DCS Celebrate GCSE Results

Published by Dean Close Preparatory School on Thursday 24th of August 2023

DCS pupils celebrate outstanding GCSE results today...

'This morning, this year’s GCSE candidates, have been opening their ISAMS app to discover the results of their summer exams.

With the vast majority of our pupils taking 10 qualifications, the challenge of GCSEs is one of both height and breadth. It’s not enough to be good at one subject, candidates are tested across the curriculum. What awaits in the Sixth Form is much more specialised. For some this all encompassing set of exams tests their motivation and resilience as they seek ways to succeed in subject areas that are not their favourites. For others, they find interest and reasons to be curious in every theory, idea, truth and experience they encounter. This year, the statistics show just what bright futures this year group have as they pass through one gateway and onto the next.

To add a little more colour to this broad picture, ninety percent of the pupils achieved at least one grade 7 with thirty percent achieving at least eight grade 7s (A grades in old money). More than sixty five percent of the year group scored a total of 50 points in their best eight subjects, the entry point for some of the most competitive schools in the county.

In addition to the whole year group scores there were eight pupils who gained at least eight grade 9s and three of our pupils are “centurions”, securing more than 100 points across all of their exams. We should not be ashamed of excellence when we see it and this is it, in GCSE form.

Within the year group there are some who have had to contend very significant health issues over the last three years. Sometimes for just being in school was an achievement but they have done so much more. The House, Health, Learning Support and English as an Additional Language teams will be delighted with the outcomes for some of the most determined and resilient people you could wish to meet.

A huge thank you must go to all of the staff who inspired, cajoled, engaged, motivated and harangued this year group over the last three years. Working with fifteen and sixteen year olds is always interesting, hugely rewarding and occasionally frustrating and my colleagues have done significant and important work with each one of these young people. Many thanks to them all.

Now is a time when some of the year group will leave Dean Close for alternative courses, new surroundings or a Saturday morning lie in and I hope that they will stay in touch with us over the years ahead as they now become Old Decanians. Most of the year group will be joined at Dean Close by an exciting group of pupils from across Gloucestershire and the world as we open a new chapter in the Sixth Form in just over a week’s time. For everyone, the next few months will be very different but on the basis of the lessons learned so far, the experiences gained, habits formed and the promise of fresh starts for all, it’s looking very exciting for the 93 who took their GCSEs at Dean Close in 2023.

Very best wishes and congratulations to all.'

Mr Bradley Salisbury