The wait finally ended for our Year 12 pupils as they collected their GCSE results from staff in the Assembly Hall from 08:30 yesterday. GCSE candidates still need to collect their results in school, so there was a great buzz of anticipation in the hall.

As the envelopes were ripped open, hushed nervous conversation quickly turned to sighs of relief and, in some cases, screams of delight as the full extent of pupil success became apparent. Attainment this year has been excellent. At RSA, 48% of all grades awarded were A* or A, compared to 31.6% across Northern Ireland generally, and 75% of all grades awarded to our pupils were within the A*–B range. Overall, the percentage of pupils achieving at least 7 GCSEs at the top grades, A*–C (including English and Mathematics), was 94%. A third of the pupils gained seven or more GCSEs with A* or A grades!

Referring to this remarkable exam success, Mr Montgomery said, “We are delighted with the achievements of all these pupils. These young people have overcome the skills deficit through interruption to their junior school education and yet they have performed magnificently. They thoroughly deserve this success because they have earned it by their hard work.

“GCSEs are a key stage in the educational journey of individuals. Education is about opening up life opportunities for young people, and behind each batch of statistics is a young person who has worked really hard for two years. The support of families is crucial in helping our young people to achieve their potential, as is the input of well-qualified and enthusiastic teachers. It’s a community effort with the young people placed front and centre, and we are delighted for them.

This impressive achievement will provide an excellent platform for each of these young people to build on as they start their A Levels.

The success was shared equally across day and boarding pupils, many of whom speak English as a second language!  The fact that the pupils have done so well will ensure that they have a greater range and quality of career pathways, with the vast majority moving seamlessly onto A Level courses that will support their future aspirations”.