Oldham’s GCSE students find out their results

It's been a results day like no other in Oldham

For thousands of students across Oldham the day they had been waiting for has finally dawned although this year things are a bit different.

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic exams weren’t sat during the early part of the summer meaning the grades students have been awarded have been Centre Assessment Grades.

As a result, nationally, the grades handed out in Maths and English have seen a sharp rise with four in five students (80.2%) being awarded a grade 4, or pass grade, compared with just over 70% last year.

The overall pass rate has also increased from 70% last year to 79% this year.

However students who took BTecs face a longer delay for their results as those qualifications are being re-graded,

How does things look in Oldham though?

At Hathershaw College, Principle Mark Giles said: “This year has been a year no one could have predicted. I am extremely proud of the achievements of our students. Despite the absence of final exams, those who have worked hard will have received the qualifications they deserve. I must also recognise the outstanding work of my teaching and non-teaching staff. They have kept this school operating in a different way during the enforced closure and supported all students incredibly well. I want those students leaving us this year to know that once you have been part of Hathershaw, you will always be part of it and if you need any further support, particularly after the year it has been, please contact us.”

Mr Mairs, from Oldham Hulme Grammar School said: Our Year 11 students are this morning celebrating a superb set of GCSE results.

They have endured the most horrendous set of circumstances: from the initial uncertainty generated by the lockdown, to the anxiety that the controversy surrounding the use of Ofqual’s algorithm will have created for them.

Our Year 11 students had already worked extremely hard before lockdown, and they did not stop working on the 20th March. Instead they engaged fully with their online lessons and undertook A Level bridging courses when GCSE study ended in May. They are therefore very well placed to embark upon the next stage of their education, and we are very proud of them. No-one would pretend that grades are not important, but I believe that in years to come it is the personal qualities that they have demonstrated in this crisis of: determination, resilience and initiative that will set these young people apart. I am also very proud of our dedicated staff team who worked tirelessly to continue to teach and support our students through this time.

Their results are excellent and there are many impressive individual performances. Our top performing girl and boy have achieved 10x Grade 9s and 9x Grade 9s respectively. However, there are many success stories this morning across our ability range and we share our students’ joy and relief.

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