GCSE results 2010: Burlington Danes
Wednesday August 25, 2010
Adila Kassim and Imane Elhamdi
Schools minister Nick Gibb helped Burlington Danes Academy students celebrate their GCSE success and said their achievements were the benchmark for the whole country.
The school, in Wood Lane, Shepherd's Bush, oversaw 69.9 per cent of pupils achieving at least five A*-C grades, a rise of almost 20% on last year.
Thirty of the school's students took their GCSE maths a year early with 22 achieving A grades and eight earning A* grades.
Mr Gibb chose the school as his first stop of the morning on results day and said he was impressed with how the school had improved since his first visit there two years earlier.
He said: "This is the first school I ever came to when I began working with schools and I have always held it in high regard. Today's results are staggering and to make such a massive leap is a fantastic achievement. This is what we want to do throughout the country and see schools in deprived areas excel."
Pupils flocked to the school on Tuesday morning and faced anxious moments opening up their results envelopes.
Haengeun Chi, 16, had a huge smile after earning five A* and three A grades, four years after leaving her native Korea unable to speak English.
She said: "It was really hard at first because I could not speak the language. But I read a lot of books and picked it up so this feels like all the hard work has paid off.
"I am so happy because I was so nervous before I came to get my results and this is just a massive relief."
Yohana Tekle, 16, was equally pleased with his five A*s, five As and three B grades and is planning to stay on at the sixth form to study physics, chemistry, maths, business studies and Spanish.
He said: "The school has good teachers who really helped me so I can't wait to stay on next year."
Sally Coates, principal, said: "I am delighted with these results. To improve our pass rate by 20% is exceptional and is testament to the incredible effort made by students and staff."
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