The best-ever results at the Senior High

Acting principal, Mrs Eileen Cousins, paid tribute to the hard work and determination of her pupils. She congratulated the young people on their success, and acknowledged the support of parents.

Emphasising the dedication and commitment of the teaching and support staff, Mrs Cousins said, “The school’s focus on tracking pupil progress, together with a strong pastoral care system, wide range of after school support tutorials and extended programme of formalised revision sessions, have seen students achieve the best results ever recorded in the school.

“With a total of 2,436 entries, 319 candidates sat GCSE examinations this summer. Almost 60 per cent of the cohort achieved five or more GCSE passes at A*-C grades. This year’s results also saw a significant increase in the number of pupils securing at least five GCSE passes including English and Maths.

“Additionally 94.4 per cent of the 90 pupils who sat nine GCSE subjects achieved five or more GCSE passes at A*-C grades. These results reflect the work ethic and determination of a cohort of young people who have worked extremely hard and who deserve to do well. These superb grades will provide them with a sound platform for continuing their studies in sixth form and further education and training courses.”

Mrs Cousins also reported that this year’s cohort of examination candidates consisted of an increased number of pupils for whom English is not their first language. “We are particularly impressed with the achievements of these candidates, a number of whom sat GCSE examinations in traditional subjects, alongside of taking an extra GCSE in their native tongue. This resulted in 100 per cent pass rates in subjects such as Russian, Portuguese, Polish and Chinese.”

The top achievers on the Lurgan campus are: Zoe Mitchell, Gary Cleland, Stuart Gilbert, Stephanie Moffitt, Motiejus Cizauskas, Matthew McCabe, Natasha Campbell, Taylor Darby and Sara Malik, all of whom achieved a 100 per cent pass rate in eight or nine GCSEs A*-C grade.

Mrs Cousins added: “Our teachers are proud of the success of all our pupils. We value the achievements of all our young people and recognize that not everyone can achieve top GCSE grades. We are also incredibly proud of those pupils who have demonstrated significant progress in their studies and in particular we wish to acknowledge the achievement of those who have excelled in their Occupational Studies Programme and in their work placements.

“Through work experience, many of our young people have developed core skills of team work, problem solving and self-reliance in the workplace. They have demonstrated attributes of a positive work ethic, maturity and confidence and we also applaud their efforts. We look forward to following the progress of all our young people and wish them continued success in the future.”