Students at Northern Education Trust ESSA Academy, one of 17 secondary academies sponsored by the trust, have achieved their best ever GCSE results.

An incredible 71% students overall achieved a pass in English and maths, demonstrating an improvement of 7% on last year’s results. The academy has also secured a significant number of strong passes (Grade 5) in English and maths, with a fantastic 12% increase to 52%. Results for SEND students have remarkably improved, achieving above national average for strong passes in both English and maths. There has also been a considerable increase in pupil premium students gaining strong grades in English and maths, achieving 20% above the national average and a 17% increase on last year.

There were many outstanding individual successes, a few of which are below:

• Head boy Ibraheem Dakri gained a fantastic Grade 9 in both English language and English literature and Grade 8 in maths, with Grade 9s in biology, chemistry and physics, and Grade 7
  or above in history, art and computer science.
• Ibrahim Khan showed a massive increase in his grades including a Grade 9 in English, 7 in Maths and 7s in Science – Ibrahim has made such great progress in Year 11.
• Janat Bibi gained an amazing set of results, including 2 Grade 8s in English and a Grade 9 in art, such a fantastic achievement.
• Zaakir Chohan gained an amazing set of results across the board, achieving Grade 9s and 8s in all subjects including a Grade 9 in photography, highlighting her creativity.

Melanie Flynn, Principal of ESSA thanked the students and staff for their efforts and commitment, saying: “This is an excellent set of results for ESSA Academy. The students have worked extremely hard to achieve at these levels, with some students having overcome difficult barriers to do so. I’d like to thank the staff for their continued passion for ensuring our students succeed – these results are testament to their energy and enthusiasm for helping our students achieve the very best from their education.”

Andy Newton, Executive Principal of ESSA added his praise, saying: “We’re delighted and greatly encouraged by these results, which are testimony to the vision of the trust to enhance the life chances of the young people in our care. My thanks and congratulations go to all students and staff for their incredible efforts. My thanks also go to the parents, carers, governors and the trust board for their continued support – our students and staff couldn’t succeed without your help.”

Jane Wilson, Chief Executive of Northern Education Trust, said: “These results reflect the hard work and commitment of the staff and students within the academy. The year on year improvement demonstrates the ongoing quality of education provided by the academy, and the exceptional desire of the students to succeed. We aim to enhance the life chances of the children and young people in our care, and these results are the culmination of their incredible efforts and dedication, allowing them to progress to the next stage of their lives with confidence in their abilities to succeed. We are extremely proud of our students and wish them every success with their futures.”