Relief and joy at GCSE outcomes at Hammersmith Academy

Hammersmith Academy pupils expressed relief after getting GCSE results based on mocks and school work.

Batoul Gheleb was the highest achiever at the school in Shepherd’s Bush that opened in 2011.

After scoring a spectacular nine grade 9s, Batoul said: “It was stressful leading up to today’s GCSE results, including all the confusion with how we were going to be awarded our grades.

“Overall, I’m delighted with my results this year, which were better than I was anticipating.

“I’m grateful for the support I received from the academy, from weekly emails assessing our progress, to detailed

tasks to assist our learning.”

Batoul will continue at Hammersmith Academy’s sixth form.

Following the outcry over A-level results, the Government announced on August 17 that GCSE results would be awarded according to predicted grades that were assigned by teachers.

The numerical grading system for GCSEs was introduced in 2014. A 9 is higher than the old A*, 7 is equivalent to the old grade A, while 4 is equivalent to the old C.

Lilith Nelson woke up to an impressive seven grade 9s and two 8s.

“After seeing what A-Level students went through I feel we are lucky,” Lilith said.

“I was nervous about my grades but I knew based on my mocks that I would be ok because I’ve always worked hard for them and took them seriously. I am so happy and relieved.”

Kyha Haynes-Muir, who achieved six grade 9s, two 8s and 7, said: “When we were told we wouldn’t be sitting final exams it sounded like we didn’t need to worry.

“But it has been stressful thinking about what we may get, especially seeing what A-Level students went through.”

Matthew Sanetra had four grade 9s, an 8, two 7s and two 5s.

He said: “I think the change to the way exam grades were determined was needed because it heavily favoured students from certain backgrounds.

“The Academy did an amazing job supporting us. From day one of school closure I pushed myself with A-Level content because I knew nothing could change my GCSE grades, and I was in constant communication with the Academy and St Paul’s School’s engineering society for help with my physics project.”

Milcah Tareke attained five grade 9s, three 8s and a 5. She explained: “GCSEs have been a strange experience for all of us this year, with us not taking the exams, only hoping we had done well enough in previous assessments.

“I think lots of people, myself included, had some regret in not working that little bit harder during mocks… but nobody could have foreseen the GCSE examinations being cancelled.”

Headteacher, Gary Kynaston, said: “It has been a tumultuous year for our GCSE students, who have missed a significant part of the academic year, including their final examinations.

“They have been nervously waiting for the results, made all the more challenging with the Government’s last minute changes to the way results are awarded, earlier in the week.

“Thank you to the parents and staff who have worked closely together to guide and support our Year 11 students through the uncertain time we find ourselves in.”