23 August 2018, Isleworth
As schools nationally continue to adapt to tougher specifications and new grading systems, we are delighted that boys at Isleworth & Syon School continue to exceed expectations across the board. Last year we placed in the top 10% nationally for boys for English and maths, as well as the top 3% for science; this year’s vastly-improved results indicate that these national places will rise when figures are released. Considering that all students across the full range of abilities have achieved results beyond expectations (in all measures – 9-7, 9-4 and 9-1), it is clear that our boys are extremely well-positioned for their next steps. For the majority, that will be the start of A level subjects at Isleworth & Syon to prepare them for the best universities in the country, while others will enter the world of work through a skill-building apprenticeship.
In the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, the results were staggering. 1 in 4 students sitting English received a grade between 9-7 (A*/A equivalent), which was two and a half times the national figure for boys. In mathematics, 24% of boys received the highest grades, compared with 17% nationally. Meanwhile, our science grades continue to reflect the school’s recognition of the subject as a specialist area of focus. Our combined science 9-7 results were 242% better than the national average, while the three separate sciences were 90% (biology), 81% (chemistry) and 73% (physics) better than national scores. These figures prove that we have some of the best teaching of core subjects in the local area; check out the full table, comparing us (I&S) and national for boys (nat.) below:
| Subject | I&S 9-7 | Nat. 9-7 | I&S 9-4 | Nat. 9-4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | 25% | 10% | 86% | 54% |
| English Language | 14% | 10% | 74% | 54% |
| English Literature | 21% | 14% | 79% | 66% |
| Mathematics | 24% | 17% | 72% | 60% |
| Biology | 72% | 39% | 100% | 89% |
| Chemistry | 78% | 43% | 100% | 89% |
| Physics | 78% | 45% | 100% | 91% |
| Combined Science | 24% | 7% | 78% | 53% |
Across other subjects, it was a similar story. Nearly half of the drama cohort received grades from 9-7, 32% higher than the national figure. 30% of history students earned grades at the top end, compared to 21% nationally, while our electronics figure was over four times higher than the national figure (44% 9-7 compared to 8% for boys nationally). With a high number of students staying on at our high-performing Sixth Form, we look forward to celebrating their continued success on Advanced level courses.
This year’s cohort had some outstanding individual results, with a number of students achieving nine or more grades at A*/A or equivalent. Our top performer was Ali Nasiri, who gained six 9s, one 8, and two A grades. Next were Arnav Gupta and Diallo Williams, both of whom had already gained one 9 last summer when sitting English language early, and today added two more 9s and four 8s each, as well as an A* and A respectively. We were delighted with the successes of Ruhul-Amin Ahmed and Daniel Vakili, both of whom earned nine grades at 9-7. Meanwhile, John Alvaran and Shaan Mahal earned a massive ten grades at 9-7, a testament to each student’s huge amount of hard work in the lead-up to these examinations. John in particular never missed a day of school in five years, a remarkable achievement! Aadi Mudhar showed fantastic resilience to earn five grades at 9-7, including two 9s, all while successfully earning a place in the prestigious National Youth Theatre following his starring role in this year’s school production! Finally, special mention must be given to star athlete Josiah Wilson Kepple, who sat his English language in Year 10 and matched his triple-jump prowess (national champion 2017) by earning the top grade 9.
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, “Our 2017 GCSE results were in the top 5% for boys nationally. This year’s results have exceeded those and we look forward to receiving the national data. Congratulations to all of our students and staff for their endeavour and success.”
