12th January 2024
The new year has got off to a great start for lots of our students at St Brendan’s Sixth Form College, with an impressive total of 89 who left school without a GCSE in Maths and/or English, this week receiving the news that they have achieved the sought-after grade 4 or above – a full six months before the scheduled end of their re-take course.
The exams took place in November, just three months into the academic year for our students; the majority of whom struggled with their respective subject during their time at school.
63% of our students gained a 4 or above in English Language, which is 23% higher than the national average! In addition to that, three of our English students didn’t only pass, they achieved a grade 6. We also saw great success in Maths, with students also beating the national average pass rate.
At St Brendan’s we work hard to support students through the resit process and encourage them to take a new approach to any subjects that they need to re-take when they join us.
We caught up with a very happy Jeovany (pictured) who did incredibly well, passing both his English and Maths GCSEs. In the midst of his double celebrations, he told us how the support he got from us has allowed him to overcome hurdles he hadn’t been able to at school. “I couldn’t believe it when I saw the results, I’m so happy! The teachers here treat me like an adult, and as they’re also teaching A-level courses they encouraged me to learn higher level topics which made me feel like there were no limits. Before I didn’t think it was a possibility but I now feel so excited to start thinking about university as an option.” Jeovany will complete his Access To Level 3 programme in Business for the rest of this academic year and then will begin A-level courses in Business, Media and Psychology in September.
Another student, told us that she was unable to achieve her full potential at her former school, but she is loving College and she was one of the three students who gained a grade 6 in English. By passing her English GCSE the door to higher education is now unlocked, and she will be able to go on to fulfil her ambitions to study Architecture at university after she completes her A-levels.
Principal Marian Curran said “These are fantastic results and are a real testament to the hard work of both our students and staff and the unique Access To Level 3 programme that we run here at St Brendan’s which enables young people to get back on track if their GCSEs do not go quite to plan at school. We are very proud that so many of our students were able to flourish and reach their potential after only three months with us. They are all exceptional, inspiring and talented young people who have much to celebrate.”
