Vandyke Upper School celebrates truly excellent GCSE and BTEC results

Vandyke Upper School’s Year 11 students’ hard work and dedication means they have secured exceptional exam results across all subjects. As the school begins celebrating its 50th anniversary, students collected their much-anticipated results, sharing their joy and success with friends, family and staff.

Reflecting on the students’ accomplishments, Leah Ferguson-Moore, headteacher remarked: "Seeing such genuine happiness on our students' faces today is wonderful. They showed admirable dedication and hard work in preparation for their end of Year 11 examinations. They worked tirelessly for these moments in their lessons, through the school revision programme and their independent study, and these truly wonderful results now give them fantastic options for the future. Today's achievements are stepping stones toward bright futures at sixth form, college, or apprenticeships.

“We also want to give a heartfelt thank you to parents and carers for their constant support throughout this shared journey. Without the continuous support and encouragement from home, the accomplishments we are all celebrating today would not have been possible.

“The entire Vandyke community is delighted for our students and their achievements. Thank you to our teachers and support staff who have given their all to help, both academically and pastorally, to ensure all our young people receive the best advice, care and guidance to succeed.”

Glen Skelton, Director of Year 11, said: "Guiding these young people over the last two years has been a true joy. Seeing them grow into mature, resilient individuals has been remarkable. They’ve overcome hurdles, shared unforgettable memories, lifted each other up, and accomplished so much across all areas of school life. I am immensely proud of the wonderful people they have become. With their optimism, drive, and great humour, they are destined for wonderful things, and I wish them all the very best going forward."

These are some of our students’ stories:

Freya Jacobs achieved an outstanding eight Grade 9s and three Grade 8s. She feels pleased that “the hard work has paid off”, and will be studying History, Biology and Chemistry at Vandyke’s Sixth Form from September.

Elsa Williams achieved an astonishing eight Grade 9s, two Grade 8s and a BTEC Distinction. She will be studying A Levels in Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Physics next year. She said, “I’ve had an amazing time, the teachers at Vandyke are so supportive. I’d advise everyone to work hard – it really pays off.”

Tommy Axe, whose grades included an incredible seven Grade 9s, is staying on at Vandyke’s 6th Form to study Economics, French and Politics. He said, “The maths team will be happy with my results! I’m really pleased the hard work has paid off, by both me and my teachers.”

Chloe Jenner says that she is “really happy with my results”, which is no surprise, as they include six Grade 9s and two Grade 8s. She is looking forward to studying A Levels in Psychology, Media and French next year.

Scarlett Hinds, whose grades included three 9s and four 8s, will be studying A Levels in Psychology, Media and French in September. She said, “Vandyke has been a really supportive school. I’m really pleased with my results.”

Natalie Grenova achieved five Grade 8s, four Grade 7s and a Grade 6. She will definitely be studying for A Levels in Psychology and Law, but is still deciding about the other subjects she might choose. She said, “Vandyke is a great school with amazing teachers!”

Nihal Patel’s grades included two Grade 9s and seven Grade 8s, and he will be studying A Levels in Geography, Economics, Maths and Physics next year. He wisely said, “Put the hard work in and good things will come to you.”

Kieran Redican-Jeminez will also be staying on at Vandyke’s Sixth Form, having achieved grades which include one Grade 9, three Grade 8s and five Grade 7s. He said, “Vandyke is a great school and has helped me get my great results.”