Bright stars!

Photo: Picture: VINCENT BROWN

RECORD haul: (l-r) Tulsi Patel, Priya Vekria, Ali Umar, Saeeda Akbor, Ryan Cash and Kelly Hunsley.

Records tumble as super students shine
SUPER students celebrated remarkable achievements as records were smashed in Oldham on GCSE results day.

Hathershaw Technology and Sports College scooped the most A* and A grades in its history with two pupils collecting an astonishing 19 GCSES each and two more each earning 18.

Elsewhere, Waterhead Academy pupil Jack Glynn has four A*s already at the age of 14.

Our Lady’s School pupil Daniel McLoughlin, from Chadderton, became one of the youngest in Oldham to achieve a GCSE grade — an A* in maths — aged just 13.

Olympic swimming hopeful Jessica Lloyd (16), from Diggle, notched several top grades at Saddleworth School despite being up at 4am most days to train.

And just four years ago, 16-year-old Radclyffe School pupil Jakub Oledzki couldn’t speak English after arriving from Poland — but now has four A* grades and four As (see Page 15).

At Oldham Academy North, Adil Ali also broke the language barrier, after not being able to speak a word of English when he came to live in England as a teenager, to gain six A*s, three As and one B grade, while Zainab Bibi scooped top grades despite a month away from the classroom just before her exams for an eye operation.

Hathershaw equalled its best ever results with 83 per cent of students gaining at least five A*-C grades, with 48 per cent of these achieving at least a C in English and maths. Saeeda Akbor and Ali Umar, both from Coppice, earned the 19 grades each with Saeeda’s hard work rewarded with three A*s and 14 As.

She said: “I’m shocked. I wasn’t expecting these!”

Saeeda is unsure as to a career path yet, but she has time to think it over with a place at Oldham Sixth Form College in the bag where she plans to study maths, biology, chemistry and physics.

Ali hopes to study psychology at Manchester University with his results including two A*s and six As. The most consistent top achiever was Priya Vekaria who was awarded 14 A*s and four As in her 18 GCSEs.

The 16-year-old, from Coppice, dreams of a career as a dentist after securing and plans to study biology, chemistry, maths and psychology at Blue Coat Sixth Form.

“It’s insane,” she said. “I’m really excited to start my A-levels now. I definitely want to go to university after that, although I am a little worried about the fees.”

Tulsi Patel also excelled with an outstanding haul including 11 A*s and five As.

“I’m very proud,” she said. “I just need my dad to reward my hard work now!”

Tulsi, who also lives in Coppice, is now desperate to start her A-levels at Blue Coat and will study maths, further maths, product design, biology and chemistry.

Principal Carol Cawkwell said: “Once again these students have performed so well.

“I am extremely proud of their efforts and wish them all success in the future.”

Senior deputy, David McEntee added: “I’m absolutely delighted! We managed to consolidate our success from last year and it is particularly pleasing that there are so many top grades.

“We really focussed on achieving the quality grades this year. We succeeded — we have more high grades than ever!”

Hathershaw College became a converter academy on August 1 and various subjects provide students with more than one GCSE grade. ICT for example is awarded as four separate grades, while dance can gain a student two grades.