There was plenty to celebrate and lots of smiles as thousands of students received their GCSE results across the county today. Students overcame the lingering impact of Covid, a fire and much more to secure the grades they needed to go on to sixth form, college or training. Martha Pearson, a student at Roedean School, Brighton , celebrated an outstanding set of results getting 11 grade 9s – the highest grade available.
Martha Pearson (Image: Submitted) She is going to BHASVIC to study maths, further maths, chemistry and history at A-level. “I am incredibly pleased with my results and am now looking forward to celebrating at Reading Festival,” she said. Fellow Roedean pupil Lydia Furniss spent 590 hours and 42 minutes revising for her exams.
The 16-year-old from Hove bagged ten 9s and a 7 in her results and puts her success down to being motivated by using the revision app Flora. Lydia Furniss (Image: David McHugh) "I started revising in February and I just got addicted to recording the hours and seeing the tree in the app grow when I revised and wither when I messed about on my phone,” she said. “The funny thing is that I don’t include my art GCSE in those hours but I know that I did about the same amount of hours again just on art alone.
But because I was watching TV while I did it, I didn’t count it.” Lydia will now study for her A-levels in English literature, maths, Spanish and classics and hopes to go to Cambridge University after that. A very happy family at Brighton Girls (Image: Christopher Pledger) A grade 9 was the most common grade achieved by GCSE pupils at Roedean this year, as the school celebrated its best performance in 20 years.
Tallulah Palmer-Smith, who took her first GCSE in Spanish at the age of 11, picked up eight 9s, one 8 and a 7. Tallulah Palmer-Smith (Image: Christopher Pledger) The Brighton Girls pupil said: "I can't remember much about it now and I don't think I did much revision but I managed to get an 8. “I was at the bilingual school in Hove and although lessons were in English I was surrounded by Spanish so I just picked it up.
" The teen says being part of the cohort that experienced lockdowns in Year 7 and 8 meant there was a lot of anxiety around exams but that everyone pulled together to help each other. Read more: Updates as students receive their GCSE results in Sussex "There was a lot of worry around grades going back to pre Covid times but we supported each other and we got through it,” she said. Tallulah will now study French, law, biology and history and hopes to go into a job in diplomacy.
Elise Mcgivney, 16, who is a student at Dorothy Stringer School, Brighton, is going on to complete an international baccalaureate in higher physics, maths and history, standard Spanish, philosophy and English at Varndean College after achieving all 9s and 8s. Elise Mcgivney (Image: The Argus) “I’m really happy and chuffed," she said. "I was a bit worried about English lit but I’m just really happy.
I think I want to do something to do with maths and STEM. I’m going to Reading festival to celebrate.” Fellow Dorothy Stringer student Alex Owen,16, decided to celebrate his results with a trip to Nando’s with his friends after getting 4s and 5s in most subjects.
Alex Owen (Image: The Argus) He's off to BHASVIC next to study creative media production, business and psychology. "I’m particularly pleased with maths because I always found it hard to pass the mocks," he said. “I’m very excited but a little bit nervous as well.
Creative media production is what I’m most excited for.” At Cardinal Newman school, Hove, Daniel Vincent was the highest achiever of the year group with ten GCSEs at grade 9. Alex Pellant, Amar Dasgupta-Clark and Daniel Vincent at Cardinal Newman school (Image: The Argus) At Varndean School, Brighton, Jacob Croxton, 16, got all 9s in his GCSEs.
“It doesn’t feel real," he said. "I’m still in shock. I did do quite a lot of studying.
I’m kind of sad to be leaving but excited to move on.” Jacob Croxton (Image: The Argus) He is now off to BHASVIC to study double maths, physics and Spanish. King’s School, Hove, saw its best ever GCSE results this year.
Some 92 per cent of students passed their GCSEs in both English and maths with 71 per cent of students achieving a grade of five or more in both English and maths. The average grade for students per exam was above a grade 5 (described nationally as ‘a strong pass’) and 41 per cent of all grades were 9-7. A big hug at Brighton College (Image: Andrew Hasson) The school’s headteacher Sarah Price said: “I am absolutely delighted with this year’s outstanding GCSE results.
Our students worked incredibly hard to achieve such great results and I am very proud of their success this year, which is richly deserved.” Brighton College believes it has achieved the best GCSE results ever accomplished by any school in Sussex. There were more than 1,100 grade 9s at the school this year.
Some 94.2 per cent of grades were at 9-7. Happy students at Brighton College (Image: Andrew Hasson) Principal of Brighton College Richard Cairns said: “These are the best GCSE results in the county ever and will be amongst the very best in England.
“I am delighted that this remarkable cohort should be my last as head as I move into my new role as principal of the family of schools of Brighton College.” Headteacher of Blatchington Mill School, Hove, Kate Claydon, described her students as "incredible". Pupils at Blatchington Mill School (Image: Blatchington Mill School) Students faced disruption when damage caused by a fire on January 17 forced the school to close for several days.
"We are delighted with the results of our Year 11 students who sat their GCSEs this year," she said. "They are an incredible group of young people who demonstrated time and again that they were determined to achieve well, showing real commitment and enthusiasm for their learning throughout their time at Blatch. A fire broke out at the school in January (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus) "They also had to deal with very difficult circumstances in Year 11, including a fire at the school which caused huge disruption to their learning, and for some students, the sudden death of one of their teachers weeks before their GCSE exams.
We are so proud of all of them for navigating these challenges so well, as well as for all of their hard work. They were supported tirelessly throughout by their subject teachers, wider school staff and families, whose support we very much appreciate. “We wish every one of our fantastic ‘Class of 2024’ the very best of luck as they move on to the next stage of their education - we know you’re going to make amazing contributions to the world - well done.
" Portslade Aldridge Community Academy reported having another “brilliant” year. Portslade Aldridge Community Academy students (Image: Portslade Aldridge Community Academy) Among highlight achievements were that of Annabelle Sivyer who gained eight grade 9s and two grade 8s including straight 9s in English language and literature, maths, all three sciences and French. Thomas Barnett gained six grade 9s,three grade 8s and one grade 7.
Nationally, the proportion of GCSE entries awarded top grades fell from last year but was higher than before the Covid-19 pandemi. More than a fifth (21.8 per cent) of UK GCSE entries were awarded the top grades – at least a 7 (an A grade) – this year, down 0.
2 percentage points on last year when 22 per cent of entries achieved the top grades..
