Teesdale pupils make the grade in GCSEs

PUPILS across Teesdale were celebrating some exceptional GCSE results today.

This year's results

include the new 1-9 grading system for English and maths.

At Teesdale School, students and staff were celebrating an excellent set of maths results, with 11 per cent of pupils achieving the top grade – well about the national average of three per cent.

Among those celebrating was 16-year-old Nina Holguin, of Ovington.

She achieved a grade 9 in maths, English language and English literature along with another eight As.

Across at Staindrop, some 11 pupils got grade 9 results in English or Maths, putting them among the best performers in the country.

Head teacher Alyson Carr said: “We are delighted with the maths and English results. That is where we needed to improve. There have been some outstanding success stories.”

She added that changes to the system meant that pupils had to work harder for their results and the exams were a great unknown.

At Barnard Castle School, student Matthew Shovlin, had high praise for his school’s learning support department which worked tirelessly to help him overcome the effects of dyslexia to achieve an A*, six As, including English, a B and two Cs.

“I would be nowhere without them,” said the 16-year-old, of Barnard Castle, who took his exams with the help of a reader and a scribe.

“My dyslexia was diagnosed in Year 3 and it was a relief because with support I knew I could achieve my potential. I was soon moving through the sets and plan to stay on at sixth form to study maths, chemistry and physics.”

Deputy Head (Academic) Michael Truss said: “I’m thrilled so many of our students fulfilled their academic goals while still enjoying the school’s wider culture of sport, music, art and drama, which combine to help them become such well-rounded young people and citizens of the future.”

We'll have a full GCSE round-up in next week's Mercury