The latest round of GCSE results at the Catholic High School in Chester has seen records broken.

As students pick up their results, staff have been delighted to pronounce this year’s cohort as the school’s most successful Year 11 ever.

Headteacher John Murray told The Chronicle: “I know schools often claim ‘best ever’ results, but this is easily the case for us this year.”

He continued: “Our mission is to provide the best Catholic education for all our students. We have young people who have secured straight A* and A grades, and others who will be delighted to have passed their examinations in English and mathematics. I am really proud of all of them and what they have achieved.”

The score that schools are judged on includes the percentage achieving 5 or more A*-C grades including English and maths, and this year 68% of the year group secured this figure. The percentage of A*-C grades in English was almost 90%, and 80% secured at least a C grade in RE.”

Star performers

Among the top performers were James Guinan and Grace Tierney who both received straight A* grades in eleven different subjects. Will Lannin scored 10 A* grades, with one A, and Anna Wearden had 9A*s and one A. Next in line were Orla Sinclair (8 A*, 3A), Hannah Bowen and Arthur Scott, both with 6A* and 5A, and Kasia Nowakowska (5A*, 6A).

Other students who achieved seven or more A*-A grades were Joe Brackenbury (3A*, 5A, 2B, 1C), Tom Brown (4A*, 6A, 1B), David Bullock (3A*, 8A), Thomas Campbell (3A*, 6A, 2B), Lizzy Harrison (2A*, 5A, 3B), Louie Larsen (2A*, 5A, 1B, 2C), Natasha Lee (8A, 3B), Lydia Robinson (4A*, 6A), Ben Russell (3A*, 4A, 4B), Oliver Tobin (2A*, 7A, 3B), Jayke Turner (2A*, 7A, 1B, 1C), Jordan White (2A*, 5A, 3B, 1C) and Xhoi Xhetani (1A*, 7A, 2B).

Head of year Dylan Green expressed his delight with the students, adding: “The success is across the board. This has been a fantastic year group, and they thoroughly deserve the accolade of ‘best ever’ Year 11.’

There was a justifiable glow of pride around the art department at the school with 95% of all entries reaching A*-C grades, and in the maths department where all 25 students taking the GCSE in further maths achieved at least a C, with eight securing an A*. The school is a specialist science college and 96% of students taking biology, chemistry and physics as separate GCSEs secured passes at A*-C grades.

Chairman of governors Peter Devine commented: “As well as making for an excellent year at GCSE, we will now see a record level of recruitment to our sixth form. I am very confident that these students will now go on to achieve great things as they start their A levels, college courses and apprenticeships.

“After an excellent set of A level results last week, and now a record breaking round of GCSE results, I would like to congratulate the students and their parents, and thank their teachers for their very hard work.”