St Cuthbert’s celebrates GCSE success as students look to the future
There were celebrations all round when students at St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School in Newcastle received their GCSE results.
Their achievements were all the more impressive, as the cohort had experienced two years of disrupted education at primary school due to the Covid pandemic, and the examinations were the first time they had been externally assessed.
Top achievers included Rafal, with an impressive clutch of 11 Grade 9s, and Aryas Rahim, who secured an outstanding clean sweep of nine Grade 9s alongside a Grade 5 in Foundation French.
“I was pretty nervous and could barely get any sleep the night before, but walking in I had high hopes and those high hopes were fulfilled,” he said. “I feel happy, but also shocked at the same time. I didn’t expect the results to be this good.”
He was particularly surprised by his top mark in English Language, a subject he had worked tirelessly to improve.
“I did a lot of revision for English Language because it was one of my weak points,” he explained. “Teachers have really helped me along the way. My maths teacher helped me increase my grade from a 7 to a 9 in Year 10. I really appreciate these memories with teachers and how passionate and encouraging they are.”
Aryas will now progress to Sixth Form to study Maths, Physics, Further Maths, and Chemistry, with ambitions to pursue a degree in engineering or physics at university.
Fellow high achiever David Guliyev also celebrated an impressive set of results, including Grade 9s in Mathematics, Geography, and History, and Grade 8s across all of his Science subjects.
“I really wanted a 9 in Maths, so that was the first thing I looked at and I was so happy,” he said. “History was unexpected – I’ve never gotten a 9 before. I spent a lot of time on it, like eight hours behind a desk without moving because I was scared about it, so the hard work paid off.”
He credited the strong culture of peer collaboration and teacher support at St Cuthbert’s for his academic success.
“A lot of my friends and I realised we needed to study, so we made a group where we’d track our revision hours and challenge each other with quizzes,” he continued. “The school helped us in every aspect. Anytime you needed help, you’d ask the teachers, and anytime you were nervous, they’d calm you. You know the school is behind you.”
David will also return to St Cuthbert’s Sixth Form to study Mathematics, Economics, and Geography, aiming for a future career in economics, accounting, or finance.
Dan Murray is Headteacher at St Cuthbert’s, which is a member of the Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust, and was full of praise for the students.
“We are immensely proud of our pupils and all that they have achieved,” he said. “These results are a well-deserved reward for years of hard work, perseverance, and determination. Today we celebrate not only their academic success, but also the ambitious, compassionate, and resilient young men they have become.”
He continued: “These results provide a strong foundation for the next stage in our pupils’ lives. Many will continue their education at St Cuthbert’s, while others will pursue a range of further education and vocational pathways. Whatever route they choose, they do so with every reason to be confident, ambitious, and excited about the future.
“At St Cuthbert’s. Education is about far more than examination results alone. Our mission is to form great men – young men of competence , conscience, compassion, and commitment, who recognise their God-given talents, strive for excellence, and are prepared to make a positive contribution to the world around them.”
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