Results for Sidcot School have exceeded expectations with close to 90% of students achieving a minimum of 5 GCSEs graded A* to C and an overall pass rate of 100%, significantly higher than the national averages of 68.8% and 98.5%. There were also exceptional performances by a number of individuals including Alex Andersson from Bristol (10A*, 3A) and Caroline Green from Warminster (6A* and 7A) both of whom gained an A* distinction in Further Mathematics – the highest grade possible.
Jade Corbett, from Winscombe, achieved 10A* and 3A at GCSE. She said she was delighted with her results: “I thought ‘Oh wow!’ – I almost fell down the stairs when I ran to tell everyone, I was so happy!” Jade attributes her success to hard work and the support of her teachers. She said: “We have such small classes at Sidcot, the teachers know each student and their strengths and weaknesses so they can encourage extra revision in the right areas and they gave me the support I needed to get the grades I was capable of achieving”.
Whilst delighted by the performance of his students, Sidcot’s Headmaster Iain Kilpatrick is concerned by the ever-changing exam goal posts. He said: “students are not statistics; they are young people who have successfully negotiated their first encounter with the public examination system. At this time of year it is easy to be swept up in the debate about exam pass rates and national averages that misses the point of how important these results are to individual students and their families. While Sidcot has some very high performing students in this year’s cohort, we are equally proud of those who have achieved more modest results and for whom the personal significance is just as great.”
“As a Quaker school, we value the contribution that all students make to our community and don’t measure this solely in academic performance. Each student’s story is a reflection of them setting their own goals over the two years of GCSE and working systematically to achieve them with the support of teachers and parents.”
Jade’s mother, Nicky Corbett said: “Jade’s results are just brilliant – absolutely fabulous, but we had a lot of sleepless nights before the results came out. We were concerned and had prepared to lower our expectations because you do hear a lot in the media about changing grade boundaries. Now we are relieved - and ecstatic!”