There was euphoria on Box Lane this morning as students received their GCSE results.

Despite being a generation affected by COVID-related disruptions, there was a wonderful buzz in the main hall at Congleton High School this week as students arrived to collect their Year 11 results.

Students, parents, carers and staff were delighted to learn that the vast majority of the year group had exceeded their targets and secured the grades they needed to progress on to their chosen courses.

Jim Barlow, Congleton High School Headteacher, commented: 

The majority of the year group will return to CHS in September to begin A Level and other Post 16 courses in Sixth Form.

"It has been a unique and challenging few years for these young people. Years 10 and 11 are crucial for all students and are testing times even in normal conditions.

"On top of all this, the year group have been required to navigate an exceptional set of circumstances with lockdowns, home learning, bubbles, and student and staff absences. Despite all this, they have demonstrated incredible resilience, delivering fantastic results across the board, including the best English and Mathematics grades we have ever seen at CHS!

"From Year 7, it was evident that this year group was particularly remarkable.

"They have always demonstrated such a positive attitude and worked well together as a team, supporting each other through tough times.

It was the school's best-ever year for English and Maths grades.

"This was particularly evident throughout the last few years and again today as they celebrated their success together, each taking time to congratulate one another.

"We are celebrating the success of ALL our students today, not just those with 7s, 8s and 9s but also those who have surpassed their targets and even their own expectations.

"These individuals have worked hard, taken all the advice and support offered and achieved their very best. At CHS we have designed a broad and varied curriculum, which enabled students to select the subjects that suited their aspirations, helping them to achieve and succeed.

"I would like to pay particular tribute to our wonderful school community - students, parents, carers and staff - who have all worked together to enable the students to get through these difficult years and emerge triumphant! We can all be proud of what these young people have achieved today and of our combined role in that success - once again we are Achieving Success Together!

You can contact Congleton High School on 01260 730123 or [email protected].

"We hope the students enjoy the rest of the summer and look forward to welcoming the majority of the year group back in September when they join our Sixth Form."

Across Cheshire East, provisional council figures show that 77 per cent of pupils achieved a 'standard pass' or better in English and maths combined with over half of all pupils (54 per cent) achieving the 'strong pass'. 

In the separate subjects, English results were particularly strong with 83 per cent of Cheshire East pupils gaining the standard pass or better with 69 per cent achieving a stronger pass. 

It is not possible to make comparisons to performance data from more recent years when different assessment arrangements were used due to the pandemic. However, there are strong improvements in performance compared to 2019 when external examinations were last used.

Congleton High School's strong core subject results also correlated with success across Cheshire East. The school employs 150 people. (Image - Alexander Greensmith / Congleton Nub News)

In a statement, the council said: "It is encouraging to see the improvement in outcomes for disadvantaged learners. Almost half of this group (48 per cent) achieved a standard pass in English and maths combined which is a significant improvement on 2019 performance."

Councillor Kathryn Flavell, lead member for children's and families at Cheshire East Council, said: "It is an absolute privilege to be able to celebrate the exam successes of the young people of Cheshire East who have once again excelled in their GCSE qualifications. 

"The pandemic has placed many additional pressures on students, teachers and family members to prepare for these external assessments and everyone has certainly risen to this significant challenge. I applaud everyone for going 'above and beyond' and these results show the unity and resilience of everyone to best support our young people.

"In particular, I want to especially celebrate the achievements of our cared for children where there have been some tremendous individual results.

Cheshire East's overall results also was in line with national trends.

"This time of year is an anxious one for pupils and my message to all our young people is to be proud of what you have achieved. Whatever your results today, together with our schools, we are here to help you with your next steps.

"To continue to perform at the highest level is a real credit to our pupils, their families and our schools. I'd like to wish every young person the very best as they progress into their next phase of education, apprenticeship or training." 

According to the BBC, national grades fell when compared to this time last year. 73.2% of GCSEs were marked at grades 4/C and above this year, down from 77.1% in 2021. But national grades were still higher than pre-COVID levels, where only 67.3% got a pass or above across the country.

Congleton: Other local schools like Eaton Bank Academy of Jackson Road, did not respond to Congleton Nub News' request for comment on their results.

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