Amble school on a high after scoring best ever GCSE results

Amy Barrass, Leah Stiansen and Lauren Watson. GCSE results day at James Calvert Spence College in Amble. Picture by Jane Coltman

The school's most successful Key Stage 4 results ever come just a week after it celebrated its best ever A Level results.

Sixty percent of our students gained a grade 4 standard pass [equivalent to the old grade C or above] in both English and maths, up from 55% last year.

The proportion of students who gained a grade 5 ‘strong’ pass in both English and maths improved from 28% to 38% this year. Both figures are the highest ever recorded at JCSC.

GCSE results day at James Calvert Spence College in Amble. Picture by Jane Coltman

Attainment 8 points, which is an average calculation of each students’ best 8 GCSE grades, also improved from 42.7 to 44.5 this year, indicating an increase in performance across a range of subjects. Again, this is the highest score recorded by some margin.

There were excellent results in the science subjects of biology, chemistry and physics which all had pass rates of 100%.

Art, French, business, sport, engineering and food all had pass rates above 75%.

There were many outstanding individual performances this year, and a huge number of students achieved the very top grades. In its cohort of 82 students, 66 grade 9s and Distinction* grades were awarded. Again, this is the highest ever recorded at JCSC.

GCSE results day at James Calvert Spence College in Amble. Picture by JAne Coltmaa

Waverley Young, who got a grade 9 in biology, said: "I was really nervous and I'd been shaking this morning but I'm really pleased now."

Edith Marwick added: "I am really happy with how everything has turned out. I've got the results I wanted."

Kaine North, who now plans to study mechanical engineering at Newcastle College, said: "I got what I needed so I'm pleased."

Joe Taylor said: "I felt a bit sick coming in but am much better now. I'm pleased with my results."

Tom Bould added: "I was trying to convince myself that everything would be okay but I was still nervous. I'm pleased everything went okay."

Leah Siansen, who will now study RE, sociology, English language and art at Newcastle College, said: "I'm happy with my results."

Rowan Brayson, who got grade 8s in maths, biology and chemistry, added: "I thought I'd done okay but not as good as I did."

Neil Rodgers, executive headteacher, said: "Progress figures will be released later this year, when we will be able to compare our performance fairly with that of other schools both locally and nationally, but I am confident that they will add to the growing evidence that we are an improving school that serves its community well, caring for each individual student."