Michael Cheetham with his mum Emma

RAIN didn’t dampen the spirits of pupils as they collected their GCSE results on Thursday (today), as their age group became the first to collect results of exams they had sat since 2019.

For the last two years, Covid has meant that teachers awarded grades to pupils based on what they would have thought they would have got, if they had sat full exams.

At Acland Burghley results overall stayed roughly where they were, with the average grade being a 5 – the equvalent to a B in the previous grades – reformed in 2017. The amount of students getting a grade 5, seen as a “strong pass”, in English and maths rose by 16 per cent to 53 per cent compared to 2019.

There were also successes for science, where 9 per cent more pupils got a grade 4 and above. History, French and Spanish saw high levels of pupils getting grade 5 and above, 74 per cent, 77 per cent and 87 per cent respectively.

At Acland Burghley in Tufnell Park, drizzle didn’t dampen the excitement of pupils who were queuing up outside school gates just before 10am to get their grades.

Headteacher Nick John said: “I feel proud of what they have done, it’s an improvement on 2019 which is really good.

“The story nationally is it is different between different regions, of course that is the case. In local areas, there is definitely an impact on results on some more than others, and that applies to Camden.

“With the pandemic those who were going to do well have picked it back up, and those who have struggled have struggled a bit. We have put support in place to help everyone, because it has been a really disruptive time.”

He added: “It has been tough for this group. They were in-and-out for two years from when they were in Year 9 and then when they came back into school, there was a focus on the children who were doing their exams.”

Josephine Robinson with artwork she has painted, alongside headteacher Nick John

Among the first through the gates in Burghley Road to get in to the school just after 10am was Michael Cheetham, with his mum Emma. They were both celebrating after his results, which included a 9 in dance.

Mr Cheetham said: “I’m surprised, I didn’t think I would get a 9. It’s been up and down during Covid to be honest, but I’m really pleased.”

His mum said: “It has been stressful for me more than him. I always said ‘just do your best’. He was nearly expelled in Year 7, but the school has been brilliant in helping him. It’s been an amazing achievement for him.”

Another pupil who was pleasantly surprised by her results was Josephine Robinson, 16, who beat expectations to get four grade 9s and five grade 8s. She is staying at LaSwap to do her four A-levels.

“I was hoping for this but I didn’t think I would get it. I had been doubting myself a bit.

“My SATS weren’t very good which meant the grade expectations weren’t very high when I started, but I worked really hard, I have always been very persistent with interpersonal relationships with my teachers, I always talk to them and ask if I’ve got any questions. I had an English teacher, Tara Vakil who had taught me since year 7, who was really helpful and I would go and ask questions if I had any.”

One of those celebrating top grades is Edie Castell, who got full marks in her English paper, where she had to analyse and study literary classics Jane Eyre, An Inspector Calls and Romeo and Juliet. “I didn’t expect that I had done that well, I thought it would be a lot worse,” she said.

Friends Niamh Blue Snape Holmes and Bryn Macinerny were congratulating each other on their grades, before they head to Brit School and the London Screen Academy to pursue creative courses.

Niamh Blue Snape Holmes and Bryn Macinerny

“I have high expectations, so I’m naturally disappointed but I did get a 9, three 8s and five 7s,” said Snape Holmes. “I thought I had done really badly.”

Ahead of studying her visual art and design course she said: “I like art and it’s something I am reasonably good at so I wanted to do it.”

Mr Macinerny, on the other hand, will be studying filmmaking, including lights, camera and sound,.

“It’s just something that’s really interesting. I quite like finding out how different perspectives change some people’s views.”