St Philip Howard Catholic Voluntary Academy celebrated the achievements of its students on Thursday (12 August) after another set of "excellent" GCSE results. 

The Glossop-based secondary school has said their Year 11 pupils have made "exceptional progress" which is down to "the hard work and commitment of each and every student" throughout "not only a difficult year but last couple of years". 

The school added in a statement: "Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the Class of 2021 have really earned each and every grade they have been awarded.

"From attendance to live lessons throughout lockdown, to an intense eight-week period of assessments and internal exams, SPH students have been fully committed to making the most of Year 11 and achieving the very best GCSEs possible." 

In the second year of Covid disruption to exams, teacher-assessed grades were used having been calculated against a national standard and approved by the exam boards. The government is not publishing performance data for any schools or colleges this year due to the varying impact of the pandemic.

On GCSE results day, the Sunlaws Street school celebrated its students' success, and smiles were seen from all as each form were reunited for one last time to appreciate what they had achieved throughout their journey at the school.

The school has reported that the Class of 2021 has "progressed extremely well" with a number of students achieving the very top grades. 

One student, Dominic Rolls, even achieved 10 of the best GCSEs - including an exceptional nine grade 9s. 

Other pupils who achieved a vast number of the highest grades included Poppy Newton, Libby McNamara, Caitlin Bowler, Sam Shepley, Isabella Caulfield, Mustafa Mir, Emily Ryan and Jemma McCormick. 

As well as this, the school also said that "a significant number" of students also made "fantastic progress" - having been awarded grades above their target in many subjects. These included Gabriel Broady Ojero, Amelie Connell Davies, Nicole Moss and Francesca Tudor.

The school concluded: "After what has been an extremely challenging year for all students nationally, we as a community can be extremely proud of the young people in Glossop that have overcome these challenges and not only paved the way for their own success but become beacons of light for the future of our local community." 

Images by John Parkins

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