Camden pupils’ grades above the national average

Published: 26 August, 2010
by JOSH LOEB

THE percentage of pupils in Camden who are achieving the top grades in their GCSEs has increased again and the borough’s performance at A-level is higher than the national average.

Provisional GCSE results show that 53 per cent of pupils received five or more A*-C grades – a 2 per cent rise on last year.

A large increase in the number achieving five or more GCSEs at grades A*-C was seen in a number of schools across the borough, the largest in­creases being at Parliament Hill, William Ellis and Maria Fidelis schools. 

South Camden Community School in Somers Town also fared well, with 67 per cent of pupils achieving five or more passes at A*-C. Among the top scorers were Elizabeth Swann (15 A*-C passes) and Vijay Anthony­samy (14 A*-C passes). 

Provisional A-level results, meanwhile, showed that in 97.9 per cent of exams taken, students achieved a pass (A*-E) – just above the national figure of 97.6 per cent. 

The Camden pass rate increased by more than the national average with a rise of 0.9 per cent compared to a national figure of 0.1 per cent. 

The council seized on the performance as proof of increasing standards and Labour councillor Heather Johnson, Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Families, praised the “hard work and determination” of pupils and their teachers, who she said had “excelled themselves”.

The new top grade at A-level, the A*, was awarded to 7 per cent of entrants in Camden compared to an average of 5.7 per cent from comprehensive schools nation­ally.

But as they clutched their results outside schools across the borough, some students warned of tough times ahead with the job market in a poor state, more cuts on the horizon, and record numbers of students applying to uni­versity. 

At La Swap – the consortium of sixth forms that incorporates La Sainte Union, William Ellis, Acland Burghley and Parliament Hill, Iftekar Chaurdhury, 17, who plans to study economics at university, said: “Of course what’s going on with the public sector is worrying. 

“It’s going to be hard – but I’m going to try and do my best.” 

Haverstock pupil ­Bareka Rahman, 18, from Swiss Cottage, said she planned to live at home while at university to save money. 

Councillor Johnson praised the borough’s A-level results as “a tremendous success”, adding: “A solid edu­cation is a vital springboard to success in employment or further education and I am delighted that so many of our hard-working young people have really excelled themselves.”

‘Learn everything!’ Roger Bitihinda’s message

AS a child he fled war in Rwanda “with nothing”. But this week 16-year-old Roger Bitihinda became one of the highest scoring students at William Ellis when he was awarded six A*s, three As, one B and a distinction in his GCSEs.

He scored 100 per cent in several subjects, including physics.

Roger, who lives in Lady Margaret Road, Kentish Town, came to the UK with his parents as a refugee, aged two. They had escaped the violence in Rwanda in which an estimated 800,000 people – including members of his family – were murdered. He now plans to study A-levels in English literature, psychology, physics and design and technology.

Roger said: “I like studying a broad range of subjects because I don’t know exactly what I want to do in the long term.”

He revised “for about a month” to prepare for the exams and his parents limited the time he spent indulging in “distractions” by rationing his internet and TV use. Asked what advice he had for those hoping to emulate his success, Roger said: “Learn everything".