Students at Benenden are celebrating having exceeded the pre-pandemic levels of top grades in their GCSE results.
In results announced today, an incredible 82% of all grades were at Levels 9-7 – the highest rate seen since 2016 excluding the Covid-affected years.
Three students achieved a clean sweep of straight Level 9s and in total 10 students in the year group achieved the top grade in at least nine different subjects.
Our top performer amassed a total of 13 GCSEs: 11 at Level 9 and two at Level 8.
Headmistress Samantha Price said: “It is wonderful to celebrate such a fantastic set of results today. All students should be immensely proud that all their enormous hard work and dedication has paid off so incredibly, alongside our exceptional teachers and pastoral teams who have supported the year group through their GCSEs.
“Our ethos and approach to supporting young people is being rewarded by some outstanding academic results, and we look forward to seeing this year group develop their skills further in the Sixth Form.”
Overall, 38 per cent of all Benenden’s grades today were at Level 9, while 62 per cent were Levels 9-8 and 82 per cent were Levels 9-7 (equivalent to A and above on the old system).
Today’s performance represents Benenden’s best GCSE results since the reformed GCSEs were introduced – they were phased in, starting in 2017 – with the exception of last year and 2021 when results were affected by the pandemic.
Level 9 was introduced as the highest grade possible a few years ago as part of Government reforms, to represent the very top end of the previous A* grade.
The vast majority of Benenden Year 11 students remain for Sixth Form, where they can look forward to an outstanding A Level offering, in addition to an innovative curriculum that provides students with a wide range of additional short courses in subjects including sign language, investment, Greek mythology in art, journalism, architecture, anthropology and the science of happiness.
All Sixth Formers also complete the renowned Professional Skills Programme, which teaches professional and life skills and includes Inclusive Leadership and the Enterprise Challenge in which students run their own businesses.