GCSE results:It's not just about tables, says Cardinal Allen head

At Cardinal Allen Catholic High School in Fleetwood, staff are still gauging how the overall results have been affected by changes to GCSEs brought in this year.
Celebrating their GCSE results are Cardinal Allen students (from left) Sam Davis, Tyler Birch, Sofia Raseta and Katharine Melling.Celebrating their GCSE results are Cardinal Allen students (from left) Sam Davis, Tyler Birch, Sofia Raseta and Katharine Melling.
Celebrating their GCSE results are Cardinal Allen students (from left) Sam Davis, Tyler Birch, Sofia Raseta and Katharine Melling.

With tougher exams brought in and a new grading system, the Melbourne Avenue school says it is not yet in a position to compare results precisely with last year’s.

But head teacher Andrew Cafferkey said on face value he was delighted with the results, particularly in maths and English.

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He said: “With the new grading system there was perhaps more pressure on the children and staff but I’m absolutely delighted with the results.

“It is worth saying, however, that it is not just about exam performances, there are other ways to judge a school and the achievements of its young people.

“The most important thing is that our students leave this school as good and decent people, and excell in initiatives like the Young Citizenship programme.

“This year two of our young people, who are perhaps not naturally academic, raised £2,000 for charity, yet that is never recorded in a league table.”

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There were some fine individual successes, including Tyler Birch of Fleetwood who emerged with four grade As, two Bs, two new grade 7s (equivalent to the old grade As) and a grade 6.

Tyler said: “I’m really pleased with how I did, I’ll be studying biology, chemistry and psychology at Blackpool Sixth Form College. There are a plethora of options and career doors open to me, I’m hoping to move towards the medical sciences.”

And the impressive results achieved by Katharine Melling, of Cleveleys, consisted of 10 passes at B and above, including a grade 9 at maths, which is graded at even higher than the old A*.

She said: “I was so nervous this morning but I’ve done much better than I hoped.”

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