GCSE results 2016: Saffron Walden County High celebrate ‘golden summer’

Saffron Walden County High is celebrating its best ever set of GCSE results in what the school described as a “golden summer of examination success”.

Following its best ever A-level results last week, a record 83 per cent of children achieved five A*-C GCSE grades including maths and English.

99 per cent of pupils achieved five A*-G grades and 39 per cent scored five or more A*-As.

There are 19 students with eight or more A* grades, and 52 with 10 or more A or A* grades.

Two of these students, William Banks and Victor Ramirez-Valdez, achieved 12 A*s and Victor, who also goes by Adrian, also has a grade 8 distinction in flute, piano, and saxophone.

He said: “I mean, they were my target grades but I wasn’t sure I would get them and I didn’t think they would all go as well as this.”

Next year he will study biology, chemistry, maths, and French because he “really likes languages” and he “wants to do something with them when [he] is older”.

Another very happy student this morning was Amelia Greenwoood, who got seven A*s and four As, and described herself as “really happy”.

She said: “In the back of my mind I knew it would be alright but it was the not knowing that had me worried.”

While Amelia was speaking, her mum, who was “over the moon” for her daughter, rushed over for a hug and to congratulate her results.

Her A-level subjects next year will be history, maths, chemistry, and biology.

Another outstanding achiever, Lauren Brannon, got eight A*s and three As in a variety of subjects from biology, English and dance this morning (August 25).

She said: “I am so happy, because I wasn’t expecting it at all, after every exam I thought it went really badly.”

Next year Lauren will carry on at County High to study history, economics, government and politics, and further maths A levels.

Caroline Derbyshire, headteacher, said she was delighted that the hard work of students and staff had resulted in such high achievement.