Pictured left to right are Fulham Cross Girls’ School students Blessing Okenge, 16, Tia-Rai Barrowes, 16 and Sara Hamadto, 16
Local students and teachers were jumping for joy after opening their GCSE exam results this week.
After two years of exam cancellations due to the pandemic, young people were finally back at their desks taking their test papers last term.
Pupils went on to achieve an impressive set of GCSE results at all our local schools.
"Congratulations to all our local students who took GCSEs this year," said Cllr Alex Sanderson, H&F Cabinet Member for Children and Education. "It has been so tough on them in the past few years due to the pandemic but they have done themselves proud.
"We wish them well as they take their next step in life. From starting A-Levels to getting that first job, we applaud them for all their hard work and success which would not have been possible without the tremendous support of our local teachers, school staff, parents, friends and family. Together they have ensured local pupils have had the best chance to succeed in life whatever their exam results."
Star performers
There were some outstanding results across the schools in H&F - including Melisa Botonjic at Fulham Cross Girls' School in Munster Road who received eight grade 9s and one grade 7.
Fellow pupil Ayah Greenidge had to attend classes remotely from Morocco for a number of months after Covid lockdown measures were put in place. All her hard work paid off in the end after she achieved nine 7-9 grades in her exams.
Meanwhile in Shepherds Bush, a record-breaking number of top marks were achieved by students at Phoenix Academy as its GCSE results improved for the fifth year in a row.
"Well done to all students on their achievements. We are proud of you all on achieving this fantastic set of results," said Tony MacDowall, Principal at Phoenix Academy.
"The past three years have been challenging however our students have overcome these challenges and worked hard to access the next stage of their education. The results speak for themselves about the exceptional education at Phoenix Academy."
Over at The Hurlingham Academy in Peterborough Road, Adem Yahiaoui achieved a whopping 11 grade 9s and Jesse Rivero Vela received 10 grade 9s.
Commenting on this year's results, Leon Wilson, Principal at Hurlingham Academy, said: "I could not be prouder of our young people. This summer's GCSE achievements firmly cement the progress we have made over the past five years and reflect our determination to become an 'Outstanding' school for the community we serve."
Read more on how schools in H&F did on GCSE results day:
- Ark Burlington Danes Academy
Students at Ark Burlington Danes Academy in Wood Lane, Shepherds Bush, were overjoyed after receiving excellent GCSE grades this year.
It included Elliot Walker Hall who was understandably proud of his eight grade 9s, one grade 8 and one grade 7. He thanked his teachers for all their support with revision.
Elliot is staying on at Burlington Danes to join the Sixth Form and study French, History and Chemistry at A-Level.
Ayan Kadiye will also be staying on to study for her A-Levels after being 'genuinely shocked' with her seven grade 9s and three grade 8s.
Ayan also thanked her form teacher who 'cared so much and helped us when we were stressed.' Having recently attended a summer school at Cambridge University, she is determined to apply there after her A-Levels.
Aspiring medic Sammy Hilfawi was awarded five grade 9s, five grade 8s and one grade 7. He will be going on to study Chemistry, Biology and History at Burlington Danes Sixth Form.
Upon receiving his results, he said: "The teachers went above and beyond and provided us with so many programmes and opportunities to help with our future aspirations."
Principal David Carr was proud of his students' GCSE results.
"We are thrilled with the achievements of our fantastic young people. They have shown such grit throughout their studies and their success today is down to their hard work," he said.
"We are looking forward to welcoming lots of our students back for Sixth Form and we're sure that they will continue to achieve their goals and go on to be the ones to make the world a better place."
- Fulham Boys School
The Fulham Boys School in Fulham Road had 111 pupils sit GCSEs this year with 58 per cent achieving at least one grade 9 and 86 per cent of all grades awarded at grade 5 or above.
"I congratulate all our students for securing results they can be proud of – be it those gaining 10 or more grade 9s or those nailing their hoped for passes in English and Maths," said Headteacher David Smith.
"This is a red-letter day for Fulham Boys School. We've moved mountains to add rigour to our curriculum since our first GCSEs in 2019, and these results are testament to the extraordinary efforts put in by staff over the last three years with average attainment increasing by over a grade and a half. When viewed against a national decrease in the top grades and the backdrop of Covid, we believe they're an exceptional set of results.
"Many of our boys have worked through significant mental health issues since lockdown with these exams proving a real test of resilience. I salute them. This year group's show of character vindicates all that Fulham Boys School puts into developing our students outside of the curriculum and I look forward to their continuing success as they progress through our Sixth Form."
Amongst the very top performing departments were Biology, Chemistry and Physics where over 65 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 7 or higher and almost a quarter achieved a grade 9.
In History, 80 per cent of the students achieved a grade 7 or higher and 35 per cent achieved the top grade 9. In Religious Education an incredible 51 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 9.
Seventy-four per cent of the year secured at least five grade 5s or above, including Maths and English, marking a 34 per cent increase from 2019's results and a nine per cent increase on last year's Centre-Assessed Grades (CAGs).
The school's results reflect the outstanding progress the school has made since its 2021 CAGs.
- Fulham Cross Academy
Students from Fulham Cross Academy, a science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) specialist school in Kingwood Road produced an impressive set of GCSE results this year.
Vince Bigas was awarded 10 GCSEs graded 7 to 9 and has gone on to secure a full scholarship to Eton College.
Seyed Mohammed Hosseini also achieved 10 GCSEs graded 7 to 9 and Keiven Pasco earned 11 GCSEs graded 7 to 9.
"Even though it was lockdown and we didn't always have the motivation to revise, I still managed to get five 9s which I am very proud of," said Mohammed.
Many of the school's pupils, including Omar Kalam, Barakatullah Kachai, Adam Addi and Gabriel Fuente, exceeded all of their target grades in every subject - some by three grades or more.
"When I arrived at Fulham Cross Academy in 2017, I didn't speak any English. FCA has given me opportunities to succeed academically and also helped me develop as a young person in a country that was new to me," said Barakatullah.
Fellow pupil Omar added: "Due to the lockdown, I wasn't expecting to do as well as I did. I achieved above my target in all my subjects. I am particularly proud of my grade 9 in English Literature."
While Adam said: "I'm extremely proud of my time at Fulham Cross Academy and I'd like to thank all of my teachers who pushed me to become the person I am and to aim as high as I can."
Many of the school's GCSE students will be returning in September as Sixth Form pupils to study for their A-Levels.
"We are delighted with the results that our students achieved. They have performed brilliantly and it is a real testament to the hard work and effort that the pupils put in throughout the academic year and also during the difficulties that the pandemic presented. Staff also worked incredibly hard and our outcomes make it all worthwhile – well done Fulham Cross Academy," said Executive Principal Sally Brooks.
Head of School, Alan Jones, added: "We could not be happier with the outcomes that our students achieved. Our learners invested a great deal of time and effort in their studies to ensure they had the opportunities they wanted in their post-16 studies. Many of our students will stay with us to complete their Key Stage Five courses. I would also like to thank all of our staff and the whole Fulham Cross Academy community who worked tirelessly with Year 11 to maximise their chances of success. It takes a real team effort to make it all happen."
- Fulham Cross Girls' School
School staff at Fulham Cross Girls' School in Munster Road could not wait to share the good news with their students after a stellar performance in their GCSEs.
It included pupils achieving top grades from 7 to 9 in both English and Maths while 100 per cent of all students scored passing grades for French, Physics and Chemistry.
One of the star pupils was Melisa Botonjic who received eight grade 9s and one grade 7.
Fellow pupil Ayah Greenidge had to attend classes remotely from Morocco for a number of months after Covid lockdown measures were put in place. All her hard work paid off in the end after she achieved nine 7-9 grades in her exams.
Other students who were also awarded top grades included Hafsa Abouchouche, Hijra Ahmed Abbas, Ellena Akbarzadeh, Rasha Al Razouk, Ayah Al Sayed, Soraia Alves, Amal Farooque, Zaynab Semlali, Maryam Niazmand, Raana Syed and Ana Laborne Costa Cury.
"We are incredibly proud of our Year 11 cohort," said Laura Grainger, Head of Fulham Cross Girls' School.
"They have shown tremendous resilience following the pandemic and have overcome significant personal challenges to achieve so highly. They have shown real grit and determination and have worked hard to secure an impressive set of collective grades. All students should be extremely proud of themselves. We cannot wait to see what they achieve in the future.
"We always appreciate our staff but this year in particular we would like to give them some additional public recognition. The challenges of working in schools post pandemic have not gone undocumented and staff have worked tirelessly to provide every opportunity for students to grow."
- Hammersmith Academy
Over in Shepherds Bush, students at Hammersmith Academy in Cathnor Road have once again produced a superb set of GCSE results this year.
An impressive 80 per cent of students achieved grades between 9 to 4.
Yosif Ali was the Academy's highest achiever scoring an outstanding 10 grade 9s.
"I really feel the hard work I put in has paid off. It has been an extremely uncertain time as this was the first year of examinations after the lockdown and the online learning due to Covid made the GCSEs even more stressful for most of us," said Yosif.
Yosif is now looking forward to joining the Sixth Form in September to study for his A-Levels.
Winnie Chan received five grade 9s, two grade 8s, three grade 7s and a grade 6.
"I feel relieved about my results. English Literature and Language are the most challenging subjects for me because English is not my first language. I am grateful to have Ms Moore and Ms Millar as my English teachers as well as the support from the English Department," said Winnie.
She is looking forward to continuing her studies at the Hammersmith Academy Sixth Form.
Abdellah Zinet was awarded seven grade 9s, two grade 7s and a grade 6, and said: "I feel very proud and fulfilled by my results due to the hard work and perseverance I poured into my examinations. My family and I are very pleased with my results.
"Although GCSEs were a really tough time, I believe the help of the Academy and the constantly available resources gave me that edge. It relieved our stress and made it feel do-able."
Headteacher Gary Kynaston said: "Congratulations go to our Year 11 students who have excelled in their GCSEs. The Academy has always had an outstanding record but the attainment of this year's cohort is all the more impressive given a downturn in grades is anticipated nationally.
"To have exceeded last year's national attainment measures demonstrates what a strong academic foundation Hammersmith Academy rests upon.
"Students should be very proud of not only their achievements but for also demonstrating resilience and determination to succeed throughout the last three years of their course."
- Hurlingham Academy
Celebrations were underway at The Hurlingham Academy in Peterborough Road as students secured an outstanding set of GCSE results.
Among the many students celebrating particularly strong achievements was Adem Yahiaoui who achieved a whopping 11 grade 9s.
Nearly half of all students achieved a grade 7 or above in both English and Maths while the entire student cohort achieved a grade 6 or above in Chemistry, Physics and Biology.
Commenting on this year's results, Leon Wilson, Principal at Hurlingham Academy, said: "I could not be prouder of our young people. This summer's GCSE achievements firmly cement the progress we have made over the past five years and reflect our determination to become an 'Outstanding' school for the community we serve."
Other top performers at Hurlingham Academy included:
- Jesse Rivero Vela, who achieved 10 grade 9s
- Adam Kebbouche and Ezana Teshome who both achieved 10 grade 9s and one grade 8
- Mohannad Abdulla, Mischa Jim-Lawson and Danna Cassandra Acain each received nine grade 9s and two grade 8s
- Zaynab Rhouzzal achieved eight grade 9s and four grade 8s
- Jacopo Pirani scored seven grade 9s and four grade 8s.
"Despite the recent challenges of the pandemic, students and staff have been resolute in their commitment to high standards and even higher levels of ambition," added Principal Wilson."I have every confidence that these GCSE grades are just the first step of what will be successful futures for them all. We can't wait to see what they will achieve at Sixth Form and beyond."
- Lady Margaret School
It was happy days at Lady Margaret School in Parsons Green.
For the first time since 2019, Year 11 students took their GCSE exams and produced some fantastic results.
"Our Year 11 students, along with those across the country, faced significant disruption to their education during the pandemic," said Elisabeth Stevenson, Lady Margaret School Headteacher.
"They are to be commended for their commitment to their studies and for the ways in which they have supported each other through difficult times."
More than 70 per cent of the students managed to achieve the English Baccalaureate, meaning they achieved a total of at least 5 GCSEs including a minimum of grade 4 in English, Maths and three of the following subjects: Sciences, History, Geography, French or Spanish.
Over half of all grades ranged from 7 to 9.
She added: "These are excellent results and we are so proud of all girls in Year 11. We look forward to welcoming many of them to Year 12 this September."
- Phoenix Academy
A record-breaking number of top marks were achieved by students at Phoenix Academy in Shepherds Bush.
Following last week's A-level success, the academy continued to enjoy exam success as its GCSE results improved for the fifth year in a row.
Anas, Ragda, Dana, Mohammed, Yahya, Ayub, Hassane, John, Allegra, Karis, and China were all among the year 11 students who achieved at least four grade 8s or above.
Just under a third of all results ranged between a grade 7 and 9, with 80 per cent of all students achieving a grade 5 or above in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Spanish and Latin, and 90 per cent receiving a 4 or over in English and Maths.
"Well done to all students on their achievements. We are proud of you all on achieving this fantastic set of results," said Tony MacDowall, Principal at Phoenix Academy.
"The past three years have been challenging however our students have overcome these challenges and worked hard to access the next stage of their education. The results speak for themselves about the exceptional education at Phoenix Academy."
- Westside School
Staff at Westside School in Galena Road were proud of their students' achievements this year.
Sixty-seven per cent of its pupils achieved grade 4 or higher in English Language and 20 per cent of students achieved five good GCSE passes including Maths and English.
Headteacher Patricia Hanley said: "It is truly humbling to see that the students have been rewarded for their hard work, resilience and ambition.
"Westside works hard to ensure that our students are given the opportunity to get back on track in education and achieve highly in a variety of GCSE and vocational qualifications.
"Whilst we understand that not all achievements are academic, we recognise that having good exam results is often what is required to re-engage some young people in education, which is the cornerstone of our mission."
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