'Happy with results, glad it's over'

Students breathed a collective sigh of relief at Trinity Academy, in Thorne, after two challenging years came to an end with the opening of envelopes concealing their GCSE results.

Dozens of students turned out to collect their results in person, supported by family members and carers.

For Eliska Jasnikowska it was a chance to celebrate after she achieved a haul of top grades. “I felt sick all morning so I’m happy it’s over,” she said. “All the news about grades made me feel even more nervous.”

Setting herself high standards, she added: “I’m a bit disappointed with English where I got two grade 8s, but I’m so glad about history because I got a 9.”

Eliska is staying on at Trinity Academy where she will study A Levels in English, psychology and religious studies and do an EPQ.

Lois Hamilton-Plumb celebrated being Trinity’s top student with eight grade 9s and three grade 8s.

“It was what I was hoping for but I didn’t really want to think about it,” she said. “I saw it on the news that 300,000 results would be lower grades than expected but I just hoped that all the work I put in would get me good grades.”

Lois’s tip for success was writing out flashcards, starting back in Year 10. “A teacher told me to it, so when it came to Year 11 I already had a lot of my revision ready, it was just a case of doing practice questions.”

Lois will be taking A Levels in maths, chemistry and biology with the aim of doing medicine at university. Trinity Academy is part of the Emmanuel Schools Foundation where the number of students gaining the A Level grades to study medicine was in double figures and one in five confirmed places at the top universities.

Gwenyth Taylor was also celebrating after the hours she put into her textiles GCSE resulted in a grade 9. She scored another 9 in religious studies as well as five grade 8s, three 7s and a grade 6.

She said: “I wanted to have no expectations because then you can’t be disappointed so I’m really pleased with the 9 in textiles.”

Gwenyth will continue her talent in textiles by studying it at A Level back at Trinity along with maths and geography.

Academy principal Victoria Gibson said: “We are proud of all our students who have worked really hard during difficult times and gained the extra marks required this year to achieve good results compared with the past three years.

“The vast majority will be staying with us in the sixth form, which is growing as more students realise the benefits of continuing their education at Trinity. Our students are in a relationship with us, they know us and we know them and their families exceptionally well and that’s incredibly important when you are aiming for success.”