Home   Ipswich   News   Article

Subscribe Now

GCSEs 2020: Live updates as Suffolk students receive their results




It's not been the most straightforward of times for GCSE students in the country, after a Government u-turn on the way in which grades were determined just days before results day.

Yet today is still an important one for thousands of youngsters in Suffolk as they receive their results , which will be based on teacher-assessed grades – meanwhile BTEC pupils will have to wait a bit longer for their results after exam board Pearson announced yesterday evening that it would be re-assessing their grades in line with A-levels and GCSEs.

We'll bring you all the latest updates we have on GCSE results from the county as we get them throughout the day.

Students across Suffolk are receiving their GCSE results today
Students across Suffolk are receiving their GCSE results today

Beccles - Sir John Leman High School

It has been a particularly strange day for pupils at Sir John Leman High School in Beccles , who were prepared to wait another week for their grades after staff made the decision to postpone results day.

The decision came after the Government u-turn on how exams would be marked, with staff keen to make sure students have the 'full picture when getting these important results'.

But the school reverted back to the original plan of giving out results today after the Government announced all new grades would be at the school in time for students collecting results.

Facebook post from Sir John Leman High School (40905473)
Facebook post from Sir John Leman High School (40905473)

Bury St Edmunds - County Upper School

Students at Bury St Edmunds ' County Upper School have spoken of their 'relief' at the Government's exams u-turn as they collected their GCSE results this morning.

And headteacher Vicky Neale added: "Today we are celebrating the year 11 of 2020.

"We're delighted that we can welcome them safely and, following on from their virtual leavers' day in June, every student is able to receive their Record of Achievement in person."

To read more of our report from County Upper School, click here

County Upper student Anna Mavroghenis (40894977)
County Upper student Anna Mavroghenis (40894977)

Bury St Edmunds - King Edward VI School

A Bury St Edmunds headteacher says GCSE students' 'continued efforts and resilience were finally rewarded' today.

Students at King Edward VI School, in Grove Road, received their results virtually.

Headteacher Lee Walker said: "After so much disruption to their final year of learning, and recent uncertainty about results, we could not be prouder of their continued efforts and their resilience."

Read more about what students achieved top grades in all their subjects

Bury St Edmunds - Sybil Andrews Academy

The headteacher of Sybil Andrews Academy in Bury St Edmunds said today's GCSE results mark the end of an 'anxious period', but the achievements of students should not be forgotten.

The secondary school has not released a grade average, but said the results should be taken 'seriously' with the future of Year 11 leavers at stake.

Trenica King, headteacher, said: "We are taking it seriously on an individual student basis, but this is not the year for us to be printing what the overall results were."

Here's more of our report from Sybil Andrews Academy

Charlotte Clark and Harriett Bridges at Sybil Andrews Academy (40898162)
Charlotte Clark and Harriett Bridges at Sybil Andrews Academy (40898162)

Bury St Edmunds - St Benedict's Catholic School

At St Benedict's Catholic School in Bury St Edmunds, Imogen Senior, said the results were a fair reflection of the students' efforts and demonstrated the 'robust' data used by teachers at the school in predicting grades.

She said: "The centre assessed grades that we submitted were based on robust data held in school, and are in line with the strong results achieved by similar cohorts in previous years.

"As a school we have a good understanding of our own data and our forecast grades in recent years have been very similar to those final grades achieved through exams, and therefore we hope that our students feel supported by the integrity of this process and are proud of the grades that they have achieved."

This is what St Benedict's students had to say while reflecting on their own achievements

Students receiving their GCSEs at St Benedicts. PICTURE: Mecha Morton
Students receiving their GCSEs at St Benedicts. PICTURE: Mecha Morton

Bury St Edmunds - Thurston Community College

Students at Thurston Community College collected their GCSE results today and were met with cheers from teachers and parents.

The pupils arrived in batches of 50 at the college's Beyton Campus between 9am and 11.30am.

Helen Wilson, headteacher, said: "I would like to pay tribute to our students and their families who have dealt admirably with the exceptional and challenging circumstances in the past few months.

Thurston Community College star performer George Howarth (40901997)
Thurston Community College star performer George Howarth (40901997)

"To be told in March that the examinations were cancelled was devastating for our young people, who have have spent an immense amount of time preparing for this moment in their lives."

Click here for more on what Thurston students had to say about their results

Clare - Stour Valley Community School

Stour Valley Community School revealed that the top grade nine had been awarded to pupils in a broad range of subjects, with one student achieving nines across the board.

Rachel Kelly, Stour Valley headteacher, said: "We join the students and their families in celebrating their achievements, which represent the culmination of many years spent studying."

Read more about Stour Valley Community School's results day here

Ely - King's Ely

A Year 11 student from just outside Newmarket has finished top of her class with a clean sweep of grade nines.

Eleanor MacGillvray, who won grade nines in her GCSEs at King's Ely (40923933)
Eleanor MacGillvray, who won grade nines in her GCSEs at King's Ely (40923933)

Eleanor MacGillivray, who attended King's Ely, scored the highest possible grades in all her GCSEs and is among a group of the highest performing at the private school.

Eleanor said: "I am delighted with my results and would love to do a maths degree at university once I have completed my sixth form studies here."

Read more of what Eleanor had to say about her results here.

Great Cornard - Thomas Gainsborough School

Officials at Thomas Gainsborough School in Great Cornard, near Sudbury , said it had been delighted to present an 'excellent' set of GCSE results to its students today, describing them as a 'true reflection' of their hard work.

Headteacher Wayne Lloyd said “We are delighted to recognise all the hard work and excellence of our Year 11 students. We were able to present them with grades that reflect their successes and that are a true reflection on them.

“These have been unprecedented times and it is only right and proper that the class of 2020 should be able to celebrate everything they have achieved."

Find out more about how students did by clicking here

GCSE Results 2020 - Thomas Gainsborough School. (40909267)
GCSE Results 2020 - Thomas Gainsborough School. (40909267)

Haverhill - Castle Manor Academy

Castle Manor's headteacher has paid tribute to her Year 11 students who she said were 'talented, kind, funny and sparky individuals who will go on to great things”.

“I would like to offer them my huge congratulations and best wishes for their next steps," she said.

Among the high achievers were Poppy Morley and Ethan Dobell, who both got nines, eights and sevens in their exams.

Read more about Poppy and Ethan and their achievements here

Haverhill - Linton Village College

Students at Linton Village College have been praised by their principal after they received their GCSE results.

Among them was Mildenhall Fen Tigers speedway rider Sam Norris, who completed his GCSEs despite suffering a severe brain injury while competing in a race at the British Youth Championships in Glasgow in June 2019.

Helena Marsh, principal, said: "It has been an exceptional year for us all, but in particular our Year 11 students who have foregone their traditional school leavers’ experiences and rites of passage.

Linton Village College students celebrating their GCSE results today. Submitted picture (40905115)
Linton Village College students celebrating their GCSE results today. Submitted picture (40905115)

"While examinations are typically stressful, they are an important demarcation of the end of secondary education and capture students’ academic accomplishments."

Read more about the achievements of Linton Village College's students

Haverhill - Samuel Ward Academy

Fears were replaced with delight at Haverhill's Samuel Ward Academy as students collected their GCSE results.

Poppy Boreham was delighted after getting eight GCSEs, including a grade nine in English Language, and will head to Long Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge to study A levels.

Poppy Boreham. Picture by Russ Bennett (40918619)
Poppy Boreham. Picture by Russ Bennett (40918619)

She admitted, however, to being worried her grades might be lower given what had happened with the A levels results nationwide before the Government u-turn.

Here is what Poppy had to say about her GCSE results

Ipswich - Ipswich Academy

Officials at Ipswich Academy have said 62 per cent of their students achieved between a 9 and a 4 in English and Maths, despite an "unprecedented year".

Ipswich - Ipswich School

The headteacher at Ipswich School has praised students who received 'an excellent set' of GCSE results today.

Of the 123 pupils at the school who took GCSEs, 46 achieved 10 GCSEs with grades of between seven and nine.

Nine of the school's top performers also achieved nines in all of their 10 subjects.

To hear more of Ipswich School students' accomplishments, click here

Ipswich School students receive GCSE results. Picture: Warren Page (40908729)
Ipswich School students receive GCSE results. Picture: Warren Page (40908729)

Ixworth - SET Ixworth School

Staff at SET Ixworth School said their "amazing year group" had "worked hard for each and every grade".

Mildenhall - Mildenhall College Academy

The headteacher of a school has said she is 'grateful' and 'incredibly proud' after GCSE students had a considerably different results day to last week.

Nicola Hood at Mildenhall College Academy, said she was really pleased for her pupils, with many taking up places to study A-levels there next academic year.

She said: "I am really pleased for all of our students and feel they have been fairly rewarded for their hard work."

Read more about Mildenhall students' thoughts and results here

Mildenhall College Academy's headteacher has said she is ''incredibly proud' of students getting GCSE results
Mildenhall College Academy's headteacher has said she is ''incredibly proud' of students getting GCSE results

Newmarket - Newmarket Academy

The head of Newmarket Academy said the students collecting their GCSE results today had approached the last year with "incredible fortitude".

Unlike other years pupils have been handed teacher predicted grades after exams were scrapped because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Nick Froy, Newmarket Academy's headteacher, said it had been a difficult year for students and paid tribute to their hard work.

Here's what pupils themselves had to say on results day

Headteacher Nick Froy with Zak Hall and Mia Loades (40905821)
Headteacher Nick Froy with Zak Hall and Mia Loades (40905821)

Stowmarket - Debenham High School

In a statement, headteacher of Debenham High School, near Stowmarket , Julia Upton remarked on the exceptional circumstances of the most recent academic year.

She said: "This has been a year like no other for the students of 2020. We are incredibly proud of how the students of Debenham High School have coped with these strange times.

"We hope that students feel that the results that they have received represent their hard work and commitment to their studies."

There's more from Debenham High School here

Stowmarket - Stowupland High School

At Stowupland High School, near Stowmarket , headteacher Peter Whear thanked students, ahead of next term when the school introduces its new sixth form building.

"The achievement of each Year 11 student at Stowupland is a cause for celebration. Our students have studied hard over the past five years and can be extremely proud of the grades they have been awarded.

"They are an admirable and distinguished group of young people with very bright futures ahead of them."

Read more from Stowupland High School here

Woodbridge - Woodbridge School

Students at Woodbridge School achieved "exceptional" results, its head teachers said as she spoke of her "admiration" for the Year 11 pupils.

Out of 102 GCSE students, 25.4% achieved 9; 43.4% achieved 9 – 8; 68% achieved 9 – 7; 84.3% achieved 9 – 6.

Shona Norman, head of Woodbridge School, said: “I have complete admiration for our Year 11 pupils and these exceptional GCSE results, which are proof of all their hard work and dedication in the face of the considerable challenges of recent months.

"At Woodbridge School, we are an exceptionally close community, and our emphasis has been on supporting our young people during these very difficult times, helping to bring out the best in each and every one of them. We have 102 students in our year group and they have all really excelled, not just achieving great results, but also combining this with strong personal development.

"Exam grades are important, but the ability to show integrity, kindness to others and to demonstrate creative adaptability – something that our Woodbridgians excel at – is another thing altogether.

"I would like to commend our students and staff for working so closely together during all the recent uncertainty and wish them congratulations on their outstanding success.”

SuffolkNews Podcast

Listen to a round-up of this week's top stories, including Suffolk's GCSEs.

'Your teachers are best placed to help advise you'

MP for Suffolk Coastal, Therese Coffey, has tweeted this morning wishing GCSE students good luck.

She's advising pupils who did not achieve what they wanted to speak to their teachers, who are "best placed to help advise you on next steps".

Alternatively, she suggests calling the National Careers Service helpline on 0800 100 900 or visit nationalcareers.service.gov.uk .

And Suffolk County Council has said there are "lots of resources" to help those unsure of what to do next.

'Please send us your results'

Individuals and institutions in the county have been wishing GCSE students all the best as they receive their results today.

Among them is the Ipswich -based University of Suffolk - which offers courses at a number of partner colleges in the county - who posted on Twitter asking applicants to send them their results once they have them.

One of the University of Suffolk's partner colleges, West Suffolk College, in Bury St Edmunds , has also posted on social media this morning.

The college has a dedicated phone line set up for GCSE Maths and English students to call from 9.30am to 3pm to get their results instantly - on 01284 338801.

News from our universities, local primary and secondary schools including Ofsted inspections and league tables can be found here

Read more: All the latest news from Suffolk