Cobham Hall girls are celebrating yet more success as GCSE results are released across the UK. In tribute to the School’s aim of all round education, our girls were successful across all subject areas, from Mathematics to Music, Science to Latin.
87.5% of Cobham Hall students achieved at least 5 A* – C grades including the equivalent in the newly graded Mathematics and English.
With Barnaby Lenon, Chairman of the Independent Schools Council, declaring that the new GCSEs have “questions of a level of difficulty that we have not seen since the abolition of O-levels in 1987”, we are thrilled that just under 25% of students scored 8 or 9 in Mathematics (equivalent to A* and above). 13% of those scored the highest grade 9, which has been awarded to only the top 3% across the country. In addition, 50% of English students achieved grades 7 – 9 (equivalent to A and above), with 20% scoring the top grade 9.
Success was not limited to Mathematics and English. Of those girls taking the three Sciences of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, 30% achieved A – A* in all three disciplines. Music students were on song, with 100% achieving A or A*, and 80% of Latin students bagged A – A* grades.
In addition, the School was celebrating another year of excellent London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) awards, where 69% of students passed their examinations with a Distinction, including the two girls taking the prestigious Gold Medal award for Musical Theatre.
Headmaster, Mr Paul Mitchell, commented, “”I am delighted with this year’s GCSE results. Our girls have worked exceptionally hard and been very well supported by their dedicated teachers. These excellent results are well deserved. The fact that several girls have obtained the new Grade 9 in all the subjects in which it is currently awarded (Mathematics, English Language and English Literature) shows how well they and their teachers have adapted to the new examinations. This grade is only awarded to the top 3% of pupils nationally. The proportion of A* and A grades across other subjects is also high and it should be remembered that Cobham Hall is not academically selective.
“However, as ever at Cobham Hall, the most pleasing feature of the results is the high value added score, reflecting that a number of girls performed significantly better than they could reasonably be expected to do. This, along with success in other areas such as LAMDA examinations and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, shows the benefit of an education that emphasises qualities such as resilience and independence along with academic performance.
Very well done to the class of 2017!”