Ark Evelyn Grace Academy Principal Tim Dainty hailed the work of his students after they picked up their GCSE results in what has been a year unlike any other for many schools across the country.
With students around the UK setting records for a second consecutive year, there were plenty of pupils at Ark Evelyn celebrating on Friday.
Speaking after watching the students pick up their results, Mr Dainty said: “Seeing such strong results today and the joy on our students faces today is truly wonderful.
“It is a testament to our student’s hard work, dedication and endeavour in a difficult academic year. I’d like to thank all staff for their endless support this year.”
One student, Sara, secured ten grade 9s in subjects including English literature, English language, maths and Mandarin.
Discussing Sara's achievement, one teacher described her as “a fantastic student, a credit to the EGA community, and an excellent role model for younger students".
The teacher added: “The secret to her success was simple: she worked at least as hard as anyone from the day she arrived in year seven."
Fellow student Fela achieved three grade 9s, four grade 8s and three grade 7s, which she hopes will help her on her path to becoming a physiotherapist.
Speaking after picking up her results, she explained the level of work required in order to succeed.
“I massively enjoyed my time at EGA,” she said.
“You need to take yourself and your time at school seriously. During year eleven I revised for at least one and a half hours a day.
“Even if you believe that you know everything, you still need to keep studying and revising. You must work hard to achieve your goals as you are never finished learning."
This was a sentiment echoed by Mr Dainty in Ark Evelyn Grace Academy's recent contribution to The Parliamentary Review.
One the topic of hard work, he explained: "We work tirelessly in teaching, guiding and supporting all our students, so that they may go on to secure a good career or a place at a good university and ultimately compete for the very best positions in their chosen careers.
"We know there is no substitute for hard work and this, above all else, will help our students understand and achieve excellence."
Across the country the amount of grade 7s and above rose to 28.9%, up from 26.2%, while the number of passes reached 77.1%. That was up from 76.3% in 2020.
This is the second year in a row where exams were cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instead, teachers submitted grades for their GCSE pupils, taking into account evidence such as mock exams, course work and tests.
