Coventry school celebrates top GCSE grades

Pupils at Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School in Coventry celebrated ‘remarkable’ GCSE results after returning to pre-pandemic exam conditions.

The school, which is part of the Romero Catholic Academy, reported widespread improvement on its 2019 results, with many pupils saying they did better than expected after moving away from teacher assessed grades.

The percentage of top grades (9-7) rose across a number of key subjects including Math, English Literature and English Language.

Tom Stephens, who scored four 9s, six 8s and a 7, will study Maths, Physics, Philosophy and Further Maths at Cardinal Wiseman Sixth Form next year. He said: “I’m over the moon. In some subjects I’ve done way better than I did in my mocks, so I’m really happy with that.

“During exams I was revising every night, which seems to have paid off, so I didn’t have time to think about the outcome. It’s only recently that I’ve started to get nervous but I’m really pleased with the results.”

Jahnvi Yadav achieved two 9s, eight 8s and a 7 will study Maths, Further Maths, Computer Science and Physics WMG. She said: “I was very nervous and scared and it felt like a long wait, so I’m feeling very relieved today.

“This was the first time doing proper exams and I felt quite uncertain about how I would go. I was really happy with English language, and I didn’t expect to do so well in Chemistry and Biology.”

Benita Hubert, who achieved four 9s, three 8s, two 7s and two 6s, said: “I’m in shock right now but really, really happy. I have to give credit to my teachers because they helped me when I was feeling nervous. Now seeing the results, it feels like my hard work has paid off.

“The school helped us to tackle the exams, helping with past papers and exam techniques, looking at our strengths and weaknesses in all subjects. The science department really gave me a spark to try and continue my success at A Levels. I thought I’d fumbled French but I’m really happy with how I’ve done.”

Jamila Barnes, who achieved four 8s, five 7s and a 6, said: “I’m shocked. I felt like I would get mostly 5s and 6s and I’ve got mostly 7s and 8s which is amazing. I didn’t really process that I was doing real exams, I just treated them as mocks and it kept some of the pressure off.

“I revised for about four hours a day and I’m really pleased with the outcomes. Before my results I thought I wouldn’t be able to do chemistry, but now I’ll be able to do all of the subjects I want at sixth form thanks to my hard work.”

Helena Seraphin was also relieved at seeing her results, which included an 8 in French. She added: “The last year was really stressful. I was constantly worried but seeing my results felt like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.

“The exams were quite chilled but having that time to think does make you a bit worried – so I’m really happy to be at the end now.”

Shaun Kamionowski will take up a Level 3 IT apprenticeship at the Romero Catholic Academy next year. He said: “I was really stressed at first but I was really happy with my results once I opened them.

“The exams were really difficult, revising all the time and putting a lot of hard work in. But it’s only two months and it seems like it’s been worth it.

“I’m doing a Level 3 IT apprenticeship next year, based at Cardinal Wiseman but covering lots of Romero schools. I looked at my options but I thought this was a good opportunity to learn on the job and get real world experience, which is much better for the way I learn.”

Matthew Everett, Principal at Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School, said: “We extend our heartfelt congratulations to each student for their remarkable achievements, and we would also like to acknowledge the unwavering support of their families, teachers, and the entire school community.

“As these exceptional students move forward to their next chapter in education or career paths, we are confident that they will continue to shine and make a positive impact on society. We wish them every success in their future endeavours and look forward to witnessing their bright futures unfold.

“This cohort of students have demonstrated not only their academic prowess but also their resilience and ambition, which will undoubtedly propel them towards future success.”