ROSSALL MAINTAINS GCSE PERFORMANCE
Rossall School, Fleetwood, has increased its overall percentage for GCSE passes this year to a near perfect 99.5% for A*-G grades and also recorded a rise in A* grade passes over the 2010 figure.
The Fleetwood co-educational independent school recorded 88.7% of pupils achieving 5 passes A*-C grades for 2011, including English and Maths, with 88.1% of pupils gaining A*-C grades in all subjects. The school’s A*-A grade percentage remained consistent with 42.4% of pupils achieving passes in the two highest grades. In addition A* and A passes in core subjects of Maths and English remained strong.
Commenting on the performance, Rossall’s director of studies, Gillian Pryor said: “Our students performed well this year, some beyond their expectations; therefore we’re very pleased with the results.
“Despite popular myth, GCSE’s are not getting easier to pass, and when one considers the amount of extra-curricular activity undertaken alongside their studies by our pupils, their achievements are even more remarkable. This year’s work will prepare them well for A-levels or International Baccalaureate in our Sixth Form next year. And, I expect all of them to maintain their excellent performances.”
The results provided a sunny outlook for many pupils at Rossall, not least the local youngsters achieving 11 passes at A*-C grade. Among those 16-year-olds hitting the high grades were military boarder, Savannah Burney, from Preston, who impressed with five A* and six A’s; Amy Walker, of Fleetwood, with four A* and five A passes, Jonathan Chard, of Thornton, who gained four A* and six A’s; Josh Eastham, of Over Wyre, with one A* and eight A’s and Amberly Maree of Rossall, with one A* and four A’s.
Savannah Burney, whose father is an army lawyer based in Preston, was overwhelmed by her grades. She commented: “I wasn’t expecting so many A* grades, but I’m really pleased. I’ll go into my A-levels with more confidence now, and my dream of becoming a Vet is a little nearer, although right now I’m just thinking about tonight’s celebration with my family, before the hard work starts over again in September. Also looking for more sunny days ahead is Jonathan Chard, whose ‘A-Team’ performance of ten A* and A’s out of ten exams will see him going into Rossall Sixth Form with one eye firmly on a university place and a law degree. He commented: I know I’ve exceeded my expectations, and I’ve surprised myself a little, because despite what some people say, the GCSE exams are tough, and studying on a boarding school campus means that there’s always loads of activity going on, which could be a distraction, but for me it adds to the buzz of the place and makes you want to do more.”
Fleetwood youngster, Amy Walker is doubly delighted with her A* and A’s as she’s hoping they’ll turn her into a ‘CSI’! She said: “I want to study forensic science so my passes in Maths and Sciences were important. I did really well and I’m hoping to repeat the performance in A-levels. I’ve also pipped my older brother Scott in the GCSE performance stakes by a whisker. He’s studying for his A-levels here, so I’m hoping for some pointers next year…if he’s still speaking to me.”
The results for Rossall School are:
Twelve Passes: D Liu, D Seow, S Wu.
Eleven Passes: M Au-Yeung, G Briscoe, S Burney, K Choong, J Eastham, L Hahn, T Howard, E Huang, D Nguyen, W Parker, E Schofield, A Small, F Standring, L Williams.
Ten Passes: C Andrews, C Atkinson, M Bate, L Chan, J Chard, C Chia, N Choong, C England, F Forster, H Fryer, J Guthrie, A Hahn, S Ho, J Lau, D Leung, A Maree, C McGailey, J Morrison, R Rimmer, A Rothwell, O Sandwell, O Sullivan, A Thompson, L Tran, A Travis, A Walker.
Nine Passes: J Hughes, E Jackson, L Mcllhargey, A Smith, L Weir.
Eight Passes: J Farmer, H Southern, A Wei.
Seven Passes: T Dean, G Hayton, J Landmann, C Ronson, H Talbot, M Thompson.
PHOTO:There’s a bright outlook and blue skies ahead for Rossall GCSE pupils: (l to r) Jonathan Chard of Thornton, Amy Walker of Fleetwood, Amberly Maree of Rossall, Savannah Burney of Preston and Josh Eastham of Over Wyre.