Dear parents and carers

It is increasingly clear that we will celebrate 2016 as our best overall year for exam results.

We are very strong at GCSE, A level and AS level and our students have ‘added value’ meaning they have outperformed their peers of the same ability nationally.  At A level, 90% of our students left with at least 3 passes providing them with a wide choice of options for destinations beyond school. Nearly 30% of our grades at A level were A* or A, with nearly 60% A*-B. Our Sixth Form students from last year are now joining a wide range of first choice universities, including Oxford and Cambridge. AS level results were excellent and should lead to even better A level results next year.

At GCSE, 87% of our students obtained a C grade or above in one of their English GCSEs and 83% achieved a C grade or above in maths. Overall 78% gained both these vital grades. 28% of our students achieved at least 5 A*-A grades, a key indicator that we go out of our way to push the most able students to achieve their full potential.

In the areas identified by Ofsted as requiring improvement (disadvantaged students, those with special educational needs and disabilities and the least able) we have made huge strides forward. The key performance indicator of ‘value added’ (this calculates how well our students achieved compared to the national average of all students of the same ability) will show we have added significant value – both overall and in the key areas of English and maths.

Direct comparisons at GCSE are tricky due to the change in the way performance is measured but applying these new measures to previous years shows us that 2016 will be very close to, or more likely even better than, our previous best ever year of 2014.

Thank you to all staff and parents who have supported the students and continue to do so. We have started this academic year positively and know exactly what must be done to continue the good work.

Kind regards

Andy Perry

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