YOUNG Islanders continued their recent trend of outperforming their English counterparts in GCSE exams as the 2023 results were announced yesterday.
As seen in other parts of the British Isles, grades returned towards 2019 levels, after a spike in 2020 and 2021 when exams were cancelled and results were based on teachers’ assessments.
The proportion of subjects passed at grades 4 and above (the equivalent of the former grade C or higher) was 73.7% in Jersey, compared with 68.2% in Guernsey and 67.8% in England. The equivalent scores for the highest grades (7-9, or A and A* under the former regime) were 24.7% (Jersey), 22% (Guernsey) and 21.6% (England).
This year’s Jersey results were almost identical to 2019 figures, showing a rise of 0.2% for both passes at grades 4-9 and in the 7-9 category.
Children’s and Education Minister Inna Gardiner said that pupils in Jersey had benefited from just over 20,000 hours of additional one-to-one teaching as part of her department’s Covid recovery work, and that she had secured funding for further support for the next academic year, which begins next month.
She added: ‘I would like to congratulate all the students who are receiving their results today. Everyone should be proud of their individual journey and personal achievements.
‘Today marks the end of one phase of our young people’s education but, for many, it is also the start of exciting new opportunities, whether that be moving on to further study or starting an apprenticeship.’
GCSE pass rates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland fell for the second year running, with just over two-thirds of all subjects marked at grade 4 and above.
UK results, excepting Scotland where students do not take GCSEs, signified a move towards 2019 – the last year before Covid in which exams were sat – when the figure was 67.3%.
Grainville
Grainville head teacher Sue Morris, for whom this year marked 30 consecutive years of overseeing GCSE results day, said these results were the culmination of five years’ hard work by a year group who had been ‘seriously affected’ by the Covid pandemic.
She said: ‘The children have been really successful in spite of all the barriers and I’m really proud of them, and of the support they’ve had from their parents and from our staff, who have done a wonderful job.
‘This year group were seriously affected when they were in Year 8, and that moved well into Year 9 with no extra-curricular activities. They were more disadvantaged than any other because of how young they were when the pandemic hit.’
Mrs Morris, who had 119 students receiving results, said there had been great successes, as well as disappointment for some. She stressed that there were always likely to be new opportunities for those who did not get the grades they wanted.
Hautlieu
‘An amazing group of students’ was hailed by head teacher Nick Falle.
‘Their energy, ambition and willingness to make the school and their local community better has been inspiring,’ he said, ‘so it is all the more rewarding to see the fabulous grades they have achieved today.’
Mr Falle said that the school could celebrate ‘near-record outcomes’ for GCSE passes, including English and maths at grades 4 and above, as well as ‘superb numbers’ for the highest grades (7 and over).
Le Rocquier
Head teacher Andrew Adkin said the morning at his school had been ‘emotional’, with students opening envelopes and securing places for further education or employment. He said: ‘Due to the hard work of our students and staff, the provisional results in English exceeded our set target by nearly 15 percentile points and maths by nearly 8 percentile points. Five of our option subjects achieved pass rates of over 90%, and many others have surpassed expectation as well.’
De La Salle College
An ‘outstanding performance’ by pupils was highlighted by head teacher Jason Turner, who was celebrating what he said were ‘the best set of results in the college’s 107-year history’.
He said: ‘In every one of our key measures, we have achieved or exceeded our targets for this cohort, who are the first in three years to have no Covid mitigation measures in place.’
Mr Turner said every De La Salle boy had achieved passes in at least five subjects, with 93% achieving at least five passes at grade 4 or above.
Beaulieu Convent School
Passes at the highest grade (9) were achieved in 11% of all examinations taken by Beaulieu pupils – almost twice the 2019 figure, and 85% of students in the class of 2023 achieved five or more passes at grade 4 or above.
Paul Robinson, acting head teacher, said: ‘I am delighted that our students’ determination and hard work have been rewarded with another strong set of examination results. They should be very proud of all they have achieved through their ongoing efforts.’
Jersey College for Girls
Carl Howarth, principal, stated: ‘We are so proud of our students, their character, fortitude and now academic excellence. They have had to contend with so much over the past few years and today has shown the remarkable perseverance they possess and the togetherness they share.’
JCG pupils recorded passes at grade 7 and above in 63% of all exams, while 93% of grades were at grade 5 or higher.
Victoria College
More than three-quarters of students achieved average marks of a grade higher than expectations, head teacher Dr Gareth Hughes reported.
A quarter of the college’s students attained an average of at least grade 7 across their whole GCSE profile, and a quarter of all results obtained were at the very highest levels, grades 8 or 9.
Dr Hughes said 93% of subjects were at grade 4 and above.
He added: ‘I am proud of our Year 11 students today. They have worked incredibly hard to achieve these results and displayed real resilience in overcoming a number of challenges as individuals and as a year group.’
