Darwen Vale High School is delighted with students’ unprecedented success in this year’s examination results. Students have performed at levels above national averages in many subjects with outstanding performances in English and mathematics. Our Progress 8 score has increased by 0.42, this means that every student’s performance in the 2018-2019 cohort has increased by almost half a Grade in each subject compared to 2017-2018 results.

Head girl, Emma Lang, achieved 9 GCSE Grades with Grade 9s in Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Sports Studies and is going on to study maths, further maths, chemistry and physics at sixth form. She said she was over the moon!

Head Boy Jamie Hindle achieved 9 GCSE Grades with Grade 9s in Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics and Sports Studies.  Senior Prefects Olivia Grime and Emily Benn made exceptional progress in English literature and Language, achieving 9s in both subjects. Emily, who plans to study physical education and psychology at Runshaw College next said: “I was not expecting that at all. I was not expecting the 9s. It was a really hard year; the exams were hard.”

Alexander Jarvis, Sophie Briggs and Harry Walker all achieved a Grade 9 in Mathematics. Rebecca Scanlan and Olivia Hunter both achieved exceptional Grades in Combined Science. Rebecca, who is going to Runshaw College to study A-Levels, said: “When I got my results I cried with joy. I really did not think I was going to get them, I thought I would get 6s!”

Special mention also went to Louise Thompson and Joseph Worthington who have significantly over achieved in all subjects averaging 2 Grades above their predicted Grades.

Principal Matthew Little said: “The results represent a further step forward in our improvement journey. The staff and students have worked incredibly hard to secure these outcomes. They and our parents should be rightly proud of the achievements of our young people.”

Amongst individual subjects 70% of students achieved a Grade 4 or above in mathematics, well ahead of last year’s national average pass rate.

English pass rates continue to be very strong with 75% of students achieving Grades of 4 or above, again 5% ahead of the national average last year. 62% of students achieved Grade 4s in both English and maths and nearly 40% have achieved Grade 5s. Other subjects deserving of special mention include Chemistry, Biology, Physics and dance, in each of which students achieved pass rates of 80% or above at Grade 4, and PE, where 95% achieved Grade 4 or above.”