Music scholar hits high note with A* GCSE two years early.jpg)
Music scholar Harry Castle is celebrating after recording top marks in a GCSE exam at the age of just 14.
Harry, a pupil at Mount St Mary’s College, in Spinkhill, achieved an A* grade in GCSE music after taking the exam two years early.
Harry, who lives in Eckington, has two Grade 8 distinctions in piano and violin, a Grade 6 distinction in signing and he plays in the National Children’s Orchestra.
Earlier this year, Harry performed an original Jazz Band composition at the National Festival of Music for Youth in Birmingham.
He also took part in a masterclass with internationally acclaimed musician and teacher Professor Ekaterina Murina, Chair of Piano at the St Petersburg Conservatoire, at Mount St Mary’s.
Harry said: “I was in year nine when I did the exam so I am really happy to have passed and I can’t believe I got an A* grade!”
Also celebrating is performing arts pupil Holly Band, who achieved two A*s, five As and a B.
Holly, from Matlock, is also a talented musician and star of the stage, playing Estella in the College’s recent adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Victorian classic, Great Expectations.
The teenager will now continue on to the sixth form at Mount St Mary’s to study Chemistry, Biology, Philosophy and French.
Some of the College’s other top performers include George Daly, who is going on to study A Level Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and History at the Spinkhill school after achieving five A*s, four As and a B.
Alex Chatten recorded six A*s and three As. and will now take A Level Chemistry, Maths, Physics and Politics, while Victoria Lloyd also achieved six A*s and three As. and will study Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Maths.
Kishan Adoni, from Rotherham, also gained excellent results with eight A*s and two As. He is continuing at the Mount to study Maths, Chemistry, Physics and Biology. This follows his brother Pavan, who achieved straight As in his A-levels last week in the same subjects Kishan will be taking.
Fencing star Isobel Mulkern and a boarding pupil at Mount St Mary’s, achieved six A*s and four As. and will study English, History, Latin and French at A Level.
Laurence McKell, Headmaster at Mount St Mary’s, said: “We are incredibly proud of all our pupils who have worked so hard to achieve what is, yet again, another fantastic set of GCSE results.
“Although we are a non-selective school, the high standards of academic success we achieve year on year is a testament to our outstanding staff and dedicated pupils.”
Mount St Mary’s achieved an overall 73 per cent pass rate for A* to C grades with A*s and As up from 27 to 33 per cent. The results follow the College’s record-breaking A Levels announced last week.
Laurence added: “Our ethos is about providing opportunities for a quality, seamless education, encouraging creativity, diversity and individuality so that our pupils leave school with the confidence, maturity and skills to face whatever challenges may lie ahead.”