Thousands of teenagers across Merseyside celebrated their GCSE results on August 20, with schools reporting record achievements and emotional scenes of relief and pride. Students described the moment they discovered their grades as one of enormous relief and pride, with some securing exceptional results after months of hard work.
Record-breaking results at St Anselm's College
St Anselm's College in Birkenhead celebrated a third consecutive year of record-breaking GCSE results. The school achieved its highest-ever Attainment 8 score, with 41% of grades awarded at grades 7 to 9. Among the standout performers was Vasile Mateescu, who achieved a remarkable set of straight grade 9s. John Chan, Malachy Cubbin, Luke Fisher and Chimemelie Okeke also secured almost straight 9s, while David Ebewele achieved five 9s and four 8s. The school's headteacher praised pupils for their resilience, determination and hard work, while highlighting their achievements beyond the classroom, including success in athletics, cross country and rugby.
Individual success stories across the region
At The Blue Coat School Liverpool, one student, Aaron Freddy, nearly secured the maximum mark of 240/240 in the maths paper – but lost a mark when making a mistake when rewriting an equation. Aaron said: “I can’t believe it. To be so close, but not quite making it because of a simple mistake, is hard to take. I am really pleased though – particularly with my English grades.” Alongside getting ready for Blue Coat’s Sixth Form, Aaron is now starting to prepare for the UK Maths Olympiad later this year.
Faridah Bature secured a host of grades 7, 8 and 9. She said: “The school has been so supportive. The staff really care about us, and the best bit of advice I can give other students for future years is to just ask for help if you need it. They will do anything to help and encourage us.”
St Francis Xavier student Callan Wade got passes in art, business, biology, computer science, English language, English literature, mathematics, history, science, sports studies and religious education. Callan is going on to study IT, history and art at St Francis Xavier's Catholic Sixth Form. Callan said: “I am really pleased that my hard work has paid off and I am now able to come back and study at SFX’s sixth form.”
Moazzam Ijaz achieved 12 strong passes, including eight grade 9s in biology, chemistry, further mathematics, German, mathematics, physics and Spanish, and will study mathematics and science at The Bluecoat. Moazzam said: “I would like to thank all of the staff at SFX who challenged and supported me.”
Joseph Cusack also got 10 grade 9s including art, chemistry, mathematics, further mathematics, geography, physics and Spanish. Joseph is now preparing to study mathematics, physics and chemistry at Cronton College. He said: “I’ve had good support from all the staff this year, especially those who have given up extra time early in the morning for revision classes all year.”
Emotional moments at schools across Merseyside
At Christ the King High School in Southport, 16-year-old Jude Owens was delighted after picking up five grade 9s, two 8s and the rest 7s. The aspiring RAF pilot said he had tried to remain calm throughout his exams. His dad Andrew said he "couldn't be prouder" of his son, adding: "He's worked so hard to achieve this and he set out a goal, to be honest, I thought it was quite unrealistic. Not that I didn't think he'd achieve it, but to put the work in that he's put in, to dedicate himself for a full year and a half. It just shows that if you put the work in, it pays off."
Another success story at the Southport school was Monika Zemanek, who returned to the UK from Poland just two years ago and joined the school in Year 10. Despite having a significant amount of work to catch up on, she achieved grades ranging from 5 to 9, including a 9 in Polish and 8s in history and English language. She is now heading to Runshaw College to study computer science. Headteacher Erin Wheeler said the atmosphere in the school hall was what the job was all about, describing the sight of pupils and parents crying, hugging and celebrating together as hugely emotional. The school said almost a quarter of all grades achieved were at grade 7 or above, with a significant increase in grade 9s compared with last year.
At St Cuthbert's Catholic High School in St Helens, Anneliese Carpenter burst into tears after discovering she had achieved the grade 4 in maths she had feared she would miss. "I've passed maths," she exclaimed, before being embraced by her family, friends and teachers. Anneliese said maths had been a real struggle and she had not expected to pass. She will now go to Riverside College to study painting and decorating. Other pupils at St Cuthbert's were celebrating results that had exceeded their expectations. Dylan Johnson, who had been expecting mostly 6s and 7s, was shocked to find he had secured a string of 8s, including 9s in English language and maths. He will study A-level maths alongside musical production and musical performance at Winstanley College.
At Lord Derby Academy in Huyton, pupils were also celebrating a range of results before heading off on very different paths. Poppy Boden achieved six 7s, two 8s and a 6 and will study maths, further maths, computer science and physics at the University of Liverpool Maths School. Poppy Barry achieved six 7s, an 8 and a 6 and is heading to Cronton College, while Luke Jones will study statistics, business and Spanish at Carmel College after achieving a mixture of 4s, 5s, 6s and 7s. For Weronika Wojtas, her results were far better than she had expected. After anticipating 3s and 4s, she discovered she had achieved four 5s, two 4s, two 6s and an 8 in Polish. She is now set to study Level 3 Equine Management at Myerscough College. Jo Ellis, Head of School at Lord Derby Academy, said the results represented not only academic achievement but the individual progress and determination of pupils throughout their education.
Overcoming challenges and national trends
At The Salesian Academy of St John Bosco in Bootle, Emma Moore opened her results knowing that one person who would have been among the first to celebrate with her was no longer there. Emma, 16, was home-schooled for two years before joining the school in January. Her dad died shortly before she started, and she said she kept his memory in mind as she prepared for her exams. She achieved 5s in English language and Spanish, alongside a series of 4s and 3s, and will now study journalism at Sefton Sixth Form College. "He would definitely be proud of me", she told the ECHO. The school also celebrated the achievements of pupils who had overcome significant challenges. Harry Flanagan, who has dyslexia, secured the grade 4 in English literature he needed to move on to college, while Gabriel Alfonso achieved a mixture of 6s, 7s and 8s after moving to the UK just three years ago. Salesian Academy said it had seen particularly strong improvements in English language, with the number of pupils achieving strong passes increasing by almost two-thirds compared with last year. History and art also recorded significant rises.
Victoria Taylor, headteacher of Notre Dame Catholic Academy in Liverpool, added: “I am unbelievably proud of our Year 11 students who have collected their results today. This morning’s celebrations are much more than the grades students achieved, it has provided an opportunity to recognise the way in which their hearts, minds and doors have been opened during their time at Notre Dame, and to celebrate the growth they have made as individuals. The results are testament to the hard work and commitment students have demonstrated towards their studies. They also reflect the dedication of our wonderful staff, whose support is unwavering, as well as the close and positive partnerships we have built with our parents and carers. As students prepare for the next stage in their exciting journey, I encourage them to do so with the charity, courtesy, courage and confidence they have demonstrated during their time with us. For students leaving us for pastures new, we wish you all the success in the world, and for those returning to sixth form, I look forward to welcoming you back in September.”
Across the country, this year's GCSE results showed that 22% of entries in England, Wales and Northern Ireland achieved grades 7 or above, a slight increase on last year's 21.9%. The figure is also above the 20.8% recorded in 2019, before the pandemic. Meanwhile, 67.3% of entries achieved at least a grade 4, or standard pass, down marginally from 67.4% last year and the same proportion recorded in 2019.
