GCSE Results Day

Earlier today, thousands of teenagers nervously received envelopes

containing their all-important GCSE results. I went along to Canterbury High School

to share in the highs of results day.

This is the sixth consecutive year of improved results at

the school, with 95% of students achieving 5 A*-C grades. The school excelled

exceptionally at vocational subjects. All of its students who had applied for

college or sixth form had their place confirmed today.

I spoke to Kegan Goldsack-Marsh, pictured above with Head of

Year Natalie Bonneywell. Kegan achieved the best results the school has ever

had: he now has a whopping eighteen GCSEs, with ten of those grades at A or A*.

Kegan also participates in extra-curricular activities. He said, ‘I do

athletics as well. I stayed after school a lot, and my teachers were really

helpful, especially Mr. Brooke.’ He is planning to go on to college to study

Psychology, Biology and Athletics, and ‘maybe one day reach the Olympics!’

Most of the students were going on to higher education. For others,

Connexions collected contact details in order to provide ongoing advice, should

they need it. I asked Head of Year Natalie Bonneywell what she thought about

heightened competition for university places and the recent hype regarding the

devaluing of qualifications. She said, ‘the

amount of work the students put in is phenomenal. It’s not that courses are easier;

they’re just becoming more specific to what the students want to do. There are

more opportunities now. The majority of our students are going onto vocational

courses.’