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ACADEMIC / STEM 3
Public Exams 2018
Once again, we were delighted
to report great results in public
examinations, which equalled the
successes we have seen in previous
years. Many congratulations to all
our pupils and a huge thank you
to the staff who have so ably and
tirelessly supported them over the
past years.
After a nervous build-up to results day, most
of our pupils were happy with what they had
achieved and the majority of them secured
places at their chosen universities. The new
A Levels were intended to be significantly
tougher so we are delighted that the 2018
leavers more than equalled the achievements
of recent years, with the most common
grade once again being A* (over 36.2% of
examinations) and with 70% of examinations
graded at A* or A. Well done to the
twenty-nine pupils of the cohort of 127 who
achieved 3 or more A*.
Head, Simon Marshall, wrote, “This is
the second year in which the majority of
students took the new, linear-style A Levels
and it is great to see so many of them
rewarded for their hard work and achieve
places at their chosen university or place of
work; they seem to have coped particularly
well with the pressures and stresses of
the new syllabuses. There are very many
outstanding performances at all levels, and
we are especially proud of those pupils
who have performed so well under adverse
circumstances, whether through ill-health,
bereavement or other challenging personal
circumstances. This was an exceptionally
committed and busy year-group (as their
many cultural and sporting successes
throughout their time at the school have
demonstrated) and they illustrate again
that Bancroftians who most get involved
in school life and learn from the variety of
opportunities on offer also excel when it
comes to final examinations.”
There was an element of uncertainty ahead
of this year’s GCSE results. A radical shake
up of the system, leading to a new grade
structure together with tougher exams,
meant that pupils and teachers alike were
not quite sure what to expect. Many
expectations, however, were exceeded and
we were delighted to congratulate our Fifth
Formers on their performances.
With the new grade 9 representing the very
top level of the A* band, we were pleased
that overall 42.2% of the new GCSEs were
awarded a 9. Some subjects have retained
the “old” grade bands and we have seen a
total 86.7% of exams sat by the Fifth Form
being awarded 9/8/7 or an A*/A. Forty
pupils of the year group of 125 were awarded
a superb nine or more A*/9/8s.
“I think nearly all our Fifths and their
teachers can breathe a sigh of relief after
a nerve-wracking two years of study and
uncertainty,” said Simon Marshall. “Our
results compare favourably with the best
any GCSE cohort has achieved at Bancroft’s
and even though, strictly speaking, it is
impossible to judge this year’s results against
previous results, it is clear that this year-
group has done exceptionally well.
The style and content of the new exams were
designed to be challenging but our pupils
and staff have all worked hard and so can be
really proud of what they have achieved.”
Science Trip to the Centre of the Cell
Shanuga Rubaraj, RE
On the 6 June, around twenty-five pupils travelled to
the Centre of the Cell in Whitechapel, associated with
the London Hospital, where we learnt all about the
wonders of the human body.
The day kicked off with an
amazing experience in the
Nucleus where, with the
help of videos, games and
microscopes, we learnt the
difference between cells
diagnosed with cancer
and healthy cells as well as
learning about the different
characteristics and functions
of many specialised cells. We
also got a closer look at the
lives of the scientists who
worked in the centre and their contributions to future discoveries. After
lunch, we watched a presentation on “snot, sick and scabs” which at
moments did make us look away. During this entertaining show Kiera
Matthews made a whole bowl of “sick” from beans, vegetables, water
and a lot of mucus! Let’s just say it wasn’t such a pleasant smell! With
a bit of friendly competition between Kaitlin Lovell and Harry Blisett to
assist us we studied a large variety of bacteria which could help us or
contaminate us at any point in our lives.
This was truly a valuable enriching experience for everyone who
took part and all the memories we made that day will always stick to
us. On behalf of us all, I would to thank Dr Ismail for organising such
a wonderful event and Mrs Hampson and Miss Prescott-Morrin for
accompanying us.