We’re bucking the trend!

GCSE students in Ipswich and Suffolk have reversed the grim national picture with some outstanding results.

A number of our schools saw significant increases in the number of pupils achieving five or more A*-C grades including English and maths.

Across Suffolk, the figure rose by 5%.

St Alban’s Catholic High School achieved their best ever GCSE results after 70% of pupils gained five A*-C grades including English and maths.

It was an 11% improvement on last summer – the biggest rise in Ipswich.

Headteacher Colin Walker praised the “dedicated and focussed” effort of the school to get pupils to reach their potential.

He said: “This is a day of celebration of both academic achievement and of the fulfilment of the school’s ethos of ‘Learning, Respecting and Caring’.”

And he paid tribute to the “huge contribution” of his predecessor Dennis McGarry, who left the school at Easter.

Ipswich Academy joined the school in toasting top marks after the number of students achieving five A*-C grades including English and maths jumped from 23% last year to 31% for the class of 2013.

The number of A*-C grades overall surged from 41% to 64%, prompting principal Nancy Robinson to insist the school had “turned the corner”.

“There is an increasing sense of students aiming high and really wanting to achieve,” she said.

“This is also seen in the number of students wanting to stay on to our sixth form, something which has been encouraged by our pleasing A-level results last week.”

Shaun Common, headteacher at Copleston High School, praised pupils and staff after 68% of students gained five A*-C grades including English and maths – a 7% rise.

“At a time when the examinations are more demanding, it is a truly wonderful achievement and bears testimony to the incredible hard work of our students supported by our dedicated staff,” he said.

More than 75% of Northgate High School students achieved an A*-C grade in science despite a 7.6% national drop in the subject.

Overall 68% gained five A*-C grades including English and maths – a 2% increase – while pupil Rebecca Roberts grabbed nine A*s and one A.

Headteacher David Hutton said: “These are very good results and I congratulate the pupils on their well-deserved achievements.”

Elsewhere, 99% of the 280 Kesgrave High School students were rewarded with at least five A* to E grades

Headteacher Nigel Burgoyne said 65% of pupils achieved five A* to C grades including English and maths.

Suffolk New Academy principal Andrew Fell praised the hard work of the school’s first batch of GCSE results, with 40% achieving five or more A*-C grades including English and maths. Mr Fell said: “Given the significant turbulence in the national picture, the results are encouraging for the academy’s first year of opening and represent a huge amount of hard work from our staff and students.”

Meanwhile, 60% of Claydon High School students achieved five A* to C grades including English and maths – a 7% increase.

East Bergholt High School head Colin Turner said he was “absolutely delighted” as 69% of students achieved five A* to C grades including English and maths – an increase of 20% from last year and “the highest the school has ever achieved”.

At St Joseph’s College, 84% of students achieved five or more A*-C grades including English and maths, while 50% of students achieved the same feat at Ormiston Endeavour Academy.

At the Royal Hospital School, 89% of students have achieved five or more A*- C grades, including English and Maths, while 99.2% did so at Ipswich School.

Meanwhile, just 30% of students scored the same mark at Westbourne Academy. At Farlingaye, 69.5% of students achieved five A*-C including English and maths, while it was 58% at Holbrook Academy subject to appeals.