OKEHAMPTON College students celebrated years of hard work when they collected their GCSE results at Okehampton College last Thursday (August 22).

In what was the second year of the new grading scheme, principal Derrick Brett praised everyone’s efforts as well as their results.

‘I’m so pleased with the students,’ he said. ‘I think they have done fantastically. Some have done outstandingly, but it is not just about the students securing the highest grades, although that is very important. It is also about the students who have made the greatest amount of progress in their time here. Lots have performed better than had been expected.’

Two students at the college were among the 800 students across the whole country who got seven or more grade 9s, the top grades.

They were Eleanor Marvin, who got nine grade 9s and two grade 8s and Arwen Francis who got eight grade 9s, one grade 8 and one grade 7.

A further seven students achieved all grades 7 to 9 (the top grades) in all their exams. They are Ella Kaye, Kaitlyn O’Connell, Lily Griffiths Carnell and Madoline Griffiths Carnell, Jessica Horsley, Finn Sproats and Imogen Flack.

Friends Felicity Penrose, Eleanor Marvin, Ella Kaye and Bella Stone were among those collecting their results.

Felicity was pleased to get a 9 in maths, and is off to Exeter College to study maths, law and classics at A-level.

‘I’m really pleased to have got a 9 in maths,’ she said. ‘I wasn’t expecting that.’

Mr Brett said students had performed ‘consistently' across the college curriculum.

‘Whilst around three-quarters of all grades awarded were at least ‘passes’ (grade 4 or better), we are particularly pleased with improvements in the proportion of students achieving ‘strong’ passes (grade 5 or better) in English, mathematics and the sciences. Around 50% of our students achieved a ‘strong’ pass or better in both English and mathematics.

‘It is always a pleasure to see the students receive their GCSE results and to celebrate their successes with them. The students can be rightfully proud of themselves.

‘The results reflect the hard work that the students engaged in in their preparation for the exams. I wish them every success with the future whether they are returning to the college to take advantage of the sixth form centre or moving on to pastures new.’