In a year that nationally has seen record numbers of GCSE pupils hit by anxiety as they ploughed through their exam papers, a Brighton headteacher has praised the “unflappability” of her pupils who have delivered the best set of results for the school since 2016.
Brighton Girls headteacher Rosie McColl praised her Year 11 students for achieving top grades despite their first few years of secondary school being hugely disrupted by Covid, The school said 19% of all grades were a grade 9, 40% of grades were either an 8 or a 9 and some 59% were a 7,8 or 9.
Said Ms McColl: “This year’s Year 11s students impressed us from start to finish. A survey out this week and published in the newspapers showed just how much anxiety has affecte 16-year-olds yet this cohort were utterly unflappable, took it all in their stride and they have aced their exams. It makes me very proud to see what they have achieved – our best results, bar the Covid years, since 2016. This cohort was only just finding its feet at secondary school in Year 7 when Covid hit, causing huge disruption across the country.”
A quarter of the school’s Year 11 achieved a clean sweep of top grades (7-9) while 11% of the cohort achieved straight 8s and 9s. The school reports a very good year for modern languages with 25% of Spanish GCSEs coming in at a 9, 26% of French grades also 9s plus individual students getting top grades in German, Arabic, Russian and Italian despite language GCSEs being the hardest to excel in, according to Ofqal.
The re-introduction of DT, rebadged as Design and Innovation, at the school has also got off to a flying start with a quarter of students scoring a 9. The English Literature department was also celebrating as a healthy 45% of grades were 8s or 9s.
A Level students at Brighton Girls have also achieved a phenomenal set of results, with 44% of all grades awarded being the highest grades of A*/A and a pass rate of 100%. Staff and parents joined Year 13 leavers this morning to applaud exceptional individual achievements and to celebrate the super-talented Class of 2024.
Rosie McColl, Head of Brighton Girls, commented: “I have nothing in but praise for this year’s A Level students. Level-headed, bright, hard-working, kind and community-spirited – they have epitomised all-round excellence, and deserve these sparkling results.
To achieve such outstanding academic outcomes while contributing so generously to the wider life of the school takes real character. This brilliant cohort leaves a legacy of leadership: this was the group that conceived and launched our first Women in Politics Day, an event that looks set to run for years to come; it was from within this group that our first student pantomime was devised and directed, another whole-school event that will undoubtedly remain – and all in addition to establishing a tradition of communal Uno playing in the Sixth Form common room. Within this group are talented hockey players, thespians, dancers, artists, budding politicians, philosophers and psychologists – they have been great fun, they have inspired us daily, and they have simply been a joy to be around”.
A Level grades are, of course, only one part of the story; true success is defined by the extent to which we have supported and encouraged our students to pursue their passions. We are proud that the variety and scope of our post-18 destinations was highlighted in our recent inspection, a testament to the way in which we champion each individual.
Looking at the smiles on the faces of our leavers as they received their results and listening to them talk excitedly about next steps, suggests we have equipped them well. This year’s destinations include Oxford, York, Sheffield, East Anglia, Exeter, Sussex with subject choices also showcasing an ambitious and broad range of interests: such courses as Classics, Dance, European Studies, History, Politics, Philosophy & Economics, Biomedical Science, Chemistry, Psychology await our leavers, who look set to achieve great things in the future.
Congratulations to the Class of 2024 – a hard act to follow!
Rosie McColl, Head of Brighton Girls
