THURROCK'S Gateway Acanademy has issued a statement expressing prode and delight in the performance of its students whose GCSE results were released today (Thursday, 20 August)

In a statement the Tilbury-based school says: "After an extra-ordinary final term and a long anxious wait during the summer, the moment finally came today when Year 11 students at the Gateway Academy finally received their GCSE grades.

"There were shrieks of joy and relief as student after student opened their envelopes to see how well they have achieved.

"Senior leaders and Trustees are delighted that once again, Gateway has improved upon its previous GCSE outcomes. Overall results are higher, in-line with schools nationally, but given the students' starting points the 2020 GCSE results for Gateway represent exceptional progress over time.

"For many years now, Gateway's maths faculty has been one of the highest performing across Thurrock and the 2020 results have continued that trend with 80% of students awarded a Grade 4+ and 27% achieving grades 7-9."

Headteacher Grainne McLaughlin praised the work of the maths faculty and drew attention to the progress students have made since joining the academy in Year 7 which she described as 'exceptional'.

The school went on to say: "In recent years, Gateway has proven that its students can compete with the best in the UK across a broad range of subjects with maths, arts and modern foreign languages outstripping the UK's Average. In 2020 the top 11 students achieved 53 Grade 9 qualifications [up from 40 in 2019].

"The Gateway Grammar Stream, introduced when these pupils were in Year 7, has provided the necessary support and stimulus to ensure that more-able students achieve in-line with their potential. Among the top performing students, twins Joe and Pedro Dalzoto each achieved 9 GCSEs at Grade 9 and a further 2 at Grade 7."

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Mrs McLaughlin added: "I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of our Year 11 cohort from 2020 for everything they have achieved throughout their time with us. This is an extremely special group of young people who will achieve great things in the future and to spend the last five years with them as been an absolute joy and privilege."

The Gateway Learning Community CEO, Kevin Sadler said: "This has been a very difficult time for teachers and students alike but our teachers showed great integrity in moderating the results to ensure that the young people were awarded the results that they deserve. I'm really pleased that the 2020 results continue the trend of improvement that the school has enjoyed in recent years."