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Forest Hall School is celebrating GCSE results above the national average for the third year running.

The 2017 summer exam season saw students sitting the new grade 9 to 1 GCSEs for the first time in maths and English, with staff having to prepare students for examinations no one had sat or seen.

The maths and English GCSEs were new exams with different content and exam paper styles. The new 9 to 1 numerical grades do not map across in a simple way to the A* to G grades. This dramatic break from what has gone before means any comparison of this year’s GCSE maths and English scores with previous years is meaningless. The headline figures incorporating maths and English grades which schools have quoted in the past consequently cannot be used again.

The 9 to 1 grades students have achieved in maths and English and the A* to G grades for their other subjects will be used by the Department for Education to calculate Attainment 8 and Progress 8 figures for all schools. These will be available in the autumn term.

This summer, 77% of students achieved a high standard in the new English language GCSE exams, while in GCSE maths, 67% achieved a similar standard.

The school, in Forest Hall Road, Stansted, became part of the Burnt Mill Co-operative Academy Trust (BMAT) in 2015 with a mission to boost student numbers and exam results and has consistently achieved it over the last three years.

Since joining BMAT, the school has seen huge changes implemented, including Saturday school and revision sessions after school in all subjects to ensure students are able to achieve their best.

Stephen Hehir, head of Forest Hall since BMAT adopted the school, said: “Once again, it gives me so much pleasure to congratulate my students on their fantastic achievement in the summer 2017 series of examinations. This year marks the third year in a row that GCSE results at Forest Hall School are above the national average. I applaud all my students, their teachers and their parents for this wonderful achievement.

“The message this sends out to everyone in the community is that at Forest Hall School all our students work hard and this allows them to achieve their highest potential. At Forest Hall School, we believe in ALL of our students and ALL of our students know they can be hugely successful.”

High achieving students in Year 11 this year include -

• Daisy Pearce-Allen ten higher grade GCSEs, including Grade 8 in English language, A in religious education and drama.
• Dominic Estrellas ten higher grade GCSEs, including A* in photography, Distinction* in ICT, Grade 7 in English literature.
• Hannah Parson ten higher grade GCSEs, including six A*/A grades, including A* in additional science and textiles and A grades in geography, further science, history and core science. 
• Lukas Wallis ten higher grade GCSEs, including A in Spanish and Grade 7 in English literature.
• Finnbarr Ambrose nine higher grade GCSEs, including A in PE, Distinction in ICT, Grade 7 in English literature and B in additional science, resistant materials, English language and core science.

Success also went to students entered early for GCSE exams in Year 9 and 10. Students at Forest Hall School complete up to two option GCSEs in Year 9 or 10. 

Year 10 high achievers include - 

Gorka Comet-Ologaray A* in French and Spanish

Mami Seck A in PE and sociology

Amelia Beck A in drama, B in geography

Marcia Amaral-Cardoso A* in Portuguese, B in business studies

Year 9 high achievers include -

Dennis Elsley A in ICT

Armani-Jai Newman A in geography