Notley High School in Braintree has recorded its best-ever GCSE results, with a 10 per cent increase in students achieving a Grade 5 or above in English and maths compared to last year. The number of students attaining a Grade 4 or above in these core subjects rose by nine per cent, while students receiving free school meals saw an 18 per cent increase in those achieving Grade 5.
Top students achieve outstanding grades
Among the highest-achieving students, Grayson collected six Grade 9s, two Grade 8s and two Grade 7s, making him the top performer this year. He has secured a scholarship to study maths, further maths, economics, physics and EPQ at New Hall School in Chelmsford, with a long-held ambition to attend Cambridge University. "I want to go to Cambridge University in future and go into physics or finance as a career. That has been my dream for the last year," he said. "I went to Cambridge on a punting trip when I was seven and I just loved the architecture and the stories I was told."
Lara, from Rayne, achieved four Grade 9s, four Grade 8s and one Grade 6, making her the highest-achieving girl at the school. She plans to study maths, chemistry and biology at sixth form with aspirations of becoming a vet. "I am so happy – I cried from happiness when I opened my results!" she expressed. "I think I was always going to get Grade 7, but the school put on lots of extra revision sessions and I spoke with my teachers a lot which helped to get higher grades."
Twins chart different paths but share Cambridge dream
Identical twins Charlie and Archie, both 16 from Braintree, collected different GCSE results and plan to pursue dissimilar careers, though both dream of studying at Cambridge University. Archie achieved five Grade 6s and four Grade 5s and will study chemistry, biology and history at Braintree Sixth Form, aiming to become a doctor or surgeon. "We are quite competitive as twins, but I like to say I am better than him!" he joked. Charlie earned two Grade 7s, four Grade 6s and three Grade 5s and will study law, psychology and philosophy and ethics at Braintree Sixth Form, targeting a career as a barrister. "I am pretty happy with my results, especially my Grade 7s. I am feeling pretty proud of myself – and he is definitely not better than me!" he commented.
Formula One dreams and revision strategies
Jack, 16 from Braintree, collected four Grade 9s, two Grade 8s and two Grade 7s, keeping him on track for a career in Formula One. He will study maths, further maths, physics and computer science at Braintree Sixth Form, with astronomy as a backup subject (Grade 7). "I have been an F1 fan since I was quite young. My back-up career would be something in astrophysics," he said. "The school put on extra periods at the end of the day which was really helpful with revision resources. I was always good in my subjects, but I think I would have got all Grade 7 if the school had not pushed the way they did."
Ruby, 16 from Braintree, achieved two Grade 9s, six Grade 8s and one Grade 6 and will study criminology, psychology, biology and economics at Braintree Sixth Form, with hopes of a career in crime scene investigation or property. She credited early revision techniques: "I found what revision techniques worked for me really early on in school. For me, flashcards were what worked. The school also did a lot of persuading and motivated me to study." Sonny, 16 from Great Notley, collected five Grade 9s, one Grade 8, three Grade 7s and one Grade 6 and will study chemistry, biology, maths and economics at Braintree Sixth Form, aiming for engineering or pharmaceuticals. "The school put on extra sessions to support our revision. I needed that support – I absolutely would not have got these results without it," he said.
Headteacher praises extraordinary achievement
Mark Barrow, headteacher, stated: "This has truly been a fantastic summer for our school. Our Year 11 students have achieved the best results in the school’s history, and our sixth-form students delivered our best Post-16 results in many years. To see this level of success across both key stages in the same year is extraordinary, and it reflects the hard work ambition and resilience of our students – backed by the dedication of our staff and the support of our families."
