the odd disappointment for some students. Those students have been supported with advice, post exams guidance and the offer of further consultation at any point in the next few weeks. The number of staff here, sharing the delight of the students and accompanying them on the last step of their GCSE journey has been incredibly pleasing.
That the last step on the journey, for so many of our students, was an incredibly positive one is testament to the commitment and dedication of the young men and women themselves, as well as the supportive and empowering environment which has been created here to help them to grow and achieve.
Every year, we have students who reach the highest levels of attainment here, and 2024 has been no different – in fact, in many ways students have truly excelled themselves.
Aditya, having joined the College from Singapore part way through Year 10, set impeccable standards for himself from the start, and should be delighted to have achieved five grade 9s and four grade 8s among his 12 GCSEs sat. Everyone who has had the pleasure of meeting him would know that he is bound for excellence.
Amongst his peers, the excellence continued, with Karin performing well above standardised baseline predictions to secure grades of 9998877 amongst her subjects. She had been performing superbly throughout her time here, a quiet diligence always present in her approach, and so these grades were not a surprise.
Emely overcame huge levels of anxiety and self-doubt over her two years here to emerge with 9s, 7s and 6s, again, well above her standardised expectations, though our own tracking indicated she was on course for such impressive success.
Rudy demonstrated that hard work and determination should be the cornerstone of any approach to sitting GCSEs. Our first visitor today, convinced he had failed Maths, emerged with 8s, 7s and 6s across his eight subjects. Again, these grades were well above standardised projections, though not our own.
Yunis is another who’s delighted reaction to his results today brought immense pleasure to himself, his mother and the staff who greeted him here. He decided to take a more flexible approach to his studies over the last eighteen months or so, and the prudence which came with that decision has brought him 8s, 7s and 6s across his subjects. Again, Yunis, met our standards to realise our belief in him, whilst outscoring his baseline data projections.
Today’s GCSE results are a powerful reminder that statistics and national headlines only tell part of the story. The true measure of success lies in the individual journeys of our students, who have faced their own unique challenges and have emerged with achievements that reflect their hard work, resilience, and determination. The results we’ve celebrated today are a testament not only to the students’ dedication but also to the unwavering support provided by our staff and the nurturing environment we’ve cultivated at the College.
As we look ahead, we encourage all students and parents to continue engaging with us, whether through consultations, advice or simply sharing your experiences. If you have any questions or need further guidance as you plan your next steps, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the team at Ealing Independent College. Let’s keep building on this success and ensure that every student is equipped to pursue their dreams with confidence and pride.
Contact Us today for a September 2024 start
