Tears of joy amid emotional scenes as students at Bay House School in Gosport celebrate A-level results

The second year of replacement results after exams were cancelled did not prevent students from securing their goals at Bay House School.

And while there was the suggestion in some quarters across the country that students had been ‘given grades’ amid record-breaking national results, Bay House insisted students had fully deserved their grades.

This was certainly the case for Beth Tomkins, 18, who received grades A, B and C in English literature, history and politics after a difficult year. ‘I can’t stop crying, I was expecting three B grades so to get an A was amazing,’ she said.

‘It’s been an awful year after we lost a friend in January. My mental health was low after that but the school has been so supportive.

‘That network has got me through.’

Beth said she was ‘very proud’ to now be going to Queen Mary University of London to study history.

Beth’s tutor Zoë Brunink said: ‘We’re very proud of how resilient Beth and the other students have been and dealing with everything during this challenging time.’

Freya O’Grady, 18, was celebrating after recording two As and two A* in English literature, history, ancient history and an extended project qualification. ‘I’m very happy - it’s been a long time building up to that so I’m pleased to get the grades and get into the university I wanted,’ she said.

Chloe Millerchip, 18, who registered grades B, C and C in the same subjects as Freya, said: ‘I was expecting to do a bit better but I’m not unhappy and will now get to do history at Royal Holloway.’

Jonathan Lewis, 18, who secured two A* and three A grades in maths, further maths, physics, economics and an extended project qualification, said: ‘I’m very happy but was expecting those results.

‘It’s been a bit weird and difficult with remote learning but I just kept working hard and had a separate space in my house to study.’

SEE ALSO: Sixth form celebrates strong set of results

Meanwhile Nigel Matthias, executive headteacher, said he was ‘delighted’ - with it a ‘day of celebration’ for pupils and staff.

He said: ‘I know there will be a lot of talk about how pupils have been given grades this year but that’s not the way we see it. Our students have earned the grades and have worked incredibly hard.

‘They’ve sat a whole range of assessments and worked as hard as any other cohort of students have over the 20 years I’ve been involved with the school.

‘Richard Dadd, our head of sixth form, and the team have worked incredibly hard to make sure these pupils have been supported through their studies.

‘Today’s celebrations are the culmination of the hard work of the students and the teachers and their absolute professionalism and dedication.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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