GCSE Exam Success Summer 2023

Showing true strength and resilience, Year 11 students at The Compton School have achieved fantastic GCSE results in Summer 2023. Despite a national dip in the pass rate, students made excellent progress overall. On the day, the Concourse was buzzing with delighted and relieved students opening their white envelopes and there were smiles all round when students saw that their hard work and perseverance had paid off.

Emily Walker-Nolan, Assistant Headteacher, had the privilege of talking to some of the top achieving students on the day:

Top Achieving Boys Nam (pictured left) (9999998877) and Elias (9999987766) (pictured right, with his father)

 

How do you feel today?

Nam: I am really happy with my results; I felt really stressed before because of everything that’s happened in the news with the A Level grade boundaries. Today, I just feel really happy!

Elias: So much better! The whole summer was building up to this day – the tension just increased day-by-day and you’re constantly thinking about all the effort you put in; all the times you stayed in and didn’t go out with your friends because you were revising – today, that’s really paid off!

What has been your greatest challenge this year?

Elias: The start of Year 11 is a really stressful time because you have your mock exams happening all at the same time. You really do have to learn how to revise; this was initially a big struggle for me. You need to revise with a method that works for you. Personally, I watched videos to helped me to really deeply understand the concept; then, I would apply that knowledge to different exam style questions that got progressively harder.
Nam: For me, it was achieving what was expected of me; I felt a lot of pressure. I made sure that I put the work in and maintained a balance between work and life to give myself time to relax.

What advice would you give to students in Year 11 about getting through the final GCSE year?

Nam: Really make the most out of your lesson time; do the work and don’t be tempted to talk to friends or mess around. Make sure that you go to your teachers after school if you need extra support – they always make time for you.
Elias: Personally, in Year 10 just make sure you focus on understanding the content; build a good foundation of knowledge to build upon in Year 11 – you really need to understand it well.

What is the best thing about The Compton School?

Elias: The calibre of teaching here and the resources they give you – it’s so accessible that all the things you’re given don’t even feel like a privilege, but they are. It’s not the same in all schools.
Nam: Definitely the teachers – they are really friendly and form great relationships with students.

Top Achieving Girls (pictured left to right): Inaya (pictured with her mother) (9999999988), Erin (9999988887), Asagi (pictured with her parents) (9999988877) and Mia (9999888888)

 

 

How do you feel today?

Inaya: I feel alright – I’m really glad to be here with my mum. I wasn’t too nervous before, but you do always imagine different possibilities for the day! I feels like it’s not real – I mean, it’s just a piece of paper but it represents so much more for your future.
Mia: I’m shocked! I was expecting the worst; honestly, opening my results was like a dream!
Asagi: I feel good. I did feel really nervous because it determines what you’re doing next and what your next steps are.
Erin: I feel proud of myself and just relieved that I got these results. I wasn’t worried but I was nervous; you do work hard but there’s always some uncertainty.

What are your future plans?

Erin: I’m going to study Philosophy, Sociology and Maths at A Level – it was important to me not to have three essay-based subjects.
Asagi: I would like to go to university to study medicine in the future so I’m studying Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Further Maths at A Level next year.
Mia: I’m not completely decided yet – I’d like a career in law in the future so I’m thinking about studying English Literature, Maths and Politics at A Level.
Inaya: No clue about the future yet; I want to see how I go with my A Level study first. I’m taking Physics, Maths, Chemistry and History.

What has been your greatest challenge this year?

Inaya: I missed a lot of the content at the start of my GCSEs because I started later in Year 10; I was originally at school in Melbourne, Australia! Luckily, I had my teachers supporting me and I always asked for help when I needed it; there are also so many online resources you can use to expand your knowledge that I am so grateful for. Being organised was also a challenge for me: I overcame this by making a plan for revision and sticking to it.
Mia: Motivation for me is always a challenge; just sitting down to revise! To overcome it, I turned down invites to go out and just got on with it. I also made sure that I put my phone aside and went into the living room, where there were other people, and just put my head down! It seemed to work for me.
Asagi: Time management is a challenge at GCSE; that, and the fear you have before exams. I overcame them because I just had to!
Erin: Probably dealing with the mental health and anxiety that comes with studying for exams. I think it’s quite important to find a balance; I realised quite early on that what I was doing was not sustainable. My parents really supported me – they helped me with self-testing and told me when to stop for a rest.

What advice would you give to students in Year 11 about getting through the final GCSE year?

Erin: Just make sure that you actually revise for the mocks – if you do this, then you are naturally spacing out your revision across the course. You will have all the knowledge and materials you need to help you revise for the real thing.
Asagi: Start revision early. Go to your teachers after school to go through any content or past questions.
Mia: Start making notes early – I was panicking near the end! Also, remember that GCSEs matter but try not to be too stressed because you can become overwhelmed that way.
Inaya: Don’t sacrifice all your social life. Find wasted time in your day – like being on social media, for example – and use that time to do something useful, like revise. I did that and it meant that I could still relax and see my friends even when I was revising.

What is the best thing about The Compton School?

Inaya: There are so many! The teachers are amazing. The environment and community are so nice – you can relate to so many people in different ways.
Mia: Honestly, it’s the teachers – they all give you the help and resources you need. They give you amazing support here.
Asagi: The student/teacher relationship and the atmosphere.
Erin: My friends! They are my best thing and what I will miss the most.

Twinning! Hard work paid off for Emily (pictured left) (9999999987) and Sophie (pictured right) (9999999886) 

How do you feel today?

Emily: Very relieved – I got better grades than I expected. 
Sophie: So relieved that all my hard work has paid off; I was very nervous before. 

What has been your greatest challenge this year?

Emily: Finding the time to balance all your subjects at the same time. I made sure I had a plan so that I had time for each one.
Sophie: Keeping up with the revision. Even when you’re tired, you need to revise! I was lucky because Emily and I worked together so we helped each other revise.

What advice would you give to students in Year 11 about getting through the final GCSE year?

Emily: Keep up with all of your work and start early – it helps you to keep things balanced later on.
Sophie: Don’t try to cram everything in – it’s just overwhelming.

What is the best thing about The Compton School? 

Emily: Support from teachers; I want to thank them for everything – for pushing me to work hard and achieve.
Sophie: The friends that I made here. 

Hard work paid off for Ewa (9998888886), Tanisha (999977777), Shakira (6665554443) (pictured left to right): Musawir (9888887766) and Oliver (9988777766)

 

How do you feel today?

Oliver: Good – I’m really happy. I was slightly nervous before because you never know what you’re going to get on the day!
Tanisha: I feel crazy! This whole day is crazy! I was okay beforehand, though.
Ewa: I was scared beforehand, because of the grade boundaries being in the news.
Shakira: I feel very excited – not a joke! I really do feel excited – I am just so happy!
Musawir: I feel alright – I feel good. I felt really nervous before, but the outcomes today are the complete opposite of what I was expecting! 

What has been your greatest challenge this year?

Musawir: Revising – just getting started can be hard. After I got into it, it was fine.
Ewa: Having confidence in myself – but I feel it now!
Shakira: It can be hard to juggle your mental health and revising at the same time.
Tanisha: Trying to get into the routine of revising – it can feel demotivating at the start.
Oliver: Spanish was the biggest challenge for me. My teacher explained things well and didn’t let me slip up!

What advice would you give to students in Year 11 about getting through the final GCSE year?

Oliver: Try and be consistent. Practise revising by doing it for your mocks and make sure you don’t cram.
Shakira: Don’t stress and revise.
Ewa: Start your revision earlier; personally, I did well but I should have done it sooner!
Tanisha: It’s going to be okay – don’t stress.
Musawir: In Year 11, you do not have a full year to waste! You need to work hard throughout. Don’t get overwhelmed.

What is the best thing about The Compton School?

Musawir: The teachers are very helpful – they stay a long time at the end of the school day to help you if you need it.
Ewa: Good support from the teachers and the Sixth Form is really good here too.
Shakira: For me, it’s my friends!
Tanisha: Teachers are supportive, but they also get on your back if you need a push!
Oliver: The teachers here are so open; it’s not like they’re on another planet from you – it’s very easy to speak to them.