GCSE results day 2020: Cambian Potterspury Lodge special school celebrates best-ever grades

Students and staff at Cambian Potterspury Lodge School are celebrating after the special school recorded its best-ever GCSE results today (Thursday, August 20).

Despite exams being cancelled by the coronavirus pandemic, pupils far exceeded the national averages for special schools with the grades being decided by teachers.

The pass rates at the school off the A5 near Pottersbury have increased, with a quarter of all English and maths grades between 9 and 5, against a national average for special schools of just one per cent.

Principal Jenny Nimmo said: “I am exceptionally proud and humbled by our students and staff who have achieved these remarkable results.

"Each student has overcome their own individual challenges to gain these results, through their hard work and resilience they really have achieved their personal best.”

Potterspury Lodge School is a special school that supports students with autism and behaviours that challenge.

Among the students celebrating is Jacob Crew, who will go on to study A-levels in mathematics, chemistry, and computer science having achieved seven GCSEs including

four 6s.

Thomas Church gained seven GCSEs, including a 7 in music, allowing him to study the same subject at Northampton College, and Harvey Rogers earned seven GCSEs, including three 5s and will be going on to study photography at Milton Keynes College.

Also celebrating is Finnlay DeCoster-Ryan, who gained three 5s and will be staying at the school’s sixth form.

Meanwhile Samuel Baines, who is just 12-years-old, received a 5 in GCSE citizenship, and year 13 student Harry Lyman became the first ever pupil in the school’s history to achieve an AS-level when he passed art last week.

Cambian managing director of education Andrew Sutherland, joined the students receiving their results at the school.

“These results represent the pinnacle of an exceptional year for the school which achieved a 'good' Ofsted rating in February for both education and residential care, as well as the prestigious Safeguarding Initiative Award and Teach Well School Gold Awards," he said.

"We are hugely impressed by these outstanding achievements and wish the students continued success for the future.

"We’re deeply proud and grateful to everyone at the school that has helped our students achieve these landmark results.”