Steel-appeal for future engineer Kerris

STAR students (from the left) Kate Glynn, Kerris Boulton, Reiya Smith, Emma Newton and Mark Holme

GCSE:

A FUTURE in mechanical engineering is on the cards for high-achiever Kerris Boulton, who will take up an apprenticeship with Oldham Training College in September.

The 16-year-old, from Waterhead, achieved four A*s, seven A and one B grade in her GCSE exams at Counthill School, which joins Breeze Hill School to become the new Waterhead Academy in September.

Now the talented teen will start a four-year engineering apprenticeship next month, with the chance of gaining a degree if a company decides to sponsor her through university. She said: “I’ve always like engineering and going on an apprenticeship seemed like the right thing for me.

“If I get sponsored by a company, I could still end up with a degree and a job at the end.”

Pal Kate Glynn (16), from Moorside, matched her friend’s four A* but also gained 10 A grades and two Bs.

She will now study A-levels in maths, physics, art and physical education at Oldham Sixth-Form College and has plans to become an architect. She said: “I was up all Monday night worrying about my results but I’m really happy with what I’ve got.

“My family will be really pleased as well.”

Head teacher David Lack said he was thrilled with this summer’s GCSE results which had more than doubled over the past two years.

He said: “This August, the pupils at Counthill School gained 51 per cent A* to C, including English and maths, and 99 per cent achieved five A* to C.

“We are very confident that if there had not been the major disruption of staff continually out of school undertaking work for the academy, the five A* to C, including English and maths, would have been considerably higher.

“What the staff, pupils and parents have shown is that you do not need to spend millions creating an academy in order to transform learning, you need to create the right structure, philosophy and ethos, and place learning at the centre of the school.”


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