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| High-volume joy at Luton's Denbigh High after stress of new GCSEs | High-volume joy at Luton's Denbigh High after stress of new GCSEs |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| GCSE celebrations in school halls up and down the country are generally raucous, but at Denbigh high school in Luton the decibel levels appeared to be even higher than usual. | GCSE celebrations in school halls up and down the country are generally raucous, but at Denbigh high school in Luton the decibel levels appeared to be even higher than usual. |
| After sweeping changes to syllabuses and a change in the grading system for maths and English, there was a palpable sense of relief among most pupils that they had not fared markedly worse. | After sweeping changes to syllabuses and a change in the grading system for maths and English, there was a palpable sense of relief among most pupils that they had not fared markedly worse. |
| Gangly boys high-fived each other, while girls emitted ear-numbing squeals of joy and jumped up and down in time-honoured fashion. | Gangly boys high-fived each other, while girls emitted ear-numbing squeals of joy and jumped up and down in time-honoured fashion. |
| “It’s difficult enough as it is but the new system made it much harder,” said Debossmita Chaudury, who got nines – the top grade – in maths and English literature. Despite getting an additional eight A*s and and two As, she was still disappointed with a 6 (or a B in old money) in English language. | “It’s difficult enough as it is but the new system made it much harder,” said Debossmita Chaudury, who got nines – the top grade – in maths and English literature. Despite getting an additional eight A*s and and two As, she was still disappointed with a 6 (or a B in old money) in English language. |
| “I think I would probably have got an A in the old system. It was difficult to prepare because we didn’t have past papers or know about the boundaries, but I’m still really happy.” | “I think I would probably have got an A in the old system. It was difficult to prepare because we didn’t have past papers or know about the boundaries, but I’m still really happy.” |
| Debossmita Chaudury also got a 9 in maths and Eng Lit, and a bunch of A*s and As."The new system is very difficult so we had to work harder" pic.twitter.com/peMGLumGvf | Debossmita Chaudury also got a 9 in maths and Eng Lit, and a bunch of A*s and As."The new system is very difficult so we had to work harder" pic.twitter.com/peMGLumGvf |
| Both pupils and teachers at the school, where 90% of students have English as a second language, said the new grading system had made preparing for exams much tougher. | Both pupils and teachers at the school, where 90% of students have English as a second language, said the new grading system had made preparing for exams much tougher. |
| “I think we were under a lot more pressure, no one knew what was happening,” said 16-year-old Abdul Mughal. “We were guinea pigs really. We thought it was going to be so, so hard but it actually wasn’t as bad as they said.” | “I think we were under a lot more pressure, no one knew what was happening,” said 16-year-old Abdul Mughal. “We were guinea pigs really. We thought it was going to be so, so hard but it actually wasn’t as bad as they said.” |
| Tawtiq Owodally, 16, delighted with two 9s, a 7, four A*s and four As, said: “Hard work pays off. This wouldn’t have happened if I’d sat around twiddling my thumbs. The change in syllabus was pretty tough but I don’t think it was as hard as people said it was going to be.” | Tawtiq Owodally, 16, delighted with two 9s, a 7, four A*s and four As, said: “Hard work pays off. This wouldn’t have happened if I’d sat around twiddling my thumbs. The change in syllabus was pretty tough but I don’t think it was as hard as people said it was going to be.” |
| Joy for Tawtiq Owodally and mum/maths teacher Shaheen who got two 9s, a 7, 4 A* and 4 A. "Hard work pays off," he says. pic.twitter.com/7Hj8sgR8go | Joy for Tawtiq Owodally and mum/maths teacher Shaheen who got two 9s, a 7, 4 A* and 4 A. "Hard work pays off," he says. pic.twitter.com/7Hj8sgR8go |
| Denbigh in Luton is part of the Chiltern Learning Trust group of academies. It faces some extraordinary challenges: around 44% of pupils receive free school meals, more than twice the national average, and its catchment area is in the most socially disadvantaged ward in Luton. Yet the school estimates around 70% of pupils achieved levels 5-9 in maths and English – around the same percentage that gained A*-C last year. | Denbigh in Luton is part of the Chiltern Learning Trust group of academies. It faces some extraordinary challenges: around 44% of pupils receive free school meals, more than twice the national average, and its catchment area is in the most socially disadvantaged ward in Luton. Yet the school estimates around 70% of pupils achieved levels 5-9 in maths and English – around the same percentage that gained A*-C last year. |
| “I’m avoiding superlatives,” said the headteacher, Colin Townsend. “The results seem very good but we have nothing to compare them to.” | “I’m avoiding superlatives,” said the headteacher, Colin Townsend. “The results seem very good but we have nothing to compare them to.” |
| That Denbigh appeared to have maintained its pass rate was pleasing for Townsend after more stringent standards were introduced. Nationally, about 51,000 entries achieved a 9 grade – which required a higher mark than the previous top grade of A* – in either maths, English or English literature, according to the exam regulator Ofqual. | That Denbigh appeared to have maintained its pass rate was pleasing for Townsend after more stringent standards were introduced. Nationally, about 51,000 entries achieved a 9 grade – which required a higher mark than the previous top grade of A* – in either maths, English or English literature, according to the exam regulator Ofqual. |
| “What we are having to do is look at each result on an individual level: will this mark allow the student to go on to what they want to do in the future?” said Townsend. | “What we are having to do is look at each result on an individual level: will this mark allow the student to go on to what they want to do in the future?” said Townsend. |
| A shift towards final exam-only testing – meaning schools no longer do modular testing or coursework – had resulted in the school implementing a system to help improve memory and recall. “If you have to regurgitate two years of learning in one exam, that’s about cramming really,” he said. | A shift towards final exam-only testing – meaning schools no longer do modular testing or coursework – had resulted in the school implementing a system to help improve memory and recall. “If you have to regurgitate two years of learning in one exam, that’s about cramming really,” he said. |
| Asked about the sweeping changes, including the introduction of new curricula as well as different exams and results scales, Townsend was sanguine. “I’m not at all against a rising challenge but it does create a period of uncertainly, not just in this school but all over the country,” he said. | Asked about the sweeping changes, including the introduction of new curricula as well as different exams and results scales, Townsend was sanguine. “I’m not at all against a rising challenge but it does create a period of uncertainly, not just in this school but all over the country,” he said. |
| Noureddine Mlaouhi, the head of English, said the school had taken steps to deal with the changes as soon as they were announced. “It’s definitely been a challenge, especially with memory and retention in literature exams, and we had faced the unknown because we didn’t know what marks were need for each scale,” he said. “We were waiting like everyone else, but it’s turned out well in the end.” | Noureddine Mlaouhi, the head of English, said the school had taken steps to deal with the changes as soon as they were announced. “It’s definitely been a challenge, especially with memory and retention in literature exams, and we had faced the unknown because we didn’t know what marks were need for each scale,” he said. “We were waiting like everyone else, but it’s turned out well in the end.” |
| He was interrupted by a young man: “I got a 6, sir! I didn’t even think I’d get a 3.” | He was interrupted by a young man: “I got a 6, sir! I didn’t even think I’d get a 3.” |
| Mlaouhi beamed back: “We pushed you for a 5 and you got a 6! You’re a real success story.” | Mlaouhi beamed back: “We pushed you for a 5 and you got a 6! You’re a real success story.” |
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