TEACHERS from schools across the Swindon area spoke of their pride as students opened their GCSE results.

Dorcan Academy headteacher Sherryl Bareham said, ‘We wish to congratulate all our Year 11 students on their examination successes which come as a result of incredible hard work by both students and staff.

"Results at Dorcan are continuing to rise steadily year on year across the board. As a fully inclusive school we wish to recognise the achievements of all students who worked hard to achieve or exceed their personal targets. We are very proud of all of you." 

Donovan Tran achieved 10 GCSEs: two grade 9s, two eights, one level two distinction* and five sevens, while Marilena Kostandinos achieved 11 GCSEs, including four nines, four eights, two sevens and one six.

Meanwhile, at Abbeyfield School, co-headteachers Ralph Plummer and Nick Norgrove congratulated students for their hard work and commitment.

They said: "We are very proud of all our students, who sat exams this summer, and their achievements at all levels.  Our students are well placed for the next steps in their educational journey.

"The students have worked very hard and we wish all those moving on to pastures new the best of luck.  We look forward to welcoming many of those returning into Year 12 at the start of September."

MORE: See what students had to say as they celebrated great grades.

Year 11 students at UTC Swindon are celebrating this morning after collecting their GCSE results. The college, which offers an engineering and digital technologies curriculum in a workplace-style environment, saw an increased proportion of students achieving higher grades in both academic and technical subjects. 

These results are a strong foundation for students who are going on to further study in the sixth form at UTC Swindon or starting industry apprenticeships in September with organisations including Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells.  

Principal of UTC Swindon Jon Oliver said: “Our Year 11 students have achieved an enormous amount in the two years since they joined the college. They have not only gained academic and technical qualifications but have also learned useful workplace skills and benefited from valuable real-world project experience thanks to our industry partners. 

“They have worked hard and thoroughly deserve the results that they have achieved. We look forward to helping them build on these in the Sixth Form.” 

CEO of Activate Learning Education Trust Joanne Harper said: “It has been a pleasure to watch the students at UTC Swindon develop their work-related skills as well as their achievements in their examinations.  I would like to thank all involved in supporting the students during the last two years.” 

“UTC Swindon is on a very positive trajectory, with recent developments including the launch of the new digital specialism and cyber security offer and the Fujitsu Innovation Hub clearly demonstrating the college’s commitment to creating an outstanding environment for technical education in Swindon.” 

Abbey Park School principal Jon Young said: "It has been a morning of celebration at Abbey Park School. 

"My congratulations go to our pupils as they have performed extremely well, with 74 per cent of pupils achieving a standard pass of grade four in both English and maths and 49 [per cent achieved a strong pass of grade five in English and maths. 

"The school’s Progress 8 score will also be significantly higher than previous year.  These excellent headline figures are testament to the hard work of pupils, staff and the support of parents.  I am pleased and proud as these results reflect the school’s focus on ethos, attendance and parental engagement."

Highworth Warneford School headteacher Andy Steele hailed 70 per cent of all pupils achieving a grade four in both maths and English, 48 per cent achieving grade five or higher and 15 per cent of all grades being sevens, eights and nines.

Mr Steele said: “We are very pleased with this year’s provisional results.

"These results reflect the hard work of the pupils and the staff as well as the excellent support we receive from parents and governors. 

"We are very pleased for the successes of all of our pupils and wish them well in the future.”

At Ridgeway School, 72 per cent of students achieved grade four or higher in both English and maths while 51 per cent achieved grade 4 or higher in both.

A third of all students achieved a grade seven or better in maths and 27 per cent achieved the same range of grades in English.

Six per cent of all grades across all subjects were the highest grade of nine.

Prinicipal James Povoas said: “We are delighted that the hard work and commitment of the students, the high quality expertise provided by teachers and the support of parents has achieved these results.

"The Ridgeway inspires learners for their future and these achievements will enable them to make positive choices about their future studies and employment. We look forward to welcoming the vast majority back to sixth form in September.”    

At Lydiard Park Academy, the amount of students achieving grade four or higher in both English and maths rose by four per cent to 70 per cent while 42 per cent achieved a grade five or higher.

Principal Gary Pearson said: "The school hall has been full of smiling, happy pupils this morning who worked extremely hard over the last two years and have been rewarded with a fantastic set of results.

"The pupils are now set up for their post 16 education and I am pleased that record numbers have signed up to join our sixth form. I would like to pass on the congratulations from all the staff at LPA."

At Swindon Academy, 61 per cent of students achieved five or more good passes (grade four or above) including English and maths.

Executive principal Ruth Robinson said: “Once again the hard work of our students and staff has produced another very good set of results. 

"I would like to congratulate everyone on their achievements today which they so thoroughly deserve. 

"For many, these results will give them the basis for a successful two years in our sixth form which, as last week’s results showed, is going from strength to strength.

“We will begin the new academic year buoyed by these results and look forward to another successful year at Swindon Academy.”

Ms Robinson is also executive principal of Nova Hreod Academy which saw 72 per cent of students achieving a grade four or higher in English and maths, and 71 per cent achieivng five good GCSEs.

She added: “These are fantastic results and are a marked improvement on those achieved last year. Well done to every student who has achieved the grades they deserve. They have worked incredibly hard all year and it is wonderful to be able to see them celebrate their achievements.

“These results would not have been possible without our hard-working and committed staff who always go the extra mile for our students. They work tirelessly and I would like to thank them for everything they do for Nova Hreod Academy.”

Headteacher Nick Wells said: "I'm very pleased and really proud of all the hard work they put in, there were lots of smiles this morning, they've done really well."

Royal Wootton Bassett Academy's head of Year 11 Marie Moore said: "I'm delighted with the results and really pleased that the hard work the children and staff put in resulted in grades that are beyond expectations in many cases, they deserve to rejoice."

Headteacher George Croxford said: "I'm thrilled, it's fantastic for all the students and staff. I'm particularly pleased with our pupil premium results which are the best we have ever had."

Pupil premium results relate to grades for students from disadvantaged backgrounds for which the school receives a little bit more funding to help them catch up to their peers.

At Commonweal School, 70 per cent of students achieved a grade 4 or better in English, with 54% achieving a 5 or better. And 72 per cent of students achieved a 4 or better in maths, with 41 per cent achieving a 5 or better.

Headteacher Bob Linnegar said: " I am thrilled to see so many Year 11 students getting the just reward for their efforts. They are superbly well set-up for the next stage of their education. We will be delighted to welcome so many into Year 12 at the induction day nex year Thursday, ready to pursue their futures."

Deputy Head Charles Drew added: "We are very pleased for the children. This is always the best day of the year, because children who have worked hard, not just for two years, but for 11 or12 years, are getting rewarded for things that they have done. 

"Obviously, some people are always disappointed, they think again and change plans and so on, so it's a sort of a bittersweet day."

Lawn Manor Academy headteacher Sandra Muir said: “These are the second set of results for Lawn Manor Academy and I am very pleased with the examination results which reward all of the hard work that our pupils have been doing over the past two years. 

"It also shows that the teaching strategies put in place at Lawn Manor Academy are having a significant impact for the pupils. We wish all our pupils the very best as they move on to pursue their chosen courses at Sixth Form, College or Apprenticeship programme.”

Sandra added: “Lawn Manor Academy staff and pupils are very ambitious and we strive to build on this achievement year on year.”