Teesdale School GCSEs
PUPILS at Teesdale School were congratulated on achieving some fantastic GCSE results in the most challenging of circumstances.
In all, 81 grade 9s were awarded to students, with many now choosing to stay on at the school’s sixth form in September.
Assistant head teacher Dr Simon Henderson said he was “really proud of their efforts” .
He added: “In the past, young people have had a bad wrap from society, but during the pandemic, the kids have sacrificed continuity of education for the benefit of others.
“They could not go to school, they had to learn online and to get through that and achieve what they have is fantastic.”
Dr Henderson said the school’s results – which were based on teacher assessments – were in line with past performances.
“In 2018, when the new grading system was introduced, we got 77 grade 9s, so 81 this year shows a consistency in quality of performance.”
Among those celebrating was Joe Richardson, from Marwood, who gained nine grade 9s and will stay on to study biology, maths, chemistry and geography.
He said he had managed quite well during recent months.
“The school was good helping during lockdown,” he said.
There were tears of joy for 16-year-old Lorna Gillhespy, who recorded a clean sweep of nine grade 9s.
She said the results had come as a surprise.
“I thought I was going to get one or two,” she said. Lorna is another of those staying at Teesdale School and will study maths, geography, physics and chemistry.
Her pal Ryan Howe achieved the grades he required to stay on to do maths, further maths, physics and DT at A level.
He said studying for his GCSEs during the pandemic had been a challenge.
“It was hard but there was not much you could do about it so you just had to get on with it,” he said.
Tom Holland will be heading to Askham Bryan College, in York, to study land and wildlife and hopes to become a game keeper.
The 16-year-old, from Barnard Castle, was planning to go to Newton Rigg, Penrith, before its closure was announced.
“It would have been better to go to Newton Rigg because it had better facilities, such as its own grouse moor,” he said.
Tom said he owed his ambition to become a game keeper to the time he spent with his late grandfather, Peter Mulley, on his smallholding in Bowes.
“Grandad then got me into beating. I got really into it and started helping out on the grouse moor and haven’t wanted to do anything different since then,” added Tom, who will spend three days a week at college and two days on work placement back in the dale.
Friends Beth Stenlake, from Barnard Castle, and Jasmine Walton, from Mickleton, couldn’t stop smiling after opening their results envelopes.
Beth gained ten grade 9s and Jasmine six and both plan to stay at sixth form.
Beth will study music, French, history and maths, while it’s maths, further maths, physics and sociology for Jasmine.
