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Thousands of pupils across the county are receiving their GCSE results this morning.
We've got a team of reporters at schools across Maidstone, Malling and the Weald and the first results are starting to come in.
Here's a stream of reactions and grades from across the patch.
More than a quarter of the 181 students at Invicta Grammar School achieved straight As and A* grades, and all the girls received five A* to Cs.
Muskaan Ali, Mangat Guntash, Bryony Jenner, Emily Lloyd, Shona Mitchelmore, Michalina Michalska, Yasmin Pewsey and Sophie Scott achieved straight A* grades in all the subjects that they studied.
Lucy Brice, Maddie Campbell, Evie Horner, Lydia Levett and Suha Miah achieved 12 A* or A grades.
And twins Olasubomi and Olamid Tolu-Ogunpolu achieved 21 A/A* grades between them, seven of them are A* grades.
In total a third of all grades were A* and more than half of students received eight As and above.
Head teacher Julie Derrick said: “If learning was an Olympic sport, our students and staff would have won gold. Our students love learning and work tirelessly towards their goal and it has been a delight to coach them and cheer them on.”
Students at Marlborough House School have been very successful with their Latin GCSE results. The exam was sat three years early by students aged 12 and 13. A quarter of them achieved A* or A grades, and half of the grades were between A* and B.
Tina Budd, head of Latin at the Cranbrook school, said: “I am thrilled for the pupils. These are excellent, well-deserved results, and their successes are a reflection of all their hard work and application.
“Their achievements are even more praiseworthy as our year eight pupils were sitting an exam usually taken in year 11.”
St Simon Stock Catholic School has continued a four-year run of great results, with 68% of students achieving grades A* to C in English and mathematics, and 97% attaining the top marks in English language.
On average, students achieved more than two-thirds of a grade higher than their estimated government targets in all subjects.
Of the 165 students who sat the exams, 24 students achieved grades A* and A across more than half of their subjects, including Ryan Ellesmere, Carol Mealin-Vazquez, Aiden Huynh-Nguyen, and Ben George.
Principal Brendan Wall said: “I am delighted for all of our students, the vast majority of whom out-performed their targets, in many cases by a massive margin.
“This year’s GCSE and A-level results support our strong belief that success breeds success. Our students achieve so well as a result of quality teaching, a planned seven-year journey, high expectations with a ‘can-do’ culture, a dedicated, hard-working staff, and supportive parents who buy into our philosophy.”
More than half of the grades achieved by Year 11s at Cranbrook School were As and above.
And the proportion of grades at A* to C remained consistent with previous years, at just less than 98%.
Some subjects too turned in some outstanding performances, not least physics with 81% A* to A grades, philosophy and ethics with 76% and art with 72%.
Five students achieved 12 A* or A grades, with one – Roxanne Kidney – achieving 12 straight A* grades. The others include Laura-Jane Baxter, Isabella Lynn, Pip Ross and Isabella Armstrong who are also celebrating excellent achievements in gaining at least six A* grades with the rest at A grade.
Around 80% of the students achieved the English Baccalaureate, which measures performance across English, mathematics, history or geography, the sciences and a language.
One third of all students at Oakwood Park Grammar School gained at least 5A* to A grades and an average point score of nine A grades.
Outstanding performances came from Alex Wainwright, Ben Thornton, Daniel Dascalescu,, Alex Usmar, Thomas Angus, Kieran Bryan, Connor Davis, George Field, Thomas Hartshorn, Oli Sampson and Tunji Springer who all achieved at least 10 A*/A.
Allen Shaji earned 9 A*s, 2 As and a B. He said: "I'm just overwhelmed. I didn't think I'd do this well."
Nicholas Letchford-Jones, 16 told the Kent Messenger: "I'm really pleased. I got all A*s and As on the ones I needed for my A-levels."
Nicholas will be studying Physics, Geography, Biology and Art at A-Level and will be staying on at Oakwood Park.
Kieran Bryan was lost for words after getting an A in maths, adding that he "used to struggle a lot".
Head teacher at the Tonbridge Road school, Kevin Moody, said: “I am delighted with these excellent results and offer my congratulations to our students and teachers.”
Skinners’ School students celebrated excellent results with 97.8% of the 118 pupils being graded A*-C.
All of the St Johns Road got five or more GCSEs between A*-C and overall 28.8% of grades were A* and 65.1% were A* or A.
One in three pupils at Sutton Valence School are celebrating their good fortune after scooping five or more A grades.
Overall 69% took A* to B grades at the North Street site.
Three top students include Ellie Agu-Benson, who has also excelled in sport, achieved 11 A* grades; Olivia Ferris, part of the cast of this year’s production of Les Misérables, gained 9A* grades and , Francesca Ash with 7A* grades.
Bruce Grindlay, Headmaster said, “We take pride in our broad-ability entry continuing to achieve and that Sutton Valence consistently performs above the national average. Our teaching staff and students have demonstrated how much one can improve, given the right environment, focus and support. We are delighted with this year’s results and despite the large year group and a more diverse cohort, the pupils’ hard work has paid dividends giving them a set of results to be truly proud of.”
Students, parents and staff at Cornwallis Academy, in Hubbards Lane, Linton, are celebrating a strong set of GCSE results.
Out of the 232 students who sat the exams, 49% achieved the of five A* to C passes, including English and Maths, which is an 11% increase on last year’s results. Overall, 61% achieved A* to C grades.
High achievers include Chloe Sinclair, Elaura Lacey and Megan Brailey, who all secured 8A*-A grades, as well as Mason Dadson, Reece Winter and George Watts, who all received at least eight A* to C grades.
Isabelle Linney-Drouet, principal, said: “I am delighted with this outstanding set of results that students, parents and staff can be rightly proud of. Congratulations to them all.”
Students at Mascalls Academy made history as the most successful crop of Year 11s the school has ever taught.
In total, 80% of the pupils achieved an A* to C in English, 74% of pupils got a C or above in science and 63% received those grade in maths.
Stand out performances came from Olivia Pipes, who achieved four A*s and seven As , Maggie Taylor with five A*s, four As and two Bs, Harry Pipes with three A*s, six As and two Bs. Dione Ingram received 11 GCSEs at grade B and above, and Ben Ralph and Charlotte Lawrence each earned 10 grades of B and above.
Chief Executive of Leigh Academies Trust, Simon Beamish, described the results as “simply stunning”.
Principal, Wayne Barnett added: “These results are due to our supportive parents, remarkable teaching and continuous and sustained effort from our pupils.”
Aylesford School Sports College celebrated a significant improvement in its results from last year, with particular success in English, here the percentage of students making at least ‘good’ progress now likely to be in line with national figures.
While it was too early for the Teapot Lane secondary to release statistics, headteacher Charlie Guthrie said: “Our academic success is mirrored in our vocational subjects.
"Our focus today is to celebrate with students and their parents these exceptional results, which open so many doors for their futures. He added: “We are delighted with our progress.”
At Maplesden Noakes School, 56% of students achieved a good pass in at least five subjects, with 82% receiving an A* to C in English and 65% gaining a C or above in maths..
Among the outstanding students deserving of a mention were Sammi Ta with 10 A*s and two As, Zak Allam with seven As, two Bs and three Cs and Rukiya Choudhury with four A*s, five As and three B grades.
Brooke Ellis and Charlie-May Loft both achieved two A*s among their impressive set of results, while Molly Probets and Emily Smith each received one A*.
Head teacher of the Buckland Road school, Jane Prideaux, said: “These are superb results and reflect the hard work and commitment of both students and staff.
“This year group worked extremely hard and we are all very proud of their outstanding achievements”.
All 139 girls sitting their GCSEs at Tunbridge Wells Girls Grammar School took home 5 or more A* to C grades with just over 40% of all examinations being awarded an A*.
Five students obtained a full set of A* grades of the 11 or 12 exams taken.
There were strong performances in science at the High Weald Academy, with 74% of its 52 students gaining two good GCSEs in the subject, and 94% of those sitting triple science achieving a C or above.
In the other core subjects, 63% of Year 11s gained an A* to C in English, while that figure was 62% in maths.
Among the top achievers were Millie James with six A grades and three Bs, Ellie Dillon-White who received A grades, four Bs and a C, and Jack Farley with three As and four Bs.
Callum Rhodes gained an A* in maths, along with an array of other A and B grades.They are all going on to sixth form studies.
Sahiste Saglam stole the show in Science with A grades in chemistry, physics and biology. The 16-year-old, who wants to become a doctor, said: “I feel over the moon. I’d like to say a big thank you to all my teachers. I studied every night."
Principal at the Angley Road school, Carrie Beech, praised the dedicated staff and students, adding: “It is about making sure that every one of our young people make good progress and are supported to be the best that they can be.”
Benenden School celebrated fantastic GCSE results this year. More than 80% of grades were A* or A, and 96% were graded between an A* and a B.
A remarkable 50% of all grades were given the top A* mark. Eighteen girls gained at least nine A*s, with notable performances coming from Stephanie Jat, who achieved 13 A*s, and Imogen Davies, who got 12.
Samantha Price, the school’s headmistress, said: “I am very proud of every girl for achieving the stunning overall results that we are delighted to announce today.
“Behind the headline figures are untold examples of girls who have worked exceptionally hard to achieve this success, and I am delighted that today they are able to see how all this dedication has paid off.”
Wrotham School saw an increase in the number of students achieving grades A-C this year, with 65% of its cohort attaining these grades in English and maths.
Stars of the show include Iffah Raayma, who got nine A* and A grades, Rebecca Kayes, close behind her with seven, and Thomas Gadd, who achieved five of the top marks.
Michael Cater, head teacher, said: “We would like to congratulate the students and celebrate both their hard work and the dedication of our staff team in achieving these outstanding results.
“The school continues to improve on already strong results and looks forward to seeing our students in September.”
Out of the 115 students who sat the exams at New Line Learning Academy, 43% secured A* to C grades.
Vicky Harris secured As in English language and English literature, as well as six Bs.
Angel Limbu received an A in PE and six Bs, Bobby Liston achieved an A in art and a B in PE, and Craig Lionet secured A grades in both Mandarin and maths, as well as six Bs.
Other students who achieved top grades include Alice Chapman, who received an A in Mandarin and Jasmine Smith, who achieved an A in PE and a distinction* in performing arts for dance.
In total 1.6% of students achieved A*.
Apprehension turned quickly into smiles for the 102 Year 11s at St Augustine Academy.
There was a 12% increase on the number of last year’s students achieving five A* to C grades including English and maths.
Paige Lutman-Manley, 16, from Maidstone received an A in further maths and a B in Spanish.
She said:"In those subject I did much better than expected. I also got four As and an A* in science. I’m going to study A-levels in maths, further maths, politics and sociology. Studying was tiring, time consuming but worth it.”
Stanley Martin, who got an A in physics and biology, said: “I'm so happy. I really didn't expect this. I'm overjoyed."
Principal Jason Feldwick said: “I’m delighted that the hard work and effort from all of our
students has been rewarded by this great set of results. Congratulations go to all of the students and their teachers.”
Principal at the Boughton Lane academy, David Elliott, said: “Well done to all our students but in particular to those who worked exceptionally hard to achieve excellent GCSE results, which are testament to their dedication and efforts.”
It’s been another great year for Maidstone Grammar School for Girls, with 61% of students achieving at least five A* and A grades, and 37% achieving eight or more top marks.
Deborah Stanley, headmistress, said: “I’d like to congratulate all the students on another good set of results.
“These results reflect the huge amount of work completed by our students over their GCSE courses, together with the support and encouragement of the teaching staff.”
Students at Valley Park School are celebrating as 58% of students took home a gold standard of A*-C passes in both English and Mathematics.
More than 200 pupils sax exam at the Huntsman Lane site with 26% obtaining the English Baccalaureate above the national figure.
Overall 66% took an A* to C pass rate overall.
Top achievers are Naimh Ellen, Amy Marks, Charlotte Beale, Megan Riley, Anastasia Egorova, Bree Hayward, and May Oney who all achieved at least 6 A and A* grades.
Headteacher Vic Ashdown said: “This is another outstanding set of results that students, parents and staff can be rightly proud of. My congratulations go to them and their families as they move on to the next stage of their education.”
The Sevenoaks School enjoyed great success this year, with 92% of examinations being graded as either an A or an A*. More than a third of year 11 students achieved ten A*s or more, and 128 students out of 151 gained nine or more A*s and As.
Dr Katy Ricks, the school’s headmistress, said: “These results are excellent, and a superb achievement for both students and teachers.
“We are delighted that our students start the International Baccalaureate diploma programme with such strong qualifications.”
Only 28 results out of more than 1,500 exams achieved lower than a B grade, and 73% of all examinations were awarded the top mark.
Francie Healy, headmaster of the Bethanyschool, said: “At Bethany we have a broad pupil profile and once again our pupils have achieved excellent outcomes which as ever are considerably above the national average. We are successful because we are able to focus, in our small classes, on meeting the needs of the individual pupils.”
There were celebrations at Maidstone Grammar School, with nearly half of all papers, 46%, graded A or A*, and just less than three quarters a B or above.
In total, 97% of students gained five A*-C grades and 80% of the year group achieved the English Baccalaureate, which measures performance across English, mathematics, history or geography, the sciences and a language.
Among the stars of the year group were Jerome Chappell-Tay, Benedict King, Eli Nelson, Thisal Perera and Yasir Sakeer who all gained at least 10 A* grades.
Luke Stuart achieved an impressive 13 A* grades.
Mark Tomkins, headmaster at the Barton Road school, said he was delighted that the students had performed so well. He said: “This gives them a solid foundation on which to build in their future studies.”
“It’s our best year ever,” declared a beaming Carl Roberts, headteacher at East Malling’s The Malling School. On top of an excellent set of results the Beech Road secondary is preparing to welcome back a record number of students into its sixth form, with half of all pupils returning.
In total 50% of pupils gained five A* to C grades, while 63% passed English. Mr Roberts thinks the reason for the huge uptake of year 12 places is that the school is the only one in the area to offer International Baccalaureate and A Levels courses.
Bailey Abson, 16, is one of the school’s 18 GCSE students with learning difficulties. He said: “I got the results I was predicted and I’m extremely happy. I’m not sure what the future holds but I think I’m going to sit down, stare at the ceiling and contemplate life before making any decisions.”
Grace Wheeler was the best performing girl, with two A*s, three As, two Bs and a C, while Luke Attubuto was the top boy, achieving three A*s, an A, three Bs and a C.
The future is bright for pupils from The Holmesdale School in Snodland, who celebrated an increase in the number of top grades at GCSE. Science continued to be the top performing subject, with 63% of students achieving A* to C grades in Physics.
Twelve students celebrated As and A*s in Maths, while English had the biggest improvement, with a 10% increase in the number of A*s to Cs bringing the total to 56%. Robyn Fletcher and Nicole Harman stood out, with 11 GCSEs each, four of which were As and A*s.
Filip Kamioka also performed well and got 100% on his Polish exam. Nicole, 16, is now looking forward to studying for her A Levels at MGGS and aspires to be a barrister. She said: “I wasn’t expecting this at all. I’m going to study Maths, Physics, Government and Politics and Business.”
Beaming smiles could be seen at Weald of Kent Grammar School as students collected their results.
The school had a 100% success rate with its GCSEs this year, with 55% of grades coming back as an A* or an A.
Maureen Johnson, headmistress, commented on the great results, praising the hard work of both students and staff.