LIVE: GCSE results and reaction
Follow our live blog here throughout the day
THE team of Newbury Weekly News reporters (and photographer Phil Cannings) will be at schools across the district today as pupils collect their GCSE results.
The NWN team will be on hand to get all the reaction from pupils and headteachers this morning (Thursday), as those all-important envelopes are opened.
Our live blog on newburytoday.co.uk will continue throughout the morning – where we’ll bring you the very latest news and reaction as the results come in.
Then, in next Thursday’s paper, we will be publishing photographs from the day.
From everyone at the NWN, we wish everyone receiving their results the very best of luck.
3.25pm
Thank you for following our live blog today. If you're only just joining us, scroll back through this story to see the updates.
Don't forget to pick up a copy of the Newbury Weekly News next Thursday - we'll be dedicating eight pages to GCSE coverage - including even more photos, reaction and results from the day.
That's it from us. Congratulations to all who got the grades they wanted. For those who didn't do as well as they expected, don't despair - there are still plenty of options available to you.
See you again next year!
3.05pm
At John O’Gaunt School, 74 per cent of pupils achieved a 9-4 in English, and 66 per cent scored the same success in mathematics – an increase in both figures over the last year.
As with many other schools, we haven't been given any information on the overall results in terms of the overall percentage of pupils achieving 9-7 grades or 9-4 grades.
Just weeks ago John O’Gaunt got the first good Ofsted rating in its history.
Principal Alan Henderson said: “We are so very proud of every single one of our amazing students. These are incredible GCSE grades and we want to thank them, their parents and carers, as well as our fabulous teachers and staff.
“These results came on the back of a wonderful Ofsted report which capped a brilliant year.”
Head of school designate Corinne Walker said: “These are fantastic GCSE results yet again and the students are a credit to themselves, their families and the Hungerford community.”
2.48pm
Headteacher of the Clere School, Benjamin Bond was really pleased with the results.
He said: “This is a very good set of results. It was important for the school to follow up the recent ‘Good’ Ofsted inspection with a good set of exam results. We are very proud of all our pupils; they have worked very hard for their success.”
2.35pm
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2.25pm
Celebrations are under way at The Downs School, as students’ mark yet another year of GCSE and vocational examination success despite the more challenging examination series.
A fantastic number of results were at grade 9, with 14% of all examinations taken resulting in grades 8/9 (A* and above) and 25% grade 7 – 9 (A and above).
Achievement across vocational courses was also stunning with 9 subjects delivering a total of nearly 22% of entries at grade Distinction*; the highest possible grade, and another 30% of entries at grade Distinction/Distinction*.
In all, 81% of students achieved at least the standard pass 4 – 9 (C to above A*) in English and Mathematics, and some 56% achieved the strong pass 5 – 9 (B to above A*) in both subjects.
2.10pm
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2.05pm
Jumping for joy at Park House School
1.45pm
Students at JOG School in Hungerford pick up their results.
1.05pm
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12.55pm
Our unsung hero, photographer Phil Cannings, has been dashing around the schools this morning to capture the emotions as pupils pick up their results.
Here's one he took earlier, from Park House School.
12.50pm
We'd love to hear how you got on today. Get in touch and let us know your results by emailing newsdesk@newburynews.co.uk.
12.45pm
Corinna Bartle is jumping for joy over at Theale Green School - and litle wonder!
She achieved a spectacular six GCSEs at the very top grades, including two Grade 9s in English (as well as three more high passes).
12.40pm
Staying with Pangbourne, and there's some notable individual successes.
These include Andrew Mullins (nine GCSEs at grade 8 or above, six at grade 9), Laurence Livesey (eight GCSEs at grade 8 or above, five at grade 9) and Josie Symons, who achieved seven GCSEs at grade 8 or 9 while also competing at national level in showjumping.
12.25pm
We've just had results in from Pangbourne College, where 91% per cent of pupils passed their GCSEs. More than a third of them - 35 per cent - achieved grades 9 - 7, which is the equivalent of A* - A.
There were impressive successes in the core subjects too, with 94 per cent of pupils securing five passes including English and mathematics.
The English department had particularly strong results, with 61 per cent achieving grade 9 - 7 and a 99 per cent pass rate overall.
12.15pm
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12.10pm
Staying in Hampshire - we have results from The Hurst in Baughurst.
As with many other schools, we haven't been given any information on the overall results in terms of the percentage of pupils achieving 9 - 7 grades or 9 - 4 grades.
However, The Hurst says new records have been set in biology, chemistry and physics, with more than 60 per cent of pupils getting top grades (9/8) which are equivalent to the old A*.
12.05pm
Some results from The Clere School in Burghclere, where our reporter Charlotte Booth has been this morning.
Unfortunately there's no overall results in terms of the percentage of pupils achieving 9 - 7 grades or 9 - 4 grades.
We do have information on the core subjects, with 78 per cent of pupils achieving at least a grade 4 in mathematics and 75 per cent achieving at least a grade 4 in English.
11.55am
Struggling to get your head around the new grading system? Here's a useful guide.
Now, grades 9, 8 and 7 correspond to the old top grades, which used to be A* or A.
This is how grades 9 to 1 compare with the previous A* to G:
- Grade 9 is the equivalent of above an A*
- Grade 8 is the equivalent of in between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 is the equivalent of a grade A
- Grade 6 is the equivalent of just above a grade B
- Grade 5 is the equivalent of in between grades B and C
- Grade 4 is the equivalent of a grade C
- Grade 3 is the equivalent of in between grades D and E
- Grade 2 is the equivalent of in between grades E and F
- Grade 1 is the equivalent of in between grades F and G
Instead of the standard pass mark, which used to be a grade C, there are two different types of passes now.
Grade 4 is considered a standard pass, while a grade 5 is considered a strong pass.
Many sixth forms will be asking for grade 5 passes in their entry requirements for further study.
Clear? Good.
11.45am
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11.35am
Some impressive results coming in from The Willink School in Burghfield Common, where 29 per cent all of GCSE grades were at 9 - 7 (A* to A).
In all, 86 per cent of pupils gained 9 - 4 (A* to C) in English and mathematics.
11.03am
Kennet School had a host of high-performing pupils this year including Aimann Harba, Katie Dobbins, Lucy O'Donoghue, James Trenaman, William Greasley, Kian Lush, Scott Wallace, Freya Burgess, Holly Polding, Kienan Ruddock, Hasan Shahzad, Isabelle Farlow, Nathan Johnson, Esme Lister and Ryan Holmes.
Mr Harba, who opened 14 grades at 9-7 (A** to A) including 7 9s, said I'm really happy. I wasn't expecting this. I didn't think I did that good on the day but apparently I did.
"I wasn't really expecting what I got, especially English as I had been doing badly throughout the year."
When asked how much the school had helped him he said: "I think a lot of it is Kennet. It has really good facilities and they push students to their limits."
Miss Polding said of her 11 grades at 9-7, of which five were 9s, "I didn't think it was possible. I just never thought it would actually happen. I got good results in the mocks but thought that was luck.
"I did GCSEs in Year 9 and they felt a lot easier. It does feel harder under the new grading system.
"Kennet helps if you want it to. Kennet takes what you have and helps. I don;t think I would have been able to do it on my own."
10.58am
Star performer at Trinity School Harry Craig opened 12 9s (that’s 12 A**).
Mr Craig said: “I’m very pleased. I can’t quite believe it.
"I was expecting good results, but not that good. Not straight 9s. That was a bit of a shock. I had high expectations of myself but didn’t want to put too much pressure on.
“The teachers have been really good. Every single one has helped me at every point. Obviously there’s an element of talent there but I wouldn’t have done it without the support of my parents, teachers and friends.”
Having told his parents his results, he said: “I think it’s fair to say they are quite happy.”
Other top performers at Trinity Amy Fleming, Jai Chupreecha, Aleks Cummins, Abel Russell, Matthew Davis, Zahra Smith, Rebecca Porter, Ellousie Greenall and Ethan Sheard.
Headteacher Charlotte Wilson said: “I’m very happy with the results. We are up on last year in all measures. Speaking to the students they have said they found them challenging, but they have put the work in. They have been a really hard working year group and the results have paid off.”
10.40am
It's all smiles at Park House. Picture by Phil Cannings.
10.30am
The results are in at Trinity School in Newbury. Unfortunately many of the schools don't seem to be publishing their overall results in terms of the percentage of pupils achieving 9 - 7 grades or 9 - 4 grades.
However, what we can bring you is some of the results for the individual subjects. At Trinity, 96 per cent of pupils taking biology, chemistry and physics got 9 - 4 grades. There was a 100 per cent pass rate in German and 67 per cent for English.
10.15am
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10.10am
The results are in at Theale Green School. Again, no news on the overall pass rate or the percentage of pupils achieiving 9 - 7 grades. This is the information we have from the school:
"Year 11 students at Theale Green School are celebrating this morning after collecting their GCSE results.
"They achieved some terrific GCSEs, and we are looking forward to welcoming many into the Sixth Form, which has just been confirmed as a Grade 1 ALPS provider (the top 1% in the country for Sixth Form provision).
"Many students at Theale Green School enjoy the rich curriculum offered particularly in Arts, Performing Arts and PE. Once again, many students achieved the highest grades in these subjects, as we also celebrate the PE department receiving its Gold Award for the sixth year in a row. "
10.00am
Benjamin Prout was thrilled with his results at Park House school this morning.
Benjamin received nine grades ranging from 4-9, including a 9 - which is equivalent to a high A* in - in English literature and he'll be staying on at Park House for A-levels.
9.45am
If you didn't quite get the results you were hoping for today, there are still plenty of options available to you.
Here's some advice from Dr Nick Smith, courses director and founder of the Oxford Open Learning Trust.
He said: “GCSE results day is a big moment in any child’s life and for thousands of children across the country, it will be a day of celebration.
"The results can be a springboard for a variety of exciting careers and it’s great to see so many students rewarded for their hard work.
“But for those who don’t quite get the results they hoped for, we’re here to reassure them that it certainly isn’t the end of the world! For those who don’t get the GCSE results they expected, there are a number of options available.
“The first step should be to get in touch with the course representative at the sixth form or college they applied for. They may still have spaces available on the course, or be able to suggest different subjects that do.
“Alternatively, it might be worth considering less traditional pathways, such as apprenticeships, work experience or a gap year. Such options do not mean that students have to simply leave education behind, as they can still resit GCSEs while working.
“Distance learning is the most flexible way of doing this as your course materials are available online and you can learn in your own time, all while working and gaining vital experience.”
9.30am
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9.25am
The results are in at Kennet School in Thatcham. Again, we only have information on the pass rates in English (74 per cent) and mathematics (71 per cent).
As with Park House, we haven't had any news yet on what percentage achieved 9 - 7 (A* to A) or 9 - 4 (pass rate). Kennet have said the average grade achieved by all pupils is 5.
9.15am
Elizabeth Edwards (left) and Mimi Bennett were all smiles at St Gabriel's as they opened their results.
9.05am
Park House School is celebrating what it describes as an "outstanding set of results".
We've only got information on the percentage of students who passed mathematics and English at the moment (69 per cent).
We're hoping to bring you a bit more detail once we've got it from the school.
9.00am
Over to St Bartholomew's School, where 85 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 4 (pass) or higher. Nearly a third of all grades were 7 (A) or higher. St Bart's say it's a "record figure".
8.55am
The results are in at St Gabriel's School in Newbury, where 55 per cent of pupils achieved grades 9 to 7 (A* to A). Principal Ricki Smith said he's thrilled. Well done girls!
8.45am
Good morning and welcome to our live GCSE blog. We'll be updating this page throughout the day - but remember to keep refreshing!
8.03am
Newbury College is holding pop-up advice clinics at Parkway Shopping centre for pupils who have received their GCSE results today.
Today (Thursday) and tomorrow (Friday) the college team will be available at the old Animal unit next to Debenhams, making it even easier for you to get the advice and support you need when considering your next steps after school.
Whether you are looking to study full-time, or are considering an apprenticeship, and especially if you need support around results day, help is at hand.
The college's Monks Lane campus is also open all summer so feel to drop in or book an appointment with its careers advisers on (01635) 845000
For more details about the pop-up clinics, go to
Thursday, August 22: https://www.newbury-college.ac.uk/events/event/278-careers-advice-and-exam-results-clinics.html
Friday, August 23: https://www.newbury-college.ac.uk/events/event/279-careers-advice-and-exam-results-clinics.html
