It is that time of year again when we congratulate all students and hope that they have got their fair reward for their hard work during Key Stage 4.
The Canterbury Academy is a comprehensive school ‘for all the talents’ that has maintained and enhanced pathways for learners of all abilities, aptitudes and skills located on a university style campus for school students and is pleased to have been able to continue to offer its students a wide range of opportunities.
GCSE exams have become more academic but not all students have academic gifts and we should be careful when making judgements about schools based only upon these results. Many students have gifts in the performing or visual arts, or in sport, or in practical learning and too often these appear to be ignored. We are extremely proud of all our students’ achievements across our pillars of excellence in academic learning, sport, performing arts, practical learning and our area wide work in youth, community and extended service.
We are pleased to have once again delivered a very positive set of results.
The Simon Langton Grammar School stream at the school, which is for students whose gifts are academic, again excelled. Building on last year’s results the children have received more 9-7 (A*- A) than ever before with 177 grades achieved being 9-7 or A*- A. Most of these students will progress to A level in our sixth form, some taught in partnership with Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys, and aim for university.
The school believes that 63% of the year group attained a grade 4 or better in maths or English, which were examinations again made harder this year, with 25% attaining a grade 5 or better in maths and English.
However, examination results are not the same as educational experience and there are other achievements in schools not recognised in an increasingly narrow curriculum and academic results. The school also values the achievements of the students across a range of activities.
In sport, Ronny Nelson has been awarded a professional scholarship with Gillingham Football Club. Jordan Gillmore has been awarded a professional scholarship with Millwall Football Club. Ben Bayfield has been crowned as the NoraSport Academy Champion in Moto Cross during the year. Tamara Fournillier-Onadeko was named Most Valuable Player in the national Under 16 basketball final; and Sam Alajiki was selected for the Ireland Under 18 3 v 3 Basketball squad and our Boys’ Basketball Under 16 squad are county champions.
The successes in visual and performing arts include a student who has been signed for a recurring role in a CBBC series; Sadie Stedman and Edward Onions both performing Macbeth with the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford-Upon-Avon; Maizie Theze becoming the undisputed IDO UK Champion in hip hop dance; Niamh Smith being cast in Matthew Bourne’s production of ‘Cinderella’, and for the first time a Canterbury Academy student, Max Weinel, being cast in a lead role in the Marlowe’s annual pantomime. Also, Cooper Stout has released a debut album called ’Stuck’ on iTunes and has been successfully cast on a BBC programme coming to your screens soon.
And, in practical learning, we are excited to launch The Amelix Enterprise Academy, working alongside The Peter Jones Enterprise Academy, one of the first in any school nationally.
These GCSE results, and last week’s Sixth Form results, end another very good year for The Canterbury Academy, as part of The Canterbury Academy Trust; with an excellent Ofsted Report paying glowing tribute to this comprehensive school for all the talents. The school continues to enjoy growing popularity, with increased numbers seeking to join it and its Langton grammar school stream, which goes from strength to strength. The school has the largest Sixth Form in Kent, with nearly 150 students hoping to go onto university this summer, including Russell Group and Oxbridge. The students achieved tremendous success in sport at local, regional and national level; remarkable successes in the performing arts with students of all ages appearing on stage, screen and TV; and, various successes in practical learning.