Exam Special 2019
Joy: There was delight as students opened their results
School still performing among country’s best of the highlights of the year to see the faces of the students as they open their results and watch as a grin spreads across their face. “All the hard work, the challenges faced and overcome, have been worth it. “The students this year have worked very
hard and we have been pleased with their excellent achievements. “They have been a great credit to their families and the school and we are excited for those leaving for university and about working with them as they move on to the sixth form.”
Results show increase in top grades
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It’s a great feeling. I’m incredibly proud, the students have worked extremely hard and we have a huge increase in the number of A and B grades. We have amazing staff here, who have gone above and beyond, working through their evenings and weekends to support our students. We are also very strong on pastoral support – we have many students here who are
Ms Coyle, Director of Learning and Sixth Form, is toasting success as pupils head off to a string of top universities young carers, or have medical issues, and we support them to achieve what they want to achieve. We support the children to reach their dreams and so they can have the social mobility to do whatever they want with their lives.
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TUDENTS at La Retraite have posted top grades in their GCSEs – putting the school once again among the top performing in the country. At GCSE, the Progress 8 score of plus 0.44 means students achieve just short of half a grade higher than they would at many other schools. Progress 8 measures the progress a student makes between starting the school aged 11 and when they leave after their GCSEs. Based on last year’s results, this score would place La Retraite within the top 300 schools in the country and among the best in the capital. The school also scored high on student attainment, with 55 percent of students achieving the higher pass rate of 5 or above in both English and maths. Meanwhile at A-Level, the exam results were equally impressive, with more than half of all grades between A* and B. Students will leave the school to study at the top Russell Group universities following an anxious summer waiting to discover their results. Headteacher Mr Malins said: “It is one
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Kasablanca’s taking the high road to St Andrews TALENTED Kasablanca AduOdonkor scored a string of top results and a place at a prestigious university – just three years after being told she couldn’t do A-Levels because she had been home-schooled. Kasablanca was turned down for a place at a number of sixth form colleges because she didn’t have GCSEs but was given the chance of a place at La Retraite. She passed her GCSEs with flying colours, scoring top grades in every subject before taking A-Levels in art and design, history and English literature. This summer she discovered she had scored an A* and two As in her exams, enough to secure a place to study English literature at the University of St Andrews. She was 15 when she started at La Retraite, taking her GCSEs in just one year before studying for A-Levels in the school’s sixth form. She said: “I have had amazing support at this school. A lot of schools would not let me in to do A-Levels. “They would only allow me to study because I had been homeschooled and I didn’t have my Sporting chance: Emilia is a black belt at Tae Kwon Do
GCSEs. But staff here gave me the chance to pursue my dreams. “They really pushed me. I am delighted all the hard work has paid off. “The teachers here have been brilliant. They are there for you when you need them, to help and answer questions. They pushed me and have given me chances. “They did not put any restrictions on what I could achieve. I am so excited about going to university and studying English. I would love to be a novelist one day.” Head of Sixth Form Ruth Coyle said: “She has been turned down from other schools but we saw something in her and wanted to give her a chance. “I said if you come here and get top grades in your GCSEs you can go on to A-Levels and she has gone on to get top grades, which is fantastic success.”
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Emilia juggled exam revision with training BUDDING Olympian Emilia Zabrzanska managed to score mostly 8s and 9s in her GCSEs despite training with the Team GB Tae Kwon Do squad. Black belt Emilia says support from staff and teachers helped her balance her sporting ambition with exam revision. She now plans to study Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths at A-Level and hopes to become a surgeon specialising in orthopaedics one day. She said: “I just feel totally overwhelmed. “I did not expect such good
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results so I am just really happy with what I have achieved. “I was nervous waiting to come in for my results but then I just realised there was nothing I could do. “The school were great, they laid on lots of extra revision classes and boosters. The teachers were really supportive. They helped me keep my feet on the ground. “I would love to compete at the Olympics but getting a good education so I can get a good job and have a career is more important.
Talented twins top performers twins Ruth and Elizabeth Adeyeye achieved a remarkable THIRTEEN grades 8 and 9 between them. The talented siblings were among the school’s best performers at GCSE. Ruth scored three 9 grades with sister Elizabeth close behind on two.
Cassandra is keen to work in UN
Sarah chasing a medical career A STUDENT is pursuing her dream of becoming a doctor after scoring top A-Level grades – inspired by the story of a surgeon who suffered cancer. Sarah Michaels, 18, has won a place at King’s College to study bio-medical science. She achieved As in Biology and Chemistry and a B in Maths at La Retraite School. She said she was inspired to become a medic after reading When Breath Becomes Air by Doctor Paul Kalanithi – the autobiography of a surgeon who battled stage four lung cancer.
She said: “I was so moved by the book. It made me realise I wanted to be a doctor. “I’d love to train in oncology because I want to do something that helps people. I am really excited to start my degree at King’s. “My A-Levels were challenging but they taught me that if you work really, really hard then you are going to get that work back. “To other students about to do A-Levels, I would just say, start your revision early. “The school was a great place to study. The teachers were supportive with things like extra revision sessions and the science facilities and equipment were really good.”
A CLEVER student wants to pursue a career campaigning for human rights in the UN after winning a place at prestigious Durham University. Cassandra Dennis will read English Literature after achieving As in English and history and an A* in Religious Studies. She will read English at Durham in September. She said: “I am so happy with my results and excited to start university. “I learned that if you work your hardest and try your best then it will all pay off – you just need to stay motivated. “The teachers here were really supportive and if I was struggling or didn’t understand something, then they were there for me. “I enjoyed this school. The people here are very friendly and even though there is pressure to do well, it’s not overwhelming. “I applied to Cambridge and even though I didn’t get in, the school gave me a mentor, who helped me with things like interviews and entrance exams. They are so supportive. “My career goal is to work for the UN in campaigning for human rights because it’s something I’m passionate about.”
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Min sets sights on Asian travel OXBRIDGE-bound Min Hua Luo wants to pursue a career in business and banking after scoring straight As in her A-Levels. Min will study Japanese at Oxford so that she can travel in Asia and pursue a career in finance. She is the first in her family to attend the prestigious institution and admits she is excited and nervous. She said: “The whole of Asia just fascinates me. Japan is just Top tweetS so advanced and I thought it would be so interesting to learn the language. “I was not expecting to get such good grades. A lot of the exams were very hard and I was worried I hadn’t done the best. “I am really excited about Oxford but I am nervous. Even though I went for the interviews, I don’t know what to expect, it’s a bit scary. Nobody in my family has been before.” Min studied A-Levels in English, Economics and Religious Studies. She thanked the school for helping her achieve her top grades. She said: “The teachers here have been really good. If I ever needed any help, they were there for me. “I was off sick the week before A-Levels and they all went out of their way to support me and make sure I was ready and had caught up. “I also had a mentor for Religious Studies, which was brilliant. I learned that you should never underestimate yourself. “You have nothing to lose by working hard and giving it your all and the support here has been fantastic.”
Keziah offers exam advice
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HAPPY Keziah Owusu-Attuahene, who scored top grades in her GCSEs, has one crucial piece of advice for students: Don’t slack off. She scored an incredible eight 9 grades and will now stay on to study A-Levels in History, Physics, Chemistry and Maths at La Retraite sixth form. She said: “I was very nervous; I wasn’t expecting to do so well. I thought, maybe I would get a couple of 8s. I am amazed I have done this well. “My advice to future students is just to do regular revision and keep up with things. Don’t slack off and think you can get through without trying, you will fail. “Don’t fall behind – if you need help, don’t be afraid to ask for it. The school supported me with lots of extra revision, which was really good. “You don’t achieve these types of grades without incredible support from your teachers. This is an incredible school where they really push you to fulfil your potential.” Keziah’s proud mum, Vida, said: “I am so pleased for her, I am one proud mum.”
Sixth form to offer pioneering T-Levels NEXT year the sixth form will be among just 50 in the country to offer the new T-Level qualification. A £1.5m government grant will be spent on developing the sixth form and offering the new qualifications in digital media and childcare and education. T-Levels will launch in September 2020 and pupils who entered Year 10 in September 2018 will be the first to be able to study them. They will offer students a mixture of classroom learning and “on-the-job” experience. Each student will take part in
an industry placement of at least 45 days. Headteacher Dominic Malins said: “We are very proud that the DfE has, in principle, agreed to fund us to support us with the introduction of these new qualifications. “We hope these new qualifications will provide students with the knowledge and experience they need to either go straight into skilled employment or on to further study. “This is a pioneering programme and we can’t wait to be able to offer it to students. It is an exciting time for La Retraite.”
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Headteacher Mr Malins chats to happy students on GCSE results day