Exceptional performances at Waltham Toll Bar

Students celebrated exceptional performances and progress when they picked up GCSE results from today.

Principal Nigel Whittle congratulated those individuals and wished them well in the future.

“This year group has shown terrific resilience in the face of severe challenges created by the pandemic and really upped their game in Year 11 to work hard and apply themselves well.,” he said.

“It has been fantastic to see the joy on so many faces. We have had some exceptional individual performances and I’m delighted for those students and their families.

“They deserve particular thanks for supporting children with their education through some turbulent times.

“Our results mean the vast majority of our 330 Year 11s will be able to progress onto their chosen pathway in September with a nearly three quarters passing English and Mathematics”

“I wish all our students the best of luck in the next stages of their learning and look forward to welcoming so many of them in to our sixth from here at Toll Bar in September”

“With the extremely challenging national picture of many results dropping this year, I am pleased that Toll Bar’s long history for academic excellence has been maintained and this is something I am confident that the academy will continue to be known for long into the future.”

Top attainer was Isabelle Smith with a superb six grade 9s including Maths and English.

Isabelle Smith, delighted with her results.

She said: “I’m so happy, absolutely over the moon. I got nines in the ones I wanted and I was a bit shocked with the nine in Maths because the grade boundaries were really high this year, so I’d been a bit worried.

“It feels amazing really, I did put in a lot of effort and I’m so happy it paid off.

“The Academy put on a lot of revision sessions before and after school, even at weekends and during holidays, and I attended most, if not all of them- I feel they really helped

“I’m very grateful.”

Isabelle, who wants to become a maths teacher herself, has decided to stay on at Waltham Toll Bar Sixth Form to study A-levels in Maths, English Literature and Art.

“It’s a lot more academic than any of the other schools and colleges I looked at, and because you work more closely with the teachers, I feel that will help more with my studies.

Will Cameron, who excelled with five top grades and Wales Sumcad achieved 9s in both English Language and Literature.

William Cameron is congratulated after opening his results.

Will said: “I did much better than I expected and I’m really proud. There was lots of revision on at the Academy which made you more confident and really helped, and the teachers were always really enthusiastic, putting in the time to help us with revision.

“I don’t think I would have got what I got without their help”

Wales, who achieved three 9s and four 8s, said: “Oh my word, it’s so much more than I expected.

Shocked by her excellent results is Wales Sumcad.

I came here thinking I would get sixes and I was really scared I wouldn’t get the grades I wanted when I opened the envelope. But now its relief, and I feel the results I have got have made me more confident in myself.

“The Academy helped because the Maths and English Literature teachers were amazing – they made me enjoy the subject a lot more and made me want to work a lot harder to achieve the grades.”

Other young people of note included Matthew Bradley, Alexandra Sandiford and Maria Bryant, who all achieved average grades of at least 8, as well as Finley Axcell, who will now join a football scholarship with Grimsby Town Football Club.

Matthew Bradley with excellent results.

Finley Axcell, joining Grimsby Town on a scholarship.

“I’m very happy, especially with my science grades,” Finley said.

“At the club I will be working six days a week, including a game on Saturdays, and I’ll be taking part in an education programme during the week – but I get to play football every day. It’s what dreams are made of really.

“Waltham Toll Bar Academy helped so much with its dedication, hard work and commitment which helped me achieve my grades, even through the pandemic. They’ve provided me with a platform to achieve and move on to bigger things.”

In terms of progress, Peyton Ramsden over-achieved across all subjects, including English where she achieved a 7, three grades higher than her target.

Also performing well above expectation was Toby Nicholls with an average grade 2 levels higher than predicted and Madeleine Godfrey who attained four grade 8s.

Delighted after achieving higher than expected is Toby Nichols.

Toby, who will now study land management at Bishop Burton College, said: “It’s absolutely amazing, I did not expect to get the grades I got.

“At the start of the year I was at three, and through hard work and lots of support from the Academy, I managed to achieve the results I wanted and needed.

“The school has gone above and beyond to help me achieve my grades, with exceptional support from the teachers.”

Madeleine, who will now study A Levels at Waltham Toll Bar Sixth Form, said: “I wasn’t expecting grades so high.

Madeleine Godfrey, happy with her results.

“The revision sessions, especially in History and Biology, really helped and I got an eight in both of those.

“All the teachers have been really supportive and guided me to success.”

Overall, students gained qualifications in 21 different subjects, demonstrating the breadth of the academy’s curriculum offer.

Subjects as diverse as History and Photography saw students make exceptional progress, with the number of top grades three times higher than the national average.