Results week!

Earlier than usual, GCSE results will be announced on Thursday and I’m sorry that I won’t be in school to see your reactions. Some of you will be delighted and some of you will be disappointed: that’s always the way so please don’t think this year is any different in that respect.

Of course, this year is different in how your results have been calculated. Last year’s grades were decided by teachers (we had to rank our students in order within each grade) but this year the grades have been decided by the school, not by me. The methods for determining this year’s grades were set out by the UK exams regulator and were used by the school to determine your results, which are therefore identified as centre assessed grades (whereas last year’s results were teacher assessed grades).

Some of you steered a steady ship with very consistent test scores (at different levels) and some of you blossomed, making significant progress as your knowledge and understanding improved over the last two years. I am very proud of what you have achieved – and I’m not just referring to those of you who reached the highest grades.

Some of you didn’t quite make it over the line and I feel the same pain that some of you will experience in your disappointment but I know (and you must remember) that you tried your hardest under very difficult circumstances. Everyone is different and everyone has a different personal best.

You have been my last pure-physics students as everybody will be doing combined sciences from now on. I know your learning hasn’t always been easy (this is physics, after all) but I hope there are things that you will remember in the years to come. I can honestly say that our lessons were rarely boring for me!

It is not just your achievements but also your efforts and, more importantly, your personalities that will carry you into the future. I have already met a few of you in town and I hope that our paths will continue to coincide from time to time.

I wish you lots of luck and happiness in the future.