JERSEY’S GCSE students outperformed their English counterparts with more than three-quarters of grades being at C or above.
Yesterday morning, GCSE students picked up their long-anticipated results – with 77.1% of the 8,895 courses entered across the Island being graded between 4 and 9 – the equivalent of the old A* to C rating.
A total of 26.1% of exams were graded within the highest brackets, between 7 and 9 – the equivalent of A and A*.
In comparison, England saw 67% of GCSE results graded between 4 and 9, and 21.8% within the highest bracket of grades 7 to 9, out of 5,719,406 examinations entered across the country.
Education Minister Catherine Curtis said: “I congratulate everyone who has received their GCSE and other equivalent qualifications results today.
“Your effort, determination, and commitment in reaching this milestone have been deservedly recognised. I also want to thank teachers, support staff, parents, and carers, who all play a pivotal role in your journey. I wish you the best of luck in whatever you choose to do next and encourage you to seize the opportunities you are presented with.”
Head teachers across the Island’s secondary schools were quick to praise their students on their results.
Victoria College head Dr Gareth Hughes, said: “Behind every result lies hard work, perseverance and personal growth, and I am absolutely delighted to see this cohort rewarded for their efforts in these record-breaking results.
“While the overall outcomes are fantastic, what matters most is the progress made by individuals across the grade range and that their personal expectations have been exceeded in so many cases.”
Meanwhile, head of college at De La Salle Jason Turner said the school’s results showed that students’ “dedication and determination have been rewarded and they should be immensely proud of their achievements”, while JCG principal Carl Howarth said that “these results are a clear demonstration of the depth of academic excellence that exists at JCG”.
Kate Blackhall, interim head teacher at Hautlieu School, said: “Today we are delighted to congratulate the Hautlieu GCSE class of 2026 on their excellent GCSE results, with many achieving strong grades of 9 to 7. These outcomes reflect the hard work, determination and commitment our students have shown throughout their studies.
“We are incredibly proud of their academic success, as well as their achievements in sport, the arts, leadership and wider school life.”
Le Rocquier head teacher Andrew Adkin reflected on an “outstanding set of results” which showed the “tremendous resilience and determination” of students, while Beaulieu head teacher Matthew Burke said: “Being recognised once again in the top 10% nationally for student progress is a fantastic achievement and a real testament to the quality and commitment of our teaching staff.”
Grainville head Sue Morris pointed out that her schools had seen its best results since prior to the Covid pandemic as she paid tribute to the class of 2026. “Over the last five years we have watched each and every student grow from a child into the fine young adult that we see today,” she said. “We are so proud of them and their successes, working so hard and persevering through some difficult times in their education and we pay tribute to them today.”
Stuart Hughes, head teacher at Haute Vallée, said: “We are absolutely delighted to celebrate the achievements of our Class of 2026, who have secured the best GCSE results in the school’s history once again.
“These results reflect the dedication, resilience and hard work of our students, and we are immensely proud of everything they have achieved.”
Students reactions
Sari Hunt, head girl at Grainville School, told the JEP that despite being nervous before opening her results, she is very happy with what she received.
She said that she was excited about the grades she received for science, achieving an 8-7 (A*-A), ahead of her move to Hautlieu School where she will study biology, chemistry and English.
16-year-old Isabelle Wylie, who completed her GCSEs at Les Quennevais School, expressed delight with her results, saying that she “didn’t expect to get this high at all”.
She said: “I wanted to go to JCG, and now I have got into JCG, so I’m going to take textiles, photography, and media.
“I really want to be a fashion designer at any big fashion house like Alexander McQueen or something like that. So I am really excited”.
Alannah Royston, a Le Rocquier Student, revealed that all of her grades were 7’s, 8’s, and 9’s – within the highest bracket.
She is going to complete her A-levels at Hautlieu School – studying English Literature, biology and religious studies.
“I’ve done really well by my standards. I revised so much and I put so much pressure on myself, but I’m happy with the outcome”, she said.
Liam Spry, also a Le Rocquier Student, said that he revised every night for his exams and is pleased with the outcome.
He is off to Highlands College in September, hoping to study automotive skills and become a mechanic.
“I’m gonna go to Highlands, keep going and try to get a good job”, he said.
Les Quennevais students James Gallie, Noah Gorman and Cristian Barradas said that they achieved all of the grades they were hoping for which allowed them to continue their planned studies.
Jimmy Poe and Alex Nunn, students at Grainville School, were happy with their results, especially with their high results in finance and English language.
Alex’s next step is to study business, geography and English at Hautlieu School, and Jimmy is set to study business and finance at Highlands College.
Filip Swoboda, a Haute Vallee student, said: “I’m doing really good, I’m really happy. It’s a little bit worse than I thought, than I was hoping for, but I’m happy.
“I will be doing maths, further maths, chemistry and physics at Hautlieu”.
Amy Guthrie, who also completed her exams at Haute Vallée, said: “I did really well, I passed everything.
“I’m quite happy because I can go where I want to go – Beaulieu – to do geography, PE and biology A-Levels”.
Beaulieu students Evie Dory and Claydon told the JEP they were very proud of their results, receiving mostly 8’s and 9’s (A*).
Both girls are staying at Beaulieu to complete their A-Levels – Evie is going to study maths, English literature and philosophy, and Lara is going to study French, politics and psychology.
