Students at The Compton School, Finchley, were among those celebrating GCSE results today.

Schools across the borough are opening their doors again today for GCSE students to collect their long-awaited results.

Nationally, the top GCSE pass rate has risen to a record high this year, with nearly one in five entries awarded A and A* grades.

Henrietta Barnett

In Barnet, Henrietta Barnett School, Hampstead Garden Suburb, held its position as one of the top performers, all of the 93 pupils sitting exams achieving at least five A* to C passes.

Six students stacked up straight A*s in 11 subjects and seven girls achieved marks that were in the top five in the country.

The school in Central Square also improved slightly on last year's results in terms of the average score per grade.

But Head of Science Bernard Dawson played down the perennial argument that the exams are getting easier. He said: "The kids are working harder, the teachers are teaching better."

Headteacher Oliver Blond said: "This is a very pleasing set of results for the girls and is a result of their hard work, commitment and enthusiasm.

"They have been well supported by the dedication of their teachers and the support of their parents."

Queen Elizabeth's

Every pupil at its 'rival' boys grammar, Queen Elizabeth's School, in Queen's Road, Barnet, also celebrated at least five A* to C grades.

At Queen Elizabeth's Girls' School, High Street, Barnet, 72 per cent gained five or more A* to C passes, and eight girls achieved straight A* and A grades.

Deputy headteacher David Jones said: "We are really pleased with the GCSE results. For a fully comprehensive intake it is very good indeed."

Friern Barnet

Students at Friern Barnet School smashed government targets, and their own expectations, with a record 56 per cent achieving five A* to C grades - 19 per cent higher than last year.

The school in Hemington Avenue has never before achieved more than 40 per cent at this level. The results should place it in the top 25 per cent of schools nationally for 'value-added' data - representing a marked improvement in pupils'grades since their arrival at the school.

Headteacher Jeremy Turner, appointed last September, said: "We are absolutely delighted with the results, which mark a significant achievement in the history of the school.

"We have instigated a number of new initiatives this year which have had a real impact in raising achievement. All the hard work by students, staff and parents has paid off. I am sitting here gobsmacked that we've managed this. They all really deserve it. The only way is up."

Chair of Governors Margaret Johnson said: "We are absolutely ecstatic about the results. There has been the most brilliant leadership from Jeremy Turner. He has turned the school around by emphasising teaching and learning and getting the whole school to focus on achievement.

"Last September he created the new post of Student Achievement Director with the aim of targeting students on every level - students with real potential, students on borderlines, everyone. All 'A's is brilliant, but the best thing is that so many more students are now getting into the A*-C band. That's what I'm most proud of. It's truly the most phenomenal achievement."

Student Achievement Director Lauren Wright said: "We're made up today, absolutely overwhelmed. I think the students have excelled themselves. The results are fantastic and totally reflect the hard work that the students and teachers put in."

Top performing twins Jina and Julia Pakpoor, both 16, achieved identical results with 9A*s apiece. Despite arriving from Sweden halfway through the first year of study, the sisters settled in quickly to their new environment.

Jina said: "We had to get used to the new school system, but once we had got into everything it was all fine.

"We're really happy. We worked hard for these exams, but you never know what to expect. We hoped for the majority to be A*s, but not all of them."

Hasmonean High

Hasmonean High School, in Holders Hill Road, Hendon, also announced record results.

Executive Headteacher Martin Clark said: "This year has seen the 152 students in Year 11 achieve record breaking results with 91 per cent of all students achieving five or more A* to C GCSE passes.

"The percentage of students with five Grade A* to C passes including English and Mathematics is 84 per cent which again is another record achievement for the school."

The girls outperformed the boys by a margin; 93 per cent of girls and 90 pent of boys gained five or more Grade A* to C GCSE passes.

In a joint statement, Headteachers of the boys' and girls' schools, Rabbi David Meyer and Beverley Perin, added: "Our congratulations go to the students and staff who worked tirelessly to achieve such outstanding results which once again places Hasmonean High School as one of the leading faith comprehensive schools for academic achievement in the whole country.

"Four of the top five marks in the country for Modern Hebrew GCSE were achieved by our pupils, and two of our boys scored amongst the top five marks in English Literature out of 365,000 candidates. This is exceptional performance".

The Compton

At The Compton School, Summers Lane, Finchley, headteacher Teresa Tunnadine said the results were probably the best we have ever had'. Some 73 per cent of pupils achieved five A* to C grades.

Mrs Tunnadine said: "These are outstanding results. Nearly a quarter of our grades were A* and A. Students at all levels have exceeded even the toughest targets set by the Government.

"We would have expected to be in the mid 60s in terms of A* to C grades, so these are probably the best results we have ever had.

"We are incredibly proud. It is down to fabulous staff who are motivated and work incredibly hard. Pupils at every level are doing their very best."

Five pupils at the school - Anna-Louise Godleman, Deli Ranaei, Zoe Orphanou, Pavlos Pavlou and Zhi-Mey Lau-Robinson - enjoyed all A* and A grades.

Anna-Louise, 16, said: "I'm shocked, but it feels very good. I am going to go to college and attempt to do some A-levels. I want to do History, English, Art and Spanish."

One success story was Cihangir Aksoy. When he joined the school at the start of Year 10, he could not speak any English, but progressed to achieve eight GCSEs.

The Mount

Kirsten Jackson, headteacher of the independent Mount School, in Milespit Hill, Mill Hill, said many pupils had overcome difficult circumstances, including illness and family break-up, to achieve "outstanding results".

She said: "What we are thrilled about is the number of girls who have exceeded expectations.

"Many girls have overcome obstacles to achieve their results. One girl missed an exam because she was in hospital but still got six A/A*s and two Bs."

Overall, 91 per cent achieved five A* to C grades and 75 per cent obtained A* to B grades.

Finchley Catholic High

Finchley Catholic High School student Stephen Curtis totted up an impressive 12 A*s and was placed in the top five in the country for English Literature.

Another pupil, Lee Geohagen, had been severely handicapped following a hit and run accident, but overcame adversity to achieve passes in Maths, English, Science and ICT.

Of the 157 pupils sitting exams at the school in Woodside Lane, Finchley, 73 per cent gained five or more A* to C passes.

Hendon School

Hendon School, Golders Rise, Hendon, also enjoyed record GCSE results this year, despite having been on Ofsted's Special Measures list until last September.

A Special Measures designation is given to schools with problems so severe they require a detailed plan of action with a timetable for improvements. After two years of close monitoring, schools are either removed from the list or closed.

Today Hendon School proved it was on the up: 65 per cent of students discovered they had achieved five or more A*-C grades, up 15 per cent from last year.

Headteacher Kevin McKellar attributed their success to a new 'flexible' approach to teaching. He said: "We have tried to be flexible. Some students could not cope with nine GCSEs, so we cut it down to seven, which is just as good. Sometimes I think the students just have too much to do.

"We had hoped that our best figure would be 62 per cent, so this is a big bonus. It's due to the amazing intervention from members of staff, who motivated the kids to make them see that they could do it.

"I am particularly proud of them all because of the Special Measures issue, which we only came out of last year. The school has been through some really turbulent times, with four different head teachers and many new heads of year. I was particularly worried because the kids were so vulnerable.

"But they've done so well. They are just fabulous. It's all worth it to see their elation today."

High achieving pupils included Edwina Lau, who the headteacher said 'exceeded expectations' with seven A*s, three As and one B, and Omar Itcioglu, described as 'borderline' in all subjects but came out on top with one A*, one A, two Bs and three Cs.

At least 70 per cent of the year are hoped to stay on at the school for their A Levels.

10:43am Thursday 23rd August 2007

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