The trajectory of Shiplake College’s examination results continues on an upward curve. Pupils have set a new record for the number of top grades achieved, with 30% gaining A*-As, a rise of 7%. They have also smashed last year’s A*-B percentage, rising from 53% to 60%. Overall A*-C grades have remained at an impressive 91%.
Headmaster Gregg Davies comments: “These are another set of excellent results, which will put Shiplake amongst a group of leading independent schools in the area. We are proud to be an “all-ability” school where pupils are selected at entry because they show a desire to take advantage not only of an outstanding classroom experience but the other opportunities we offer. We have demonstrated over the past few years that our pupils can achieve excellence whether it be at the top of national levels or simply beyond their own personal goals. Shiplake is a school which is now consistently delivering top results academically and in many other areas.
Whilst most other schools grapple with the new GCSE grading system as part of the Government reforms, we decided to follow the iGCSE route in Maths and English to enable like-for-like results. This decision has meant that pupils’ scripts were not subject to a guinea-pig effect which is inevitable when new schemes are introduced without sufficient support.
Congratulations to Duncan Eglinton, Jamie Gibbs, Rafe Koser, Josh O’Hare, Joseph Ruffle and Morgan Taylor, who all attained 8 A*-As each. Four of these boys have come up through the Lower School. A great many of boys should be proud of meeting and exceeding their own personal targets, whatever they may have been, with a good number celebrating straight A*-B results. The pupils have demonstrated great character and growth mindset as they have applied themselves throughout the year.
I am delighted to see that all departments have achieved a positive value-added score, with English, Maths, Art and Geography all showing particularly strong results. The average score works out at 0.98, the equivalent of a whole grade higher compared to baseline data collected early in Year 9, using the MidYIS national performance benchmark scheme.
Being a teacher can be rewarding in so many ways. Whilst today’s overall results may be a public and deserved recognition of what they have helped achieve, they no doubt mask the moments where they’ve helped pupils learn from mistakes, overcome hurdles or gain understanding and motivation, which will have been just as rewarding, if not more so. My thanks, not only to our team of inspirational teachers, but to the many other support staff at Shiplake, who work together to bring out the best in our pupils, whether that’s in the classroom, on the sports fields, in a co-curricular club or chatting in House; their positive influence cannot be underestimated.
September sees our biggest Year 12 cohort to date, which includes welcoming a record number of girls. Whilst the impact of the GCSE reforms may have just missed our Year 11s, they are the first to embark on our new Sixth Form curriculum, which includes as a focus the development of key skills and the Shiplake Seven attributes, which will be highly valued by both universities and employers at a time when post-school options have never been more varied.”
