A TOP performing college has won even more praise after its exam results secured its position as one of the best schools in the country.
Minister of State for Schools David Laws has written to Carmel College for the second time in a matter of months congratulating staff and students on their performance.
In a letter to Principal and Chief Executive Officer of the Carmel Education Trust Maura Regan, he said: “Your school is clearly equipping its pupils for success in both further study and future employment. The results are a shining testament to the hard work and success of your staff, pupils and governors.”
The tribute is the latest in a string of accolades received by Carmel College as it cements its reputation as one of the most dynamic establishments in the country.
Last year the college was rated top according to the similar schools measure in the School Performance Tables.
It then received an across-the-board outstanding rating by Ofsted inspectors who said they would be happy sending their own children to the school.
Now the GCSE results league tables sees them vying for the top position in the region and in the leading cohort in the country.
• Students recorded an incredible pass rate of 90.4 per cent in the benchmark five GCSEs grade A*-C including maths and English, securing 8th place in the country from 4,000 schools.
• The capped scoring, which takes the top eight GCSE marks including English and maths, was 1006.9, the best in the region and among the top one per cent in the country.
• The value added score – the difference the college makes to students from primary school to GCSE results – which measured 1034, is one of the best in the region.
• These results make Carmel College the best performing Catholic school in the region.
• It also has the highest added value score in the region for English and maths.
Vice Principal Janice Gorlach, who monitors performance data, said: “Our success is down to the college developing a culture of extremely high expectations among staff and students”.
“Good GSCEs are not achieved in the final year alone, they are made in the five years they attend Carmel, an environment in which they realise they can set and reach their goals. They are cared for and nurtured the minute they walk through the door.”
Ms Regan added: “High expectations and excellent relationships underpin the very high quality of teaching throughout. The whole environment is geared to pupils thriving in an atmosphere where they can make progress and experience success in all aspects of college life and extra-curricular activities.”