'˜Outstanding success' at St Patrick's College

Dr Martin Knox said the results reflected the strong commitment of pupils, parents and staff to ensuring that all pupils reach their full potential.

Particular congratulations go to Dylan Kane, Marcel Lobodzinski and Dawid Piwowarski, all of whom have achieved 11 GCSEs at A*-C.

A further three students have achieved 10 GCSE passes, and 12 more students have achieved nine GCSE passes, all with a significant proportion of their grades being A* or A.

In all, 31 St Patrick’s pupils are celebrating seven or more GCSEs at grades A* to C, while 28 have achieved eight or more at these grades.

There has been particular success in English Literature and GCSE Physical Education, where 100% of candidates have achieved A or B grades.

A further nine subject areas have seen A*-C performance of over 70 per cent, while this figure rises to 80 per cent and above for Art & Design, Construction and Polish, and to over 90 per cent for Design & Technology, Child Development and Music.

All students who took the Prince’s Trust Programme and the Coaching Academy Award have achieved at Grade B.

Dr Knox congratulated all of the school’s Year 12 students on their hard work and success.

“These results are the culmination of a great deal of hard work on the parts of both students and teachers, and I congratulate each of the students, as well as their teachers,” Dr Knox said.

He added: “I would also like to thank the parents of the young people, for the encouragement and support they have provided to their children during the two years of their GCSE examinations.

“We are proud of the successes of all of our pupils, who between them have achieved 16 A* grades, 36 As and 177 Bs.

“These are excellent results from children who, in many cases, had enrolled in St Patrick’s College five years ago with their confidence severely dented by the Transfer procedure.

“I am sure their achievements will give them the confidence and encouragement to go onto further success at A Level.

“In an excellent year for our Modern Languages, I would like to congratulate all of our Irish students, in achieving at Grades A*-C.

“I also want to recognise the achievement of our Polish students, seven of whom have achieved either an A* or A grade in GCSE Polish, a qualification which will be very useful to them should they return to Poland to continue their studies or seek employment.

“Finally, I wish to congratulate Marija Sestakova, who has achieved an A* in GCSE Russian.

“Overall, these GCSE results, coupled with the excellent results at A Level achieved by our GCE students this year, give us great confidence as a school as we continue to ensure that the students leaving St Patrick’s do so with the highest qualifications they can possibly achieve.”

Dr Knox also praised other successes within the Year 12 group, particularly 14 students who have completed the Prince’s Trust course, gaining a Level Two qualification equivalent to two GCSEs at Grade B.

In addition, 12 students have achieved Level 2 qualifications in Occupational Studies, equivalent to GCSEs at A*-C.

He also congratulated 10 students who have completed the Coaching Academy Award, which is equivalent to four GCSEs at Grade B.

“As a non-selective school, we celebrate success at all levels across the full range of ability,” Dr Knox said.

He added: “These are vocational courses, many of which our students access through the Northern Regional College, and they aim to broaden the educational experience of the young people, with a view to preparing them for further training or apprenticeships.

“I am delighted that these students have successfully embraced this opportunity, and I would like to thank the staff of the Northern Regional College for the partnership we enjoy, which is obviously benefiting our students.”

Dr Knox wished all of the school’s Year 12 students success in the next stage of their education and welcomed many of them back to begin Sixth Form studies in St Patrick’s.