DGS students excel in GCSE examination results

Year 11 students are celebrating outstanding GCSE results yet again this year. For a second consecutive year over 70% of all grades awarded being the equivalent to an A* or A. The introduction of the new, more rigorous, English and Maths exams did not stop Dartford students achieving impressive results. Four students (Dan Bui, Martin Radulov, Dalvinder Judge and James Silk) achieved the highest possible combination of three level 9s across these new examinations, with only 2000 students gaining this accolade nationwide. Nearly 40% of all students achieved 10 or more A*/A grades, placing them at the pinnacle of academic achievement nationally.

The school’s specialisms, Languages, Science and Sport, continue to produce fine results with, for example, 97% of all students studying Latin achieving an A*/A grade and 91% of all Physics grades matching this feat (and, of course, our junior athletes are the 2017 National Athletics Champions). Every student achieved at least two strong passes in Science and we are the only boys school in Britain that insists on two, increasingly prestigious, language GCSEs. As reported in the national press yesterday the decline in the number of entries for modern foreign languages (MFL) has fallen by more than 7 per cent overall, with the number of French exams falling by a tenth and German by 13.2 per cent. This decline is a national concern and the Schools Minister Nick Gibb, yesterday wrote in The Telegraph, “that Britain cannot rely on the ubiquity of English” in order to prosper as a “global trading nation”. To maintain British economic influence, he added that there can be no “excuse for refusing to speak to our customers in their own language.” At Dartford Grammar School we totally agree with this sentiment. The breadth of our international GCSE programme continues to prepare our students for the rigorous International Baccalaureate in the Sixth Form, with ever-increasing numbers applying to continue into a full-time, enriching and enjoyable post-16 course.

Headmaster, John Oakes, commented, ‘‘our students have demonstrated that, through working closely with their excellent teachers in a supportive and caring environment, they are capable of achieving amazing results. To combine our highest ever International Baccalaureate results, achieved this summer, with over 70% of all GCSE grades being A*/A for the second year in succession, is a testament to everyone involved. We are delighted that our ambitious students have opted to remain here in the Sixth Form and we anticipate that they will continue to reap the rewards of full time study in our happy and vibrant Sixth Form .’’