Durrington High School’s students have bucked national trends this summer achieving exceptional results in their GCSE examinations, including the core subjects of English and mathematics.
An unprecedented 84% of students passed English and 82% passed mathematics, not only surpassing 2019 results when examinations last took place but also 2020 and 2021 when teacher awarded grades were given. This is particularly significant given the national context, in which results have dropped significantly from 2021. These outstanding results were mirrored across the range of subjects and will open countless doors to Durrington students, allowing them to progress to a vast array of post-16 courses.
In total 191 grade 9s, the highest possible grade, were awarded to Durrington students this year. Special mention goes to Tom Hillier who achieved the truly remarkable feat of gaining a grade 9 in all 10 of his subjects. Alongside Tom, there were a number of students who were awarded grades to put them in the very top tier nationally. These were: Ivy Hite, Josh Belchamber, Saxon Finney, Uzair Imran, Ruby O’Hara, Thomas Teissandier, Dan Claydon, Thomas Daniszewski and Billy Hopkins.
Chief Executive of DMAT Sue Marooney said: “I could not be prouder of our students and staff. These results are a testament to the strength of team Durrington. Our students showed great resilience and maturity as parents and staff supported them through the challenges and disruption that COVID caused. Their great success is truly deserved and they leave us with brilliant examination outcomes. This is the result of a huge team effort and validates the tremendous amount of hard work that our staff, students and parents put in on a daily basis.”
The Ofsted report published this year highlighted both the strength of the relationships between staff and students and the deep expertise of teachers at Durrington. This combination, alongside countless other facets of Durrington life, have put students in the position to leave both as rounded individuals and with superb GCSE results.
Co-headteachers Shaun Allison and Chris Woodcock heralded the results and emphasised the importance of the leaders of individual subjects and pastoral care.
Shaun Allison said: “Our DNA has long been a relentless focus on high quality teaching and learning. This is founded on a shared language of what makes great teaching which all our teachers understand and use daily. This is led by our curriculum leaders who are the true experts in their subjects and have led their teams to such brilliant results.”
Chris Woodcock said: “Results like this only happen when students feel safe, happy and secure in school. Our school principles of kindness, aspiration, perseverance and pride run through everything we do. Our pastoral teams provide exceptional support to our young people, allowing them to flourish in their academic studies.”
Once the results have been collected, thoughts at Durrington will turn to students starting and returning to school in September. These exceptional results will provide a springboard for further successes this year.
