GCSEs are currently undergoing the biggest shake-up for a generation as A* to G grades are gradually replaced by a
1-to-9 system, with 9 being the highest mark.
English and maths were the first subjects to move to the new system and yesterday the very first cohort to be assessed under the system received their grades.
Broadly, 7 is regarded as an A grade while a 4 is broadly a C grade. Next year a further 20 subjects are expected to be marked using the 1-to-9 grading system.
In Jersey, of 8,443 exams sat, 70.6% of students received four Cs and above in their exams, compared with 66.1% in England.
However, in 2016, 74.2% of Island students received A* to C grades – the best results Jersey had seen to date. In comparison, 66.6% of English students last year received these grades.
Meanwhile, this year a total of 24% of Jersey students achieved seven A grades and above, while this figure was 19.8% in England. A total of 10.5% of Jersey students received an A* GCSE grade this year compared with 7% in England. The number of students receiving a grade 9 in England was 2.9% compared with a slighter lower 2.7% in Jersey.
Rory Steel, assistant head of curriculum and new technology at Beaulieu, said the school had achieved a good set of results despite the exams being more rigorous.
He said: ‘We had a number of students receiving the top grade 9 result and we are really pleased with that. We are moving away from modules now and are learning how the new system works.’
Carl Howarth, principal of JCG, said their students had ‘fantastic’ results this year, with 72% achieving five or more A* or A grades. A total of 14% of their students received a grade 9.
A total of 96.8% of all pupils at Victoria College achieved five A* to C grades, including in English and Maths.
Head teacher Alun Watkins said: ‘With the grades changing this year in maths and English, we are pleased that 98.6% of all results in these subjects were graded 4 or above and that in maths more than 50% of our students achieved a level 7 or above, with almost 10% achieving grade 9.’
Hautlieu students have achieved the highest results the school has seen for five years, with 96% of all students receiving five A* to C grades. The school also saw an increase in the number of students to receive a combination of A* and A grades, or 9 to 7 in the new format. The school’s head teacher, Nick Falle, said: ‘We are delighted to celebrate the successes of our students, who have shown such determination to achieve excellent results. Despite the warnings of more difficult GCSEs, our students have produced our strongest results in five years.’
As of yesterday, Les Quennevais had not published its overall pass rate but the school’s head teacher, Sarah Hauge, said: ‘Our results are the best results in the history of the school, and I couldn’t be happier. In the current climate of education nationally there is a rising challenge for students to perform and that has happened because of our outstanding teaching.’
The proportion of students receiving A* to C grades at De La Salle was 76%. The school’s head teacher, Jason Turner, said: ‘In every one of our key measures of performance, we have achieved or exceeded our targets for this cohort. In the gold standard (that is five A* to C grades including English and Maths at grade 4 or higher) our performance was 72%.’
Phil Slater, head teacher at Le Rocquier, said the school was very pleased with its results despite the ‘harder’ exams, adding that the school had seen a three per cent improvement in the overall number of students gaining five or more grade C and above GCSEs in English and maths.
He said: ‘Several subjects have maintained their high level of excellence and I am particularly pleased with significant improvements with both English language and English literature results. It has also been very encouraging to see that many Year 10 students have also gained very successful grades in taking their English literature exams a year early.’
Both Grainville and Haute Vallée had not published their overall pass rate yesterday but John McGuinness, head teacher of Grainville, said: ‘Our students have worked hard to achieve their very best and have been rewarded with a great set of GCSE results, this despite a new tougher challenge imposed by changes in the examination boards and marking systems.’
Dave Roworth, head teacher of Haute Vallée, said: ‘We have seen some outstanding individual performances from students who have worked so hard alongside their teachers this year, and I am extremely proud of them. I wish them all an exciting future in whatever they go on to achieve.’
This year a vocational GCSE, the Jersey Progression Certificate, was offered at Highlands College, which is equivalent to two GCSE grades between A* to C. A Jersey Progression Diploma, which is the equivalent of four GCSEs between grades A* to C, was also offered by the college.
A total of 229 students entered for the two Jersey Progression qualifications, which had an overall pass rate of 90.4%.
Highlands principal Steve Lewis said: ‘The teaching staff at Highlands College have applied their vocational subject expertise and ingenuity to design a qualification that has motivated and challenged our students to produce fantastic work and that has enabled them to really show off their abilities and skills with outstanding results.’
Education Minister Rod Bryans congratulated students yesterday and said the Island’s results were ‘outstanding in a time of change.’
He said: ‘These are the first results from students who have taken the new GCSE syllabus in English and maths, which have more demanding content and greater focus on final exams. Teachers in all our schools deserve extra recognition for the work involved in introducing a new system and guiding our young people through it.
‘GCSE results are the culmination of 12 years of education and a time for celebrating the hard work of the students and the support of their families. But this year more than ever I would like to thank the teachers for their dedication and professionalism in working with the department on our principle aim of raising standards.’
