St Mary’s annual GCSE Awards Evening celebrates excellent results

Students who took their GCSEs at St Mary’s School, Colchester, in the summer of 2018 returned to school for a special Awards Presentation Evening on 16 November.

St Mary’s students received excellent results in 2018. Overall 96% of GCSEs at St Mary’s were graded at four or C, or above with 98% of the 56 St Mary’s candidates achieving a minimum of five passes at grade four, or grade C and above.  There was a 100% pass rate in 12 subjects – Art, Biology, Chemistry, Classics, English Literature, German, History, Music, Physics, Religious Studies, Statistics and Textiles.  Performance at GCSE has been consistently high at St Mary’s for the past seven years, despite the fact that the school is non-selective on entry.

Staff and students welcomed back former St Mary’s students on Friday 16 November for a special evening celebrating their GCSE success. St Mary’s is a close community at which students show dedication and effort in both their studies and the life of the school.

Guests were welcomed by Head Girl Hattie as well as a musical interlude of the Adele song “Feel my Love” performed by the Year 10 GCSE music students.

Mrs Hilary Vipond, Principal of St Mary’s School, addressed the students: ‘Throughout your time with us you worked hard and made the most of all the opportunities available, and your excellent results are statistical proof of this. You fully endorsed the school vision that happy girls are high achievers. St Mary’s aims to produce strong minded, articulate, self-confident and successful young women and as the class of 2018, you fit the bill.’

Guest of honour who presented the prizes was former student, Evie Hampson, who is now working as a Management Consultant for L.E.K. Consulting, based in London.  Evie went on to study Economics at the University of Cambridge. She spoke about her time at St Mary’s with great fondness and explained how the skills and values she learnt at school have had a real impact on her future studies and career. Evie went on to reminisce about one of her proudest moments of becoming Colchester Royal Grammar School’s first ever female School Captain in the Sixth Form. She encouraged the girls to enjoy whichever career path they choose and not to be worried if they don’t yet know what that will be. The evening was rounded off with a vote of thanks delivered by Head Girl Romy.

Staff and students enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with friends and former teachers and were encouraged to keep in touch with St Mary’s through our alumni organisation – www.stmaryscolchester.org.uk/alumni The School are always happy to welcome back to school, former students to share what they have gone on to do.