In a year where volatility in results nationally was expected, we are proud that boys at Isleworth & Syon School continue to achieve results that exceed expectations. These results ensure that boys will progress to further education and, in some cases, apprenticeships. Both English and mathematics introduced brand new, tougher specifications graded on a 9-1 scale. Nationally, two-thirds of grade 9s were awarded to girls, so well done to our many boys that achieved the highest new grade. The new grades make initial comparison difficult, except for A and C grades. Nationally, the 7 (equivalent to A) and 4 (equivalent to C) grades are both down, so we are delighted that Isleworth & Syon boys have yet again increased in these key benchmarks.
This year’s cohort had some outstanding individual results, with a number of students achieving eight or more grades at A*/A or equivalent. Our top-performing student was Theo Mitchell-Smith, who excelled with 8 A*s equivalent, which includes a perfect three grade 9s in the new GCSEs English language, English literature and mathematics. We were extremely proud of Yuvraj Assi, who also achieved a hat-trick of grade 9s for a total of 5 A*s, 3 As and 1 B equivalent. Well done to Tim Frederic-Volle who earned 7 A*s and 3 As equivalent, while Mateeullah Kakar gained 7A*s 1 A and 1 B equivalent. Rounding up the top six were Tom Keenan (5 A*s, 4 As and 1 B equivalent) and Qaiser Khan (5 A*s, 3 As and 1 B equivalent). All of these boys will be studying in Isleworth & Syon’s Sixth Form next September.
Four Year 10 students sat the English examinations a year early and gained the top grade 9: Arnav Gupta (who also got an A* in GCSE statistics a year in advance), Diallo Williams, Ali Nasiri and Anas Ibrahim. These boys have raised the bar heading into Year 11.
In the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, we comfortably outperformed national boys for the standard pass rate (the new grade 4+). Particularly impressive were English, where 50% of boys achieved a grade 5 or higher, compared to 39% nationally. Our science grades were truly outstanding, reflecting the school’s recognition of the subject as a specialist area of focus. Please see below for a comparison of our boys and national boys at A*/A grades.
| Subject | Isleworth & Syon Boys | National Boys |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | 69% | 38% |
| Chemistry | 75% | 39% |
| Physics | 75% | 42% |
| Science | 17% | 4% |
| Additional science | 22% | 8% |
These figures prove that we have the best science faculty in the local area.
Success could also be found in other subjects. In all of the Ebacc subjects MFL (French and Spanish) and humanities (history and geography), students achieved above the national 9-4 outcomes. Meanwhile in drama, 50% of students achieved the top grades of A*/A, more than triple the national figure. Electronics beat the national figure of 12% A*/A, with over half our boys gaining those grades. With a high number of students staying on at our Sixth Form, we look forward to celebrating their continued success on Advanced level courses.
Once again, early indications suggest that when progress measures are published later this year, it will show that students at Isleworth & Syon have, overall, made excellent progress since primary school and better than boys nationally. Euan Ferguson, Headteacher, said today, “While the national outlook remains unpredictable, we are delighted that Isleworth & Syon boys have continued to out-perform boys both nationally and in mixed settings. I congratulate them on their results, which demonstrate their sheer hard work and commitment during their time here, as well as the considerable expertise of our staff. We look forward to seeing what comes next in our top-performing Sixth Form.”
