GCSE joy for students after studies hit by pandemic

Schools around Rotherham were thronged with teenagers yesterday as Year 11 learners discovered the outcome of two years of hard work.

Head teachers paid tribute to their pupils resilience and dedication during school years disrupted by lockdowns.

Wales High head Pepe Di’Iasio said: ““This year group have always demonstrated such ability and resilience, since arriving to us in 2017, and they should be immensely proud of their well-deserved achievements today.”

Deserving of special mention was Alarnie Speed, who achieved a staggering total of nine grade 9s.

Records were also broken at Wath Academy, which celebrated its best ever GCSE results.

The average attainment score in the exams, which are now scored between 9 and 1 instead of A to G, was 54.4 and this year's students surpassed results from the previous three years.

Principal Liam Ransome said this showed the school was on a "rapidly improving, positive trajectory”.

Top of the class was Mollie Saxton, racked up nine Grade 9s, while  another 13 students achieved five or more Grade 9s.