GCSE results 2021: Joy as UTC Portsmouth pupils collect results after months of Covid disruption

Jubilant pupils admitted they were ‘overcome with emotion’ as they arrived at UTC Portsmouth, in Hilsea, to finally pick up their grades.

Marks were graded by teachers and followed unprecedented levels of disruption to education following the coronavirus crisis.

And the results of UTC pupils stunned the college’s principal, James Doherty, who said: ‘I am absolutely over the moon.

‘Not only have they got fantastic grades but the sheer resilience they have shown in incredibly difficult circumstances is inspirational. I couldn’t be any more proud of them.’

Pupil Bethany Tyas was delighted with her clutch of results, which included a top-mark 9 in biology, four 8s, four 7s and a level two Distinction in engineering.

The battle to bag her grades had been a challenging one for the 15-year-old from Havant, who had been forced to shield indoors to protect her father, Rich, who was in remission from cancer.

She said: ‘It’s a massive relief – I’ve done way better than expected. It means so much, especially after going through Covid.

‘I hated lockdown with a burning passion. I didn’t go to the shops for a year and a half because I was shielding. It’s been so hard.’

Bethany’s beaming mum Samantha was full of praise for her daughter, who is now staying on to study English, maths, further maths and biology at the college.

‘I’m bursting with pride, I feel like I’m going to go and buy her a car,’ she said. ’It’s been such a hard couple of years and she has been on such a tough journey but she’s pulled through. I’m just so proud.’

Hollie Kirby, from Waterlooville, was also overcome with emotion as she opened her results – which included a 9, four 8s, two 7s, three 6s.

The achievement was all the more remarkable considering the 16-year-old contracted Covid during a key period of her studies, in December.

She said: ‘It feels crazy, I’m just so overcome with emotion. These grades mean everything to me.

‘School has just been so hard. At the start of lockdown I was in the pit of despair. I had no idea what was going to happen with exams or when I would see people again.

‘I then got Covid in December and everything just went downhill even more. But I pulled myself back up, got my head down, and I am so happy with how I’ve done.’

Mieszko Polak, 16, of Cosham was delighted with his results, which included 9s in maths, physics, computer science, chemistry and further maths, and an 8 in English.

He said: ‘This has been the toughest two years of my life so far...So coming in and seeing my results today was a massive relief.’

Overall, 83 per cent of UTC Portsmouth pupils achieved five grade 4s or higher, including English and maths.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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