GCSE Results Day 2022

Burscough Priory Academy celebrates the hard work and examination results of the Class of 2022

Burscough Priory Academy joined Endeavour Learning Trust in September 2018, following the disappointing Ofsted inspection in 2017.  Since then, the school has celebrated a huge transformation in its culture as together, leaders in School and across the Trust have worked tirelessly to raise standards and expectations so that teachers can teach and students can learn.  As a result of this, a real sense of purpose is evident - together, staff and students are completely focused on learning and personal development.

In 2017, the Class of 2022 were in Year 7.  The year when students should have been building their firm foundations for the years to come. Instead, for this year group it was a year of uncertainty and significant upheaval and change following the special measures judgment. From Year 9 to the end of Year 11, their learning was also severely disrupted by the pandemic and the ongoing related absences of students and staff. Fast forward to summer 2022 and you see a year group that has managed this upheaval and risen to the challenge of the higher expectations, standards and targets. These students have grown and developed into a group of young people who were ambitious and dedicated to their studies. 

In 2019, one year after becoming an academy with the Endeavour Learning Trust, the GCSE results showed a rapid upward trajectory.  Since then, because of the pandemic, the examination results were either centre or teacher assessed.  With this set of results comes the first externally validated outcomes since 2019. When viewed relatively and objectively, in light of the more generous grade boundaries this year compared to 2019, the school are nonetheless delighted to conclude that the trajectory of improvement continues across a wide range of subjects.   

Mrs MacLaren, Headteacher told us: ‘We would like to congratulate every one of our students.  Their resilience and hard work during their GCSE courses has culminated in these results. Today we have seen relief and joy, accompanied by tears in our students who, following significant disruption to their GCSE courses, now have the grades to move onto their chosen destinations. We are delighted that some of them may now be able to access even higher-level courses or apprenticeships than they originally considered. In the meantime, they have much to be proud of and most exciting, these grades are the stepping stone to the next stage of their education and future. 

Mrs MacLaren went on to say: ‘We must recognise that during the pre-GCSE year and for their entire GCSE course, this group of young people have navigated a global pandemic and the challenges that this brought.  They have also faced the loss of one of their friends and class mates, Eve Lewis.  Sadly, Eve did not get the chance to sit her exams or collect her results but her memory is with us today.  Considering these challenges, never more so has the spirit of ‘Out of Many, One,’ been lived and breathed by a group of people - the collegiate spirit and collective determination of the Class of 2022 is inspirational.

We must also acknowledge the excellent partnership that we have with our parents. The support and challenge that they have given their child and us right throughout school cannot be measured but is a significant factor in these results.  If we couple this with the commitment and hard work of the staff in school and of our colleagues across the Endeavour Learning Trust, we have a real recipe for success.  On behalf of all of the leaders in School and right across the Trust, all of these efforts are truly appreciated.’

Outstanding individual successes are being celebrated at the very top end with a significant number of students being awarded the highest grades (7-9) across a wide range of subjects. These include: Erin Fellows, Esme Beesley, Caity Clark, Joel Hanlon, Ella Cochrane, Erin Thain, Rachel Webster, Alice Scarisbrick, Leila Auriac, Sam Grimes, Elizabeth Kellaway, Alex Pinnington, Vivian Wong, Niamh Kirby and Oliver Morgan.

In addition to this, the school is now enjoying many other notable successes with individual, relative progress increasingly becoming a genuine strength. Other students who have made notable progress across their suite of subjects are: Rachel Johnson, Joel Lynch, Charlotte Grice, Jack Kirrelly, Thomas Bemment and Alice Godwin.

Mrs MacLaren noted, ‘the staff would like to wish all of our students continued success as they move onto their new Post-16 colleges or apprenticeship programmes. We are confident that they will seize every opportunity that comes their way and tackle challenges with confidence.  They will always be a part of the Burscough Priory family.’

Mrs Gwinnett, Executive Headteacher and CEO of Endeavour Learning Trust said about the results, “It has been a genuine privilege to work with the school over the last four years and to see students and staff grow in confidence, aspiration and success, despite the significant challenges they have faced. These students and staff should be very pleased with the outcomes today. We are delighted with the ethos of the whole school and we wish the Class of ’22 the very best of everything in the future.’

Nikky Roby, Chair or the Local Academy Council said, ‘Congratulations to all of the Year 11 students who will be collecting their GCSE results today.  All of the members Local Academy Council are really proud of how hard you have worked to achieve these results.  The Councillors have asked me to extend a thank you to the parents who have supported the school and the staff who have worked tirelessly with the students.’