2018 GCSE results: Denbighshire and Gwynedd

Secondary school pupils across Denbighshire, Conwy and Gwynedd are preparing to open their GCSE results - when their lives could take a new course.

Our photographers will be out and about at schools to capture the moment pupils receive their grades.

We will be live throughout the day to bring you the latest news.

Good luck to everybody receiving their results!

Ysgol y Berwyn

GWYNEDD Council has congratulated the county’s pupils on their success in their GCSE results.

Hana Wyn Edwards, Catrin Myfanwy Ellis, Valeria Valeieva Stoianova, India Cheyenne Williams. Pictures: EVAN L DOBSON

Cllr Gareth Thomas, the Gwynedd Council cabinet member for education, said: "These results are very good; the pupils are to be warmly congratulated.

Gethin Evans, Alun Rhys Kimberley and Liam McNutt.

"We want to see every pupil succeeding.

"I would like to thank the teachers for their hard work throughout the year.”

Sioned Williams and Mared Edwards.

Congratulating the pupils on their success, Garem Jackson, head of education for Gwynedd Council, added: “GCSE results are very good this year and reflect the commitment of our young people.

Eiddon Tegid Pritchard, Caio Gwyn Rees Roberts and Cai John Aykroyd.

"Many congratulations to them for their hard work and success.

“These good results reflect the emphasis placed in our schools on inclusion, equal opportunity and the success of pupils as individuals."

Elin Vaughan Pritchard, Miriam Enlli Edwards and Sera Grace Trow.

Garem Jackson referred to the performance in some individual subjects.

He said: "The results are good in a number of subjects, but especially in the following subjects: Welsh language and literature, biology, chemistry, physics, French, history, music, physical education, business studies and religious studies.

Erin Glyn Roberts.

“It is also pleasing to note that many of our young people have been very successful in vocational subjects."

Mali Ellen Jones and Jac Llywelyn Edwards.

Denbighshire County Council
STUDENTS have been congratulated on their successes in this year’s GCSE examinations by Denbighshire County Council.

Cllr Huw Hilditch-Roberts, the cabinet lead member for education, children, young people and the Welsh language, said: “I would like to congratulate the young people that have received their examination results today.

“The results in this year’s examinations reflect the tremendous amount of good working going on in our schools, as well as the commitment and dedication of the students and their families in achieving the best possible result for every individual.

Cllr Huw Hilditch-Roberts

“Our aim is to provide the best possible education for our students and that each individual achieves their potential. Whatever the outcome today for individuals, there are a number of options available, including further academic and vocational courses, apprenticeships and employment."

Conwy County Borough Council

THE overall GCSE pass rate at A* has increased in Conwy.

Conwy County Borough Council chief education officer Dr Lowri Brown said: “We are delighted that the hard work of staff and learners has paid off and want to congratulate all learners on their achievements.

"I would like to wish all the very best to our young people in the stages of their careers.

“Conwy pupils continue to perform above the Welsh national average on A*-G grades, and the overall pass rate for A* has risen.”

The proportion of higher grade passes of A*-C in Conwy has improved and compares favourably with the Welsh national average.

Cllr Garffild Lewis, Conwy’s cabinet member for education, said: "I would like to thank and congratulate all our young learners who have achieved so much.

"They have done this in a rapidly changing educational landscape, where the support of teaching and support staff and parents and families has been crucial.

"A big 'well done' to all concerned."

St Brigid's School

IT'S been the perfect day at St Brigid's School!

The Denbigh-based establishment is delighted with its pupils’ excellent GCSE results once again this year.

Philip Wood, Scott Williams and Megan Shutt.

All pupils managed to attain at least five GCSE passes, with a superb 88 per cent of pupils achieving five A*-C grades.

The new Capped 9 performance measure was also very impressive for the second year.

The results were particularly pleasing given the changing landscape of performance measures that schools have faced in recent years and the newly updated GCSEs in English and maths.

Caitlin Davies.

St Brigid's School headteacher Rona Jones: "I am delighted that the school has maintained its renowned high standards and very well done to our pupils.

"All their hard work has paid off.

"We look forward to welcoming many of them back to sixth form in September."

Star performers this year included Jack Saunders and Megan Shutt, who both achieved 6A*s, 5As, 1B and distinctions in additional maths.

Jack Saunders.

Meanwhile, Scott Williams gained 3A*s, 6As, 2Bs and a distinction in additional maths and Philip Wood picked up 2A*s, 8As, 2Bs and a merit in additional maths.

Chair of governors Anthony Hannigan expressed his thanks and congratulations to students, parents and teachers for another year of superb results, which were in line with pupil targets.

Denbigh High School

LET'S hear it for the girls!

Students and teachers at Denbigh High School are celebrating a successful set of GCSE results, which have shown an improvement in performance.

Kiya Roberts and Lauren Snaith

In addition, a high proportion of students have managed to  achieve grades above and beyond expectation.

The number of students attaining five or more A*-C grades, including English and maths - one of the key performance indicators - has increased again this year.

Eleanor Baker and Zara Briody-Hughes

Improved results have also been achieved in GCSE maths / numeracy.

A notable change this year is that, overall, girls have outperformed boys for the first time in several years.

Among the highest achievers are Eleanor Baker, Zara Briody-Hughes, Jess Howard, Dawn Jones, E J Miranda Ryme, Lauren Snaith, Jennifer Turner and Sophie Williams.

Harry Caldecott

The top performing boys include Huw Wisby - who achieved five A* and three A grades - Matthew Minshull, Jamie Owen, Garth Owen-Smith, William Roberts, Harvey Thomas, and Nathan Williams.

Matthew Minshull and William Roberts have also been commended for their success in a pilot online tutor course in GCSE French.

They attained the highest A* and A grades respectively in the challenging two-year course.

Sean Rothwell and E J Miranda Ryme

Denbigh High School headteacher Dr Paul Evans is delighted with the results.

He said: “I would like to congratulate all our Year 11 students for achieving success in their GCSE results, which follows on from our greatly improved A level results last week.

“We have been especially impressed by the percentage of students who bettered their target GCSE grades and achieved beyond expectation.

"I am also particularly pleased that the school met its objective of improving the performance of girls who, this year, have actually out-performed boys in many key indicators.

“These results have provided our learners with a solid foundation upon which to pursue their chosen career paths and we wish them ongoing success."

Dr Evans added: “Achieving this set of results is a huge team effort and I would like to thank the students, staff, governors, parents and carers for their tremendous hard work and support.”

Sandra Skibinska and Matthew Minshull

Ruthin School

RUTHIN School has achieved its best GCSE results ever... by a long way!

In every statistic where performance is measured, the GCSE students managed to outperform all previous cohorts.

A total of 42 students sat GCSEs and there was a very large increase in the percentage of top grades achieved.

The percentage of A*s gained increased from 28.9 per cent to 43.8 per cent.

A number of students did particularly well, with 30 gaining more than five A* and A grades.

Ellie Lewis and Hannah Smith

The 10 top students were: Caleb (11A*s); Felice (11A*s); Ellie (10A*s, 1B); Hannah (9A*s, 2As); Reuben (9A*s, 1A); Hank (9A*s); Nora (9A*s); Edward (9A*s); Monica (9A*s) and Miranda (8A*s).

Ruthin School principal Toby Belfield said: “This leap in our academic performance at GCSE is down to the hard work of the teachers and the structures that we have in place to focus on a high quality academic education.

"Our testing regime, with four hours of formal testing each Saturday morning (for all GCSE and sixth form students), means that students can have immediate intervention when they do not understand some part of their curriculum.

"Our support / tutorial system has helped students that might normally achieve a B grade, actually gain an A or higher.

"With clear rules and guidance, alongside high quality teaching, students at Ruthin School can truly excel."

Mr Bellfield added: "I was not expecting these results to be this outstanding and (I) am personally delighted that the students have done so well.

"Opportunities are now open to them, for future study at Ruthin School, where they can look forward to entry to a top ranking university.

"Well done to all pupils for working hard to achieve outstanding success!"

Ysgol Dinas Bran

IT'S been celebration time at Ysgol Dinas Bran.

Year 11 students have been celebrating their GCSE results and there were good grades across all subjects.

Chris Harrison, Sophie Smith, Amelia Evans, Georgia Roberts, Charlotte Davies, Gareth McAndrew and Jake Thurlow.

Particularly strong performances came in art, drama, music, biology, chemistry and physics, where the pass-rate was high and there were a large number of A*/A grades.

Over 70 per cent of grades awarded in physics and biology were A* or A.

Meanwhile, over 70 per cent of students passed mathematics / numeracy and the new double science qualification.

There were some fantastic individual performances, including a host of students who achieved the very top grades.

The highest achiever was Emily Hudson, of Corwen, who gained an incredible 10 A* grades, an A grade and a distinction in additional maths.

Georgia Roberts, from Trevor, also performed extremely well, achieving 6A*s, 1A and a distinction in additional mathematics.

Llangollen's Amelia Orton-Jones achieved 6A*s, 6As, 1B and a merit in additional maths, while Aled Bates, from Glyn Ceiriog, secured 6A*s, 4As, 4Bs and a distinction in additional maths.

Corwen's Gareth McAndrew achieved a magnificent 7A*s, 2As, 5Bs and a distinction in additional maths.

The following students also achieved six grades at A* or A:

- Daisy Carol (Llangollen): 3A*s, 8As, 2Bs and a merit in additional mathematics.

- Chloe Leech (Chirk): 4A*s, 7As, 2Bs, 1C and a distinction in additional mathematics.

- Eimear Liddy (Corwen): 2A*s, 9As, 3Bs and a distinction in additional mathematics.

- Christopher Harrison (Chirk): 4A*s, distinction in engineering, 4As, 4Bs and a distinction in additional mathematics.

- Tesni Edwards (Glyn Ceiriog): 1A*, 7As, 3Bs and a merit in additional mathematics.

- Louis Decourt (Llangollen): 11As, 3Bs and a merit in additional mathematics.

- Sophie Smith (Llangollen): 1A*, 6As and 5Bs.

Ysgol Dinas Bran headteacher Mark Hatch said: "We are really pleased for all our students.

"They have worked really hard and deserve their success.

"We are looking forward to seeing many of the students back in our sixth form in September.

"Great praise and thanks (goes) to the staff who have supported them and helped them achieve these excellent results."

Ysgol Brynhyfryd

RECORD breakers once more!

That's the story at Ysgol Brynhyfryd, as the school continues to go from strength to strength when it comes to GCSE results.

This year, pupils at the Ruthin-based establishment have exceeded all expectations and they have achieved record breaking results.

Headteacher Geraint Parry said: “Last year we were the highest performing comprehensive school in North Wales and I’m delighted to say that this year our results have improved even further.

"With the vast majority of our pupils achieving success in Cymraeg (89 per cent), English (83 per cent), maths (79 per cent) and science (80 per cent), their future is secure and most will be looking forward to starting their A levels with us in September.

“What is particularly pleasing is the number of pupils that have achieved at the very highest level, with 34 per cent of the year group securing five or more A* and A grades.”

Notable successes include Ben Glover (12A*s), Joseph Hinchcliffe (8A*s and 2As), Samuel Evans (10A*s and 3As), Elen Edwards (10A*s and 3As), Elin Hawke (10A*s), Liam Hesseling (9A*s and 2As), Olivia Alkir (9A*s and 1A) and Daniel Barham (6A*s and 4As).

Ben Glover said: “I’m so happy with my results.

"I’m definitely coming back to Ysgol Brynhyfryd sixth form to study A levels!”

Elin Hawke and Liam Hesseling added: “We are both so happy.

"(They are) amazing results and we are looking forward to coming to Ysgol Brynhyfryd sixth form in a few weeks!”

Jason Defee-Morris said: “I’m amazed!

"These results have exceeded my expectations!

"Ysgol Brynhyfryd has been a huge help in my obtaining these grades, they did additional lessons for us in the holidays and these were invaluable."

Further excellent performances came from Ifan Beech (6A*s and 4As), Mali Beech (7A*s and 4As), Jac Hughes (8A*s and 4As), Natasha Longhurst (9A*s and 2As) and Iwan Roberts (8A*s and 5As).

Mr Parry added: “Our pupils have worked incredibly hard and these tremendous results are so very well deserved.

"Special thanks must go to the staff and parents of Brynhyfryd who have tirelessly given their time and support.”

Ysgol Glan Clwyd

HIGH standards of GCSE attainment are on show once again at Ysgol Glan Clwyd.

Pride has been expressed at the St Asaph-based school, where the high standards of previous years have once again been maintained, with 80 per cent of pupils achieving five A*s to Cs.

Llinos Jones, Llio Owen and Cerys Howatson celebrate their GCSE results. Pictures: Geoff Abbott

Pupils jumping for joy!

Delighted pupils congratulate each other at Ysgol Glan Clwyd

Due to the changes made to GCSE qualifications in Wales, it is difficult to compare performance with previous years.

Headteacher Bethan Cartwright said: "We are very pleased once again to see so many young people succeed – it is a tribute to their hard work and determination, the commitment of staff, and the support of parents.

Headteacher Bethan Cartwright

"Most pupils have exceeded their personal targets and many have achieved a raft of A* and A grades.

"They can now step forward confidently to their chosen post-16 pathway."

She added: "The majority of pupils in this year group have worked diligently and co-operated happily with staff and it is very pleasing to see them attain such commendable grades.

"They have also been fully supported by the school’s pastoral and mentoring schemes.

Owain Fisher

"The message is very clear – aspirational pupils who work hard, succeed!

"Congratulations to all the young people – we applaud your success!

"Llongyfarchiadau calonog i chi gyd!"

Arianna Jones and Rhys Jones

Welsh Government

EDUCATION Secretary Kirsty Williams AM has congratulated pupils across Wales as this year's results show the proportion being awarded top grades at A*-A has increased.

From 17.9 per cent in 2017 this has gone up to 18.5 per cent this year.
In the second year of reform of GCSEs in Wales, results also show an increase of 50 per cent in the number of entries for science – ensuring that a far greater number of young people have the higher level skills needed to drive Wales' future economy.

This reflects a change in entry patterns in schools and a move away from significant entries for vocational science qualifications.

Individual sciences (biology, chemistry and physics) entries are up by over 10 per cent and the number of pupils gaining A* in these sciences has also risen.

A*-C outcomes remain stable, with nine-in-10 achieving these results.

Kirsty Williams AM said: “I want to congratulate pupils who are receiving their results today and to thank the teachers who worked so tirelessly to deliver these new qualifications.

“Today marks a culture change for science in Wales.

"Entries are up by 50 per cent, with more pupils gaining A*-C and more achieving the very top grades in biology, chemistry and physics.

"This shows the importance that both we and schools attach to this subject and I am confident that together we will continue to go from strength to strength, as we saw with last week's A level results.”

Last year the Education Secretary announced measures to discourage schools from entering thousands of pupils too early unless they were ready.

This is borne out by this year's results showing an overall decrease in the number of students entered before they have completed their full programme of study – otherwise known as early entry.

These pupils were entered early either last summer or in November and did not return to sit the exam again this summer.

However, while numbers have fallen, early entry has still had a significant impact on some subjects.

Different and early entry patterns have had an effect on subjects such as English.

As made clear by JCQ, the most accurate picture of attainment is 16 year olds irrespective of when they sat the exam, whether that's last summer, November or this summer. This shows an English Language A*-C rate of 63.3 per cent.

"Today's results are, of course, only one part of a picture that will be pieced together in the autumn", the Education Secretary continued.

"Early entry has had an impact on some of these results and that's why the final picture will change.

"You only have to look at previous years where the autumn results have been several percentage points higher than the data published in the summer."