Three way celebration for Newcastle school

Students at a Newcastle school were celebrating today when their A level results revealed more than a quarter of them had achieved A* or A grades.​

The class of 2024 at St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School, a member of the Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust, will see students heading to universities around the country to study a wide range of subjects.

“The boys have truly excelled, securing places at prestigious universities and embarking on diverse career paths from medicine to mechanical engineering,” said Headmaster Dan Murray.

“We are incredibly proud of our young men, who have consistently demonstrated their competence and commitment throughout their A level studies. These results are testament to their hard work, the dedication of our staff and the unwavering support of the boys’ families. We are confident the boys will go on to achieve great things in their lives beyond St Cuthbert’s,” he added.

Career paths chosen by this year group includes politics, physiotherapy, physics and pharmacy.

“From Newcastle to Nottingham, from St Andrew’s to Sheffield and from Leeds to Liverpool, the breadth of subjects studied, and destinations chosen, reflects the school’s focus on providing a personlised educational experience that caters to each student’s unique God-given gifts and talents and their own aspirations,” added Mr Murray.

The results show 28.2 per cent of students achieved A* or A, with 97.1 per cent awarded grades ranging from A* to E. Some 76.5 per cent had grades from A* to C. The number of students achieving either a distinction or merit in their vocational subject was 84.9 per cent of the cohort.

Luke Nellis achieve an A* in English literature, A in history, economics and his extended project. He is aiming for the University of Manchester to read history and said he was ‘over the moon’ with his grades.

“My time at St Cuthbert’s was very positive. The teachers were so supportive and helped the whole way through. Sixth Form was brilliant and I couldn’t have had a better high school experience,” he said.

He wrote a novel for his extended project and hopes to keep on writing, perhaps following a career pathway into journalism.

Daniel Cleasby achieved three As in physics, maths and religious studies and will be reading physics at Edinburgh University. He said he put in a lot of effort and was pleased it was reflected in his results.

“The teachers were very supportive, especially in Sixth Form where they were always there to help and guide you,”he said.

A gap year beckons for Solomon Issifu who achieved straight As in biology, chemistry and maths. He said the school had been ‘brilliant.’

The good news follows an Ofsted report which said leaders have ‘transformed the school since the last inspection, and awarded an overall grade of Good in all key areas.

“With targeted support from the trust, they have made the school a better place for pupils,” says the report published before the summer break.

And St Cuthbert’s has also been subject to a Catholic Schools Inspectorate (CSI) inspection this year. It highlighted ‘exemplary pastoral care’ within the school and awarded it Outstanding for Catholic life and mission collective worship.

“St Cuthbert’s is a joyful community, rooted in faith where staff live out the mission to form great men. Staff go the extra mile to provide co-curricular opportunities to grow in faith,” said the report.