Students at The Long Eaton School make the grade as they pick up their GCSE results
Students at The Long Eaton School are looking forward to taking the next step in their lives after picking up their GCSE results today.
Among the top-achieving students at the school, in Thoresby Road, was River Cottrell, whose line-up of results included Grade 8s in history, English Literature and English Language and who will now enter the school’s Sixth Form to study English, history and art at A Level.
She said: “I’m really relieved with my results. It has been stressful and we hadn’t really done exams before now, and when we heard in the news that the marking was going to be harsher than in previous years I was worried.”
Another student now looking forward to making their next move in their education is Lucas Cocker, 16, who is now heading to Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies to study music performance, after picking up a host of GCSEs including a nine in music.
e said: “We missed a lot of learning in Year 8 because of COVID and I didn’t learn much in that year because it was hard studying via a screen but I’m happy with my results, especially in music.
“I love playing my guitar and I want to work in music, maybe as a teacher or a session musician.”
His friend, Rosie Millward, 16, meanwhile, is heading to Derby College to study T Level engineering after picking up her results, which included sevens in maths and Spanish.
“I was really nervous last night because I was worried that I didn’t do very well, but I’ve got what I need. I’m proud of myself, because I worked the hardest I could during my revision.”
Katie Vradi, 16, is another student who is now looking at a new chapter, having got the grades she needs to go up into the school’s Sixth Form, where she will study psychology, health and social care and RE.
What made her achievements, which includes a Grade Six in English Language, more remarkable is that she moved to the UK at the age of 11 from her native Cyprus and so has only been speaking English for seven years.
She said: “I feel like I have done my best at my GCSEs, especially since I moved countries when I was 11 and had to learn English just before we moved here.
“I was worried about how I’ve done but I’m happy with my results.”
Mark Shipman, principal at the school, paid tribute to the resilience and hard work of the students, whose education was disrupted by the 2020 COVID lockdown, and wished them luck for their next steps.
He said: “Since starting at the school in January I have been honoured to work with our fabulous Year 11 results.
“I am really pleased that we have supported them to help them move on to the next stage of their journey.”
Pictures show: River Cottrell with her mum, Vicky, discuss River’s GCSE results at The Long Eaton School today.
Rosie Millward and Lucas Cocker compare their GCSE results at The Long Eaton School today.
