Hathershaw College in Oldham is celebrating its Year 11 leavers' GCSE results today with some 'tremendous' success stories.
The class of 2024 has had a tough time in education, having started their secondary school lives in September 2019 - just a few months before the pandemic disrupted their school lives.
Pupils didn't return to the classroom until September 2020, only to be enforced with another school closure in January 2021 which kept them out of school until March.
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In addition to the enforced closures, there were periods when some students had to self-isolate.
Hathershaw College said it is "fair to say that through no fault of their own, this cohort of students didn't have the best start to secondary school life", struggling with gaps in their subject knowledge, being isolated from friends and unable to experience educational visits and extra-curricular activities.
However, despite this, the school is celebrating their youngsters' impressive GCSE results today - and the "resilience" they have shown throughout their education.
The school said all of its students deserve their results, but some notable achievements include Munal Oval, who achieved eight grade 9s.
Munal told The Oldham Times she's proud of her results as she's "worked really hard", but was still surprised to see the full list of 9s.
Hope Adjei achieved a level 2 distinction (star), three grade 9s, three grade 8s and two grade 7s.
Hope said she's "really pleased" with her results, adding: "I've worked hard and I've done pretty well.
"I'm so excited to go on to study musical theatre. It's what I love doing and I'm excited to do it every day".
Her mum, Lisa Yemm, said she was also incredibly "emotional and proud" of her daughter's strong results.
She said: "She's done amazing - she's so hard-working."
Other high achievers include Sharmili Fatema, who achieved five grade 9s, three grade 8s and one grade 7, Hafsah Ahmed who achieved two grade 9s, five grade 8s and two grade 7s and Aleeza Ali achieved one grade 9, seven grades 8s and one grade 7.
Emma Whitehouse also achieved an excellent set of results and is taking up a post with the school's trust partner, Broadfield Primary School, as an apprentice teaching assistant with the long-term goal of becoming a teacher.
The school also wanted to praise Neha Bhudia, who achieved impressive examination results despite having been involved in a serious car crash shortly before her exam, and Umme Kalsum Tanvir who impressed despite long periods of hospitalisation.
Mark Giles, Hathershaw’s principal said: “The most important part of our exam results day is an opportunity to celebrate the success of the students.
"This is their moment in the limelight, their opportunity to celebrate and show what they have achieved in the most difficult of circumstances as a result of unprecedented disruption to their early years at secondary school as a result of Covid.
"I also want to recognise the work of our staff who teach them well on a day-to-day basis but also continue to go the extra mile, providing revision classes after school, at the weekend and during the holidays, which they do to make a difference to the life chances of our students.”
Got a story? Email me Olivia.bridge@newsquest.co.uk
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