Last updated at 14:54, Friday, 24 August 2012

Grades may have been falling nationally but in Cumbria schools were celebrating some impressive results from their pupils.

Newman School pupils Rebecca Mooney, Erin Rose and Abigail Carr celebrate

And headteachers were on hand to give them a pat on the pack.

Caldew School’s head Chris McAree was delighted with his pupils’ marks and said: “We are really happy.”

His school had seen increases in the number of pupils getting five GCSEs at grades A*-C. Almost a quarter got five A* or A grades.

But the number passing English did not improve from the record figure the school achieved last year because of a change in the way papers were marked. Several appeals are planned on this issue.

There was a similar story at Richard Rose Central Academy, which had its best ever pass rates, where about 10 pupils were within one mark of a C grade.

But this did not detract from how pleased staff there were at the result.

Jacky Kennedy, who will take over as headteacher this autumn, said the school’s pupils’ good set of results had come about because of the support parents had given the school in the last five years.

Retiring head Russ Wallace said this was a great way to mark his last working day as a teacher.

At Trinity School, headteacher Alan Mottershead was investigating some “oddities” among individual students grades but overall the picture was positive.

“I don’t think we have anybody in great upset,” he said.

John McAuley, headteacher of Newman School, said: “We are absolutely delighted. There has been a lot of hard work from students and staff so it is really pleasing that it has come off.”

William Howard School’s headteacher Lorrayne Hughes, was similarly pleased.

“We are again delighted with our results. There were 273 students in this year group and across the ability range the students performed very well and must be congratulated,” she said.

Janet Downes at Nelson Thomlinson School in Wigton, where more than a quarter of pupils got straight A* or A grades, said: “Our students can be very proud of their achievements.”

Nigel Pattinson, head of Ullswater Community College in Penrith, said: “Once again we’re delighted with the overall results, achieved by our students.”

However, he also had some anxieties: “I do have significant concerns, however, about changes to the grade boundaries in English, maths and science, where marks have been reduced by examination boards since students completed assessments and this has affected the percentage of students achieving five or more A*-C grades including English and maths.”

Neighbouring Queen Elizabeth Grammar School headteacher Chris Kirkup, whose pupils achieved a 99 per cent pass rate, said: “We are delighted with our GCSE results this year, particularly the high number of top grades which is a record for this school. As with our A level results last week the success of the students is down to their hard work and the unstinting support of all of the staff at QEGS.”

At Samuel Kings School in Alston, 62 per cent of students gained 5A*-C GCSE passes with English and maths.

Headteacher Ian Johnson said: “The Class of 2012 have done themselves proud.”

First published at 14:04, Friday, 24 August 2012
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk