Girls at Woldingham School have smashed the national average with their GCSE results in the newly reformed English and Maths qualifications.

Whilst nationally 3% of the newly reformed GCSE exams were predicted to be graded 9, Woldingham School has achieved 19% of the highest grade. Seven girls achieved two grade 9s, a result that reflects the highest of academic standards. The national prediction was that 18% of all grades would be 7 and above; Woldingham’s total is three times the predicted average at 58%.

In this year of mixed currency grading, all qualifications except English and Maths received the traditional letter grading with A* as the highest grade. Two-thirds of Woldingham girls’ qualifications were graded A*/A, and a third of the year group achieved straight A*-A grades. Combined with the new exams, over half of the girls achieved seven or more A*-A/9- 7 grades.

In total, Woldingham girls notched up over 500 A*-A and 9-7 grades at GCSE.

Headmistress, Mrs Alex Hutchinson, said: “Woldingham girls have been unfazed by the new GCSE grading system and have delivered yet another outstanding set of GCSE results; I am immensely proud of them. It is clear from comparisons between the existing and new grading system that it has, as predicted, been harder to achieve the top grades, and yet our girls have used their intelligence, endeavour and confidence to scoop up the elusive 9 grades. Their ability to manage change, whilst maintaining busy schedules in their full extra-curricular programmes, stands them in great stead for their Sixth Form studies and beyond. ”

In the separate GCSE sciences, 70% of results were A* grades. Approaching half of A Level choices for this cohort will be in science, technology and maths subjects: a great achievement in a girls’ school that takes its commitment to STEM subjects very seriously.

Budding scientist, Benedetta Bassano, from Caterham, can summarise her results as 9 + 8 + 8 + 8A*= Success; an equation that will set her up nicely for Further Maths A Level, alongside Physics and Chemistry.

Double celebrations are in abundance this year with two sets of Woldingham twins sitting public exams. Following Caterham twins Lucy and Sophie O’Dell’s A Level success last week, Evelyn and Aileen Pickles, from Woldingham itself, have 15 A*-A and 9-7s at GCSE between them.