Mike Tapp MP has congratulated every student across Dover and Deal who received their GCSE results last week, while stressing that one set of exam results does not define a young person's future.
In a statement following results day, the MP for Dover and Deal acknowledged the hard work of students, parents, teachers and school staff, having witnessed their efforts first-hand during school visits over the past two years. He specifically mentioned Astor Secondary School in Dover, Brewood in Deal, Dover Grammar School for Boys and Goodwin Academy, along with many other schools across the constituency.
Improved outcomes and record maths results
This year, overall GCSE outcomes have improved, with the proportion of 16-year-olds achieving grade 4 or above rising by 0.2 percentage points. Maths has been a particular success, with more than 6,000 additional 16-year-olds achieving a grade 7 or above compared with last year.
There were also 7,965 more Technical Award Level 2 passes than last year, giving thousands more young people the opportunity to continue developing practical and technical skills. Tapp said these results demonstrate that academic qualifications are not the only measure of potential.
Alternative routes and new qualifications
For students who did not get the grades they wanted, the MP highlighted routes into further education, vocational courses and apprenticeships. From next year, students will be able to study V Levels alongside expanded T Levels, while fully funded apprenticeships for under-25s will provide another route into employment and training.
New pathways will also give 14-year-olds earlier access to technical skills, work experience and connections with local employers. Tapp said he was particularly pleased that the Government is looking at the pressure placed on young people who do not pass English or Maths first time.
Addressing the resit challenge
Currently, only one in five young people doing re-sits pass English and Maths GCSE. Tapp argued that the system should not leave young people feeling as though they are trapped on an endless treadmill of exams. Plans for new preparatory Level 1 qualifications will give students the essential knowledge and skills they need before resitting, while changes to performance measures should mean pupils are entered for exams when they are ready.
For Dover and Deal, Tapp said this matters because every young person deserves the chance to find their own path. At the start of this year, he toured some of the schools in Dover and Deal holding political debates in a project called Tapp into Politics, including Dover Boys Grammar School, Dover Girls Grammar School and Astor School.
He said it was incredibly rewarding to see what a fantastic mixture of talent exists in the next generation and that they all have something to contribute to the community. To everyone who received their results last week, Tapp's message was clear: there are different doors to open, different routes to take and plenty of time to discover where yours leads.
