This in from Glyn Taylor on behalf of Cowes Enterprise College, in his own words, Ed
Students and staff at Cowes Enterprise College are being praised for their efforts, as provisional figures show they have achieved the school’s best ever GCSE results.
Results were opened in the magnificent setting of their new state-of-the-art school, which is now occupied and ready to welcome students at the start of the September term.
The figures show that 53% of students gained five A* to C grades, including English and Maths. This compares with a 51% pass rate for 2012, and represents the most successful outcome for students since the introduction of the GCSE qualification.
Good increase in English results
A notable area of success was in English, where there has been a major uplift in the percentage of students achieving C grade and above, up from 49% in 2012 to 63% in 2013. The percentage of students making expected or better progress in English has leapt from 47% to 68%, and the number of A* to A grades has jumped from 9% to 15%.
Maths results solid and consistent
Maths results have remained steady with 66% of students achieving C grade and above, 64% making expected or better progress and 11% achieving high grades at A* and A.
Improvements across the board
In some other subjects, 100% of students achieved A* – C grades. These results were in Art and Design Photography, Physics, Health and Nutrition, as well as BTEC courses in Business and Travel, and Tourism and Sports Studies.
Other subjects in which students excelled are; Biology in which 88% achieved A* to C, Chemistry in which 97% achieved A* to C, English Literature in which 87% achieved A* to C and Fine Art in which 84% achieved A* to C. Religious Studies results show 28% reaching the highest A* to A grades.
And across the board, all groups of students at Cowes Enterprise College have improved their performance from 2012. This includes a rise in achievement by both boys and girls, students with Special Educational Needs, high attainers and gifted and talented pupils, as well as those who require more support.
School ‘starting to realise its potential’
Despite the impressive results, the leadership team is not complacent. The College has pledged to continue the upward trend of recent months, which as well as returning its best ever GCSE results has included passing the two latest Ofsted monitoring visits with inspectors giving encouraging feedback. This year’s A-Level results have also shown an improvement in academic attainment.
Commenting on this year’s GCSE achievements, Interim Executive Principal Christine Hardman, who took up her post at Cowes Enterprise College in Easter 2013, said,
“I am absolutely delighted with the results which show how hard the staff and students have worked. Despite a challenging year, Cowes Enterprise College is a school that is going in the right direction with massive potential that is starting to be realised.
“We have had two good monitoring reports from Ofsted, and when students return to school next month, it will be to a tremendous new building which is now well and truly open for business. Academically, A Level results have improved and, whilst there is yet some way for GCSE results to reach the national average, it must be remembered that this year’s achievements are against a backdrop of massive changes on site coupled with a national drop in GCSE scores.
“There is a real feeling that the community’s confidence in Cowes Enterprise College is being restored and we look forward to improving still further as the new school year begins.”
Governors praised for support
Thanks have also been given to the College’s Board of Governors for their monitoring and scrutiny of recent developments at the school.
On the GCSE results, Chair of Governors, Rachael Fidler, said,
“Congratulations to all students and staff on these impressive results, which show their commitment and determination during this challenging period. When the new school opens next month, we are very much looking forward to continuing on this upward path.”
Top ten achievers at Cowes Enterprise College
This year’s ten highest GCSE achievers at Cowes Enterprise College were:
Georgia Holman
14 A* to C grades, of which 12 were A* to A
Hannah Glenton
15 A* to C grades, of which 12 were A* to A
Holly Price
12 A* to C grades, of which 11 were A* to A
Rachel Leach
13 A* to C grades, of which 11 were A* to A
Frances Crews
12 A* to C grades, of which 10 were A* to A
Harry Carter
13 A* to C grades, of which 10 were A* to A
Jody Blackmore
13 A* to C grades, of which 10 were A* to A
Rebecca Metcalf
14 A* to C grades, of which 9 were A* to A
Lea Nieuwoudt
12 A* to C grades, of which 8 were A* to A
Sarah Morgan
12 A* to C grades, of which 8 were A* to A
Harry Beardsall
12 A* to C grades, of which 8 were A* to A
