Grammar signs off with top States school GCSEs
STUDENTS island-wide were celebrating GCSE results yesterday after a tense wait, but results overall have dropped sharply.
Little more than half of all States school pupils managed to get the equivalent of a grade C or above in both English and maths.
In the UK the pass rates fell for a second year running – with 68.2% of all grades marked at grades 4/C and above.
The States has moved to publishing Attainment 8 figures, which are calculated using eight subjects, including English and maths, to judge the performance of schools.
England is only expected to publish its Attainment 8 figures early next year, but there was clear disparity between Guernsey schools.
The States schools average score was 39.8, against a Bailiwick average of 47.6.
The Grammar School, bidding farewell to its final 11-plus year group, rated as the best States school, with a score of 63.3. All the high schools and others scored below 40.
Elizabeth College did not publish an Attainment 8 score, but Ladies’ College scored over 72 and Blanchelande 50.
The States has also published the percentage of students who achieved a 4/C or above in both English language or literature and maths. Overall the States schools scored 54.9%, compared with 59.6% last year and 63.7% the year before.
Against this measure the Grammar School kept riding high, with 98%, but the high schools struggled. This year La Mare scored 36.7%, Beaucamps 45.7% and St Sampson’s 43.4%.
Before the pandemic in 2019 they scored 62.2%, 60% and 55.8% respectively, while Grammar scored 90.9%.
Secondary School Partnership executive principal Liz Coffey congratulated students and thanked staff for supporting pupils.
Education, Sport & Culture president Andrea Dudley-Owen did not comment on the figures yesterday.
‘Recent years have not been the easiest for students preparing for exams, however this cohort have once again persevered and have a set of results they, and their parents and carers, can be very proud of,’ she said in a statement.
Despite overall results, there were lots of celebrations too.
St Sampson’s High student Erik Murphy, 16, got two 8s in the double-science subject, plus 8s in English literature and maths, and a distinction for level 2 engineering, which he will now pursue at The Guernsey Institute.
And two Elizabeth College students achieved nine passes at grade 9. One of them was Seb Smith-Le Flocq, who said he was really happy with his results.
