Students at Newtown High School are celebrating success in their recent GCSE examinations.
The school reported improvements in performance in a wide range of subjects alongside those of mathematics and English.
Across both sites of the school, which includes the Presteigne campus, just under 100 per cent of all students gained 5 A*-C grades with 64 per cent achieving the higher standard of 5 A*- C grades including English and mathematics, leading to the school’s best ever Year 11 examination results.
Many students also achieved other qualifications including Key Skills awards and the Welsh Baccalaureate.
Headteacher Mr G Harkness said: “This really is a tremendous set of results for a large numbers of students.
“They and the whole staff team have worked incredibly hard to achieve them. Our congratulations and best wishes for the future go to each and every student, many of whom are returning to join us in our sixth form to continue their studies.”
The school also reported that they had significantly narrowed the performance gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students.
In addition its More Able and Talented provision has once again led to students in Years 9 and 10 achieving excellent GCSE results in a range of subjects.
Chair of Governors Mr D Lush said “We are delighted for all of our students; they have been supported by staff and parents to once again set new standards for both sites.”
In Powys as a whole nearly seven out of 10 results (68%) are at grades A*-C and almost one in five (20%) are at the highest grades A*-A maintaining the strong performance of Powys schools seen in recent years.
Powys results remain higher than the figures for Wales at grades A*-A, A*-B, A*-C and A*-G.
Powys results at grades A*-C are more than one per cent higher than in both Wales and England (67%) this year. The overall pass rate of grades A*-G in Powys (99%) is similar to the two previous years and remains higher than in both Wales and England.
Little change is expected in the overall figures when results from other Examination Boards are added as approximately 90% of examination entries are with WJEC.
These results maintain the high standards seen in previous years’ performance and remain consistently above the all-Wales averages. In addition, many pupils have also achieved equivalent qualifications in vocational subjects.
Cllr Arwel Jones, Powys County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, said: “Our warm congratulations go to all pupils for achieving such excellent results which demonstrate their great commitment and hard work.
“This is made possible by the support they receive from dedicated teaching and support staff in all our schools and also from their families.”
