AFTER months of anticipation, the region’s teenagers were finally able to pick up their GCSE results last Thursday morning.

Concerns that students would struggle with the new tougher GCSE exams were laid to rest, as schools in Gloucestershire celebrated a fantastic set of results.

Following an overhaul to make the exams more demanding, most GCSEs are now graded from 9 to 1, with 9 being the highest grade, instead of A*.

David Alexander, head teacher at Rednock School in Dursley, said he was delighted at another five per cent rise in grades at the school.

“As a comprehensive where everybody matters, and everybody’s results matter, it has been a particularly good year for us,” he said.

“We are a school which accepts every child and for us the progress is key.

“We recognise that students who have a low starting point in data and come out with 5s and 6s, have achieved significantly well.

“We’ve had another five per cent rise on what you would know as A*s to Cs, but what we now know as 4 to 9, and that’s what’s happened year on year for us.

“But we value everybody’s achievements, whether they get 9s or not.”

There were many achievements to celebrate, such as Charlie Nash’s upcoming training in mechanics.

He has been offered an apprenticeship at Dursley Garage, which he sorted out all by himself.

In two years’ time he will become a pitman – racing car mechanic.

And Amelia Hughes, who is ‘ecstatic’ with her results, will now be heading to Hartpury College for a business studies course.

Ben Manning, who was surprised at his physics result (8) and is ‘excited and wants to learn more’, will be returning to Rednock sixth form to study geography, physics and product design.

Katharine Lady Berkeley’s School in Wotton saw some amazing results this year as well, with an increase in the number of students achieving the highest grades.

Headteacher Andrew Harris said: “Year 11 students have gained excellent grades this summer in the new, more demanding, GCSE courses with an increase in the number of students achieving the highest grades.

“There were many outstanding individual performances, including Amelia Reeves who passed 11 subjects at grade A* (new grades 8/9).

"Also, Toby Palmer and Emily Crowley who each passed 10 subjects at grade A* (new grades 8/9).

“There were some particularly pleasing sets of grades achieved by students who had below average results when they moved from Year 6 to this school but who, as a result of their consistent hard work and positive approach, now have really good sets of GCSE grades so that they can join our sixth form or follow the college course of their choice next year.”

“These results now provide an excellent foundation for the students’ next steps whether at college or following A level courses at this school.” 

Katharine Lady Berkeley (KLB) pupil, Apolline Kirk was delighted with her results, and will be staying on at the school to study Chinese, business studies, geography and maths at A-level.

Following her GCSE Chinese exam success, Apolline was full of praise for the school’s language provision.

She noted that, as well as being taught by a native speaker, every two years an assistant comes over from China to help the class members with their pronunciation.

There was results joy too for Aimee Watson, also at KLB, who got what she wanted to study geography, biology, maths and English at A-level, and is now well on track for her plans to go into nursing.

And for KLB student Charlotte Hall there was double the celebration. As well as getting the grades she wanted, meaning she can now pursue her dreams of going into veterinary science or photography, she also celebrated her 16th birthday, the day after the results came out.