PASSING their GCSEs would have been enough for pupils at Audenshaw School – by the end of results day, they were being hailed as ‘pioneers.’
Having had to put up with the Covid-19 pandemic and its lockdowns during their time at Hazel Street, the Class of 2023 has also seen strike action impact.
However, principal Pete Taylor described the results of his ‘pioneering’ Year 11 students as ‘an achievement that will set the path for future generations.’
Students achieving Grade Four or above in English was 71 per cent and 73 per cent in Maths.
Students achieving Grade Five or above was 55 per cent in English and 52 per cent in Maths. There was also a more than 10 per cent increase in Grades Seven to Nine in Maths, which is indicative of bucking the national trend for the subject.
Alongside core subjects, there has also been strong performance in French, Music, Biology, Photography, Chemistry, Food, Physics and Design.
Among the achievers was head boy Nathaniel Mountain, who is taking his five Grade Nines and five Grade Eights to Manchester’s Loreto College, where he will study Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and History, with future ambitions of becoming a corporate lawyer.
However, he will not be walking away from Audenshaw School just yet ad he is heavily involved in sports coaching, he’ll still spend his Saturday mornings supporting a local junior rugby team on its pitches.
He said: “It’s been an amazing five years at Audenshaw. From the staff to the pupils, we all support one another – nothing is ever too big or too small, and I’ll look back with very happy memories.”
Om Patel may feast after achieving Grade Nines in Biology, Chemistry and Food Technology, as well as a Grade Eight in Physics.
For he sees potential in mixing his natural academic talents with a personal hobby.
He said: “Outside of work, I really enjoy cooking and making pastries. They say science and food cross over and I think that’s definitely true.”
Deputy head boy Tyler Barnes may have achieved a Grade Nine in History, and Grade Eights in Maths, Chemistry, Physics, English Language and English Literature.
But he said: “We can’t ignore the impact Covid-19 had on us at such an important time in our studying – it affected some of our core learning as we were only in Year Eight, but our teachers have given us the learning platforms we need to catch up and I’m grateful to them for that.”
Tyler also oversaw several charity initiatives at the school which benefitted causes including Macmillan Cancer Support and the Scouts Association.
He will move on to Loreto College to study Politics, Economics and Maths, with an eye on a future in corporate finance.
Eduardo Grigore may have moved to the UK from Spain in while in Year Six and began at Audenshaw School shortly afterwards but he achieved Grade Nine in Photography and Spanish, Grade Eight in Art and Maths and Grade Seven in Chemistry, Physics and Biology.
And while Aiden Hollingworth achieved a Grade Nine in Art and 3D Design and a Merit Level One in Creative iMedia, his qualifications in English give him most pride.
He said: “I achieved a Grade Seven in English Literature and a Grade Six in English Language, which I did not expect.
“My English teacher has helped me all the way through, so it’s a joint achievement for us both.”
With aspirations to be an architect or involved in product design, Aiden will undertake two years at Rishworth College before hoping to become an apprentice with an architecture practice.
To mark results day, pupils, parents and carers were welcomed to the school to celebrate.
And Mr Taylor said: “It is a day of pride here at Audenshaw School.
“This is a cohort of young people who, in our opinion, are extremely unique and special to us all.
“They’re pioneers as the first cohort of students who’ve returned to full GCSE exams in four years and as such, they’re resetting the marker on subject coverage, assessment and grading, meaning future generations will benefit from their efforts.
“As a year group, they have experienced significant disruption to their learning journey but have taken on every challenge thrown at them, so to achieve such fantastic results should be a proud moment for them.”