Early results show Croydon students have done better in this year’s GCSEs despite the disruption caused by Covid-19.
Last spring all GCSE and A-Level examinations due to be sat in summer 2020 were cancelled because of the Covid-19 lockdown. Instead, GCSE students nationwide received grades today (Thursday) based on their own school’s analysis of past performance.
With 63% of the borough’s school results in so far, Croydon schools have achieved a provisional 74% pass rate in English and Maths at grade 4 and above and a 53% pass rate at grade 5 and above. This compares to 44% and 41% respectively in 2019.
For any students who did not get the grades they wanted or want support with their next steps, the council is running a series of events open to people aged 16-18 who either live in the borough or attend a Croydon school. For more information, call 0208 726 7485 or email post16@croydon.gov.uk
For wider council assistance, contact educationenquiries@croydon.gov.uk. This account reaches Shelley Davies, Mike McKeaveney, Denise Bushay, Sarah Bailey and Julie Ralphs.
At Norbury Manor Business and Enterprise College for Girls, students scored a 100% GCSE pass rate and the number of results with a grade 4 pass or higher in English and Maths rose from 75% last year to 83% this year.
Deputy headteacher Markieu Hayden, who will become headteacher in September after the retirement of outgoing head Amanda Compton, said: “Norbury Manor has continued with our upwards trajectory of results building on last year.
“Despite the disruption to their learning, the students have remained focused and committed to their studies and have fully participated in online learning and working with their teachers throughout lockdown.”
Shamyla Ahmad, 16, got the top grade 9 in French, Geography, English Literature, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Religious Studies, two 8s in Computer Science and Maths and a 7 in English Language. She said: “I was very nervous; I didn’t expect this at all because I saw a lot in the news about people being downgraded. I put in a lot of hard work and I’m glad it paid off.”
Ayla Aziz, from Thornton Heath, got two grade 9s, three 8s and five 7s. She said: “I think the school has been very supportive in bringing me towards this goal. I’m very relieved and want to do Maths, Biology and Chemistry at sixth form.”
Because of a decline in admissions, this academic year was the last ever at St Andrew’s C of E School in Croydon, where 71.7% of Year 11 students got at least a grade 4 in English and Maths and 35.8% got grade 5 or higher.
Headteacher Jonathan Harris said: “They have had some fantastic teaching, group tutoring and experiences which have resulted in some of the best exam results the school has ever seen.”
“Even at this early stage it’s already clear GCSE students across the borough have had brilliant individual successes despite the disruption to their learning from Covid-19.
“Just as they supported schools throughout lockdown and made themselves available to A-level students needing advice last week, our education director Shelley Davies and her colleagues are here to help anyone who did not get the GCSE grades they were hoping for. So please get in touch with her team if you want help with choosing what to do next.”
Councillor Alisa Flemming, cabinet member for children, young people and learning
