Star pupil 'off to Wagamama' after GCSE results

As pupils around the country received their GCSE results today, there have been plenty of Merseyside success stories. Among them is Liz Joseph, who attends St John Plessington Catholic College in Bebington, a school which is "so proud" of its "passionate" Year 11s.

The youngster has impressed her teachers and parents by earning four 9s, three 8s, one 7 and a distinction star. That's the equivalent of a remarkable eight A*s and one A in the old grading system. Her teachers were surely even happier to discover that the star pupil will be returning to St John Plessington's sixth form next year.

Liz said: “I was very nervous but I was confident as I knew I’d worked hard and my teachers and parents were very supportive. I am very excited to return to St John’s sixth form to complete my A-Levels to support me on my journey to becoming an accountant." To celebrate her achievement, the student is "going to Wagamama" for a well-deserved meal out.

Speaking of celebrations, fellow pupil Cavan Wilson told the ECHO that he's "off to a party" tonight after he was handed a results sheet full of 6s. The teen, who still isn't sure that he'll stay at St John Plessington for sixth form, wants to study music. A teacher told him that he's "always welcome".

Amelia Jones, who got two 9s, two 8s, one 7 and three 6s, has decided to stay at the school for sixth form. She's going to study biology, chemistry and English literature as she looks to become a dentist. Abraham Joy was awarded one 7, five 6s, two 5s, three merits and a distinction. Despite some very good results, he was a little disappointed, saying: “I feel like I did less (well) than expected. I want to study physics - I feel I can do better if I try harder.”

Another of St John's many success stories today was Sean Chinyanda, who was awarded two 8s, five 7s, one 6 and a merit in his GCSE results. He's going to study maths, economics and business, but before all that, he's off to "celebrate with friends"; who can blame him?

Peadar McLoughlin, headteacher at St John Plessington said: "It has been a fantastic morning here at St John Plessington celebrating the incredible achievements of our Year 11 students. During their time here, they have each demonstrated so much dedication and passion to their studies.

"We are so proud of them; they are a real credit to our school and the Holy Family Multi Academy Trust. A massive congratulations to all our students who collected their results today. We look forward to welcoming many of you back in September as part of our sixth form."

Further north in Wallasey this morning, there was a vibrant and energetic atmosphere at St Mary’s Catholic College as results aligned with expectations. Year 11 student, Giulio Fontana, averaged a grade 9 across the board, with an incredible eight grade 9s, including a grade 9 in English, maths, biology, chemistry and physics.

Lily Lloyd achieved three grade 8s and a distinction in health and social care while fellow student Keira Blundell achieved a grade 9 in art and a grade 7 in English literature and RE. Amaia McChrystal achieved a grade 9 in history and a grade 8 in RE with many other fantastic grades.

Matthew Newman achieved a distinction in business along with grade 7s in English language, history and RE. Of the students receiving their results, many have chosen also to remain at St Mary’s and join the sixth form in September. Headteacher Kevin Maddocks said: “I am extremely proud of the resilience and determination demonstrated by our Year 11 students. Their ongoing commitment to revision sessions, their attendance, and after-school sessions have been truly remarkable.

“Results day is always such a special day. We get to witness the joy and pride our students feel when they see all their hard work come to fruition. It has been a pleasure to be part of their educational journey, and we are excited for what comes next. We look forward to welcoming many of them back as sixth form students in September.”