Isle of Man GCSE results match previous year overall

Four 16-year-old girls  smiling for a selfie in a school hall with dark green curtains in the background and other students.
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Pupils at Ramsey Grammar High School received their GCSE results

  • Published

The overall pass rate for the Isle of Man's 900 GCSE students has remained static at 98%.

While the number of students who received A* to C increased by 1% on last year's cohort to 73%, those achieving top grades of A* to A dropped from 21% to 20%.

The Department for Education, Sport and Culture (DESC) said about half of 16-year-olds would continue on to sixth form, with 40% taking up a course at University College Isle of Man and 10% choosing to go into employment.

Ramsey Grammar School head teacher Sonia Taylor said staff at the school were "very proud" of the students' achievements.

There had been a "lovely atmosphere" as pupils picked up their results and the "camaraderie" between them had been nice to see, she said.

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Ruby Reynolds said she had had to balance her swimming commitments with her exams

Ms Taylor, who took up the position at the school in June last year, said although she had only spent one year with the students, they were a "great year group" and had done "exceptionally well", particularly as they had experienced lockdown periods during Year 7 and Year 8.

Ruby Reynolds who swims for the Isle of Man team said she was happy with her mix of A*, A and B grades because she had had "a lot to balance" with her sporting commitments outside of school.

She said she spent about 10 hours a week swimming and going to the gym, but intended to continue to study at Ramsey Grammar School for her A Levels.

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Flynn Bradley intended to study at University College Isle of Man

Flynn Bradley, 16, said he got the results he needed for a physical education course at University College Isle of Man, which involves sports coaching with children and those with disabilities.

He said while he did not have "high hopes" for his results before receiving them, he had achieved one B and six Cs and had been successful in applying to the course he wanted so was "pretty happy" and "excited to go to college".

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Lindi Nyoni plans to stay at Ramsey Grammar School to do A-levels

Lindi Nyoni, who achieved five A*, and A and two B grades, intends to study law at university.

She said she was "so nervous" in the morning and planned to get her results and leave, but had opened them with a friend which calmed her down.

The 16-year-old said it was "so much hard work", but it "all paid off so I am happy".

Congratulating students, DESC Minister Daphne Caine said students should "take pride" in their accomplishments, "no matter what your results are".

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