Whitworth Community High School 'fantastic results'

Whitworth High School GCSE students

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Whitworth Community High School saw 64 per cent of students celebrating five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C.

Headteacher Gill Middlemas was delighted with the results and praised the hard work of students, staff, governors and supportive parents.

She said: “We have some fantastic results from different subject areas with 77 per cent of students gaining A* to C grades in English language.

“In total 87 per cent of students made at least the expected progress and 42 per cent made four or more levels progress. We have seen some fantastic results with 100 per cent A* to C pass rate in chemistry.

“We have achieved above 70 per cent A* to C in all creative subjects and our score in the new measure progress will be positive.”

Despite spending most of Year 11 in hospital, Nicole Smith gained an A and four Cs in her GCSEs and is now hoping to become a social worker. 

The 16-year-old from Heywood attended Whitworth Community High School and was diagnosed with asthma two years ago.

In her final school year, following a school trip to America, her asthma became considerably worse and she found herself spending every two weeks in hospital in Oldham or North Manchester.

She said: “It was quite a shock to get the results I did – I got an A in information technology and four Cs in religious studies, English literature, English language and science and I am now going to Bury College where I will be studying health and social care.

“They put me on steroids and that helped me to get through my exams. I am feeling much better now.

“I missed so much time because I was in the accident and emergency unit and would be on a nebuliser with a canula putting steroids through my body. I just never knew when I was going to be in school because I never knew when the next attack was going to happen.”

Headteacher Gill Middlemas said: “We were all shocked by just how bad it could get for Nicole.

“When we went to the USA we had to get special clearance for Nicole to go on the school trip and while out there she was not too bad, but things began to get worse after she got back.”

Nicole attended primary school in Whitworth and then moved to Heywood, but she wanted to remain with her friends at high school and so travelled back to Whitworth.

She said: “I have really enjoyed my time here and I have made lots of supportive friends.”

Budding dentist Curtis’s amazing GCSE results

Curtis Whitehead is on track to be a dentist after achieving excellent GCSE results.

He achieved two A*s in art and religious studies, five As in chemistry, English language and literacy, maths and performing arts and four Bs in biology, history, physics and PE.

As his PE grade was one mark off an A his paper has been sent away to be remarked.

Curtis, 16, said: “I am going on to Rochdale Sixth Form where I will be studying A levels in biology, chemistry and maths and I then want to train to be a dentist at Manchester University, fortunately my grandparents live there and so I will be staying with them.

“My results were better than I expected, I knew I had done well because I had worked hard and done an extra three hours study every night and it has paid off.

“I was not expecting to get A*s and I did better than I had done in my mocks.

“It has been good at Whitworth and I have a lot of friends who are also going to Rochdale Sixth Form although we are all on different courses.”

Straight A Mia heads for dance career

Grade A dancer Mia Howells is on her way to her dream career.

The Whitworth Community High School Head Girl gained excellent GCSEs – three A* in English literature, history and religious studies and eight As in biology, chemistry, English language, maths, performing arts, physics, Spanish and PE.

Mia, 16, of Whitworth, said: “I was really pleased with my English literature result because when I did the exam I didn’t think I had done very well and didn’t think I had passed, but I got an A*.

“My sister got really good grades and she is two years older than me and I wanted to try to compete.

“I want to go into professional dance or performing arts. I am going to Rochdale Sixth Form to study dance, PE, psychology and biology.

“I attend Signature School of Dance in Salford. I used to do grades in ballroom, disco and jazz but now I just dance for the experience.”