Brentwood School GCSE Students excel within and beyond the classroom

Many schools claim to offer a holistic education, but few can match the breadth and depth of achievement at Brentwood School, where academic excellence goes hand in hand with personal growth and co-curricular success.

Not to be outdone by their older peers, the Year 11 Class of 2024 were celebrating an excellent set of GCSE results today alongside a long list of other achievements from the past twelve months and, perhaps most importantly of all, the personal growth and sense of service they have developed during their time at the school.

2024 is the second year of results since the years of Covid-affected grades, and Brentwood students have again significantly outperformed the national picture. Around a fifth of GCSE grades were Grade 9 (against a national figure of 5.1%) and almost 60% were graded 7-9 (22.6% nationally).

A dozen standout students achieved an impressive tally of between 8 and 11 grade 9s, scoring the maximum of 72 points (eight 9s from their best eight subjects including English and Maths). Another 31 students achieved a remarkable combination of between 8 and 11 grade 8s and 9s, and an additional 58 members of the cohort earned an excellent 8 to 11 GCSEs graded between 7 and 9, further demonstrating the high academic standards of the school.

In addition to their academic success, Brentwood School’s Year 11s also demonstrated compassion and leadership, with 54 members of the cohort serving as Peer Mentors, offering guidance and support to younger pupils.

Brentwood School has one of the most successful Performing Arts faculties in the UK: supported by our status as a Steinway School and our flourishing partnership with the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, we are excited to be launching a Specialist Music Programme next term that will offer elite coaching, mentoring and training alongside and as part of our holistic curriculum. Pippa Philpot, one of the country’s leading young pianists, with a place at the Junior Guildhall of Music & Drama, achieved a clean sweep of 11 Grade 9s, and has been selected as one of the inaugural students on the programme. Pippa said she was looking forward to more Chamber Music opportunities and ‘more dedicated time and increased expectations’.

Performing Arts Scholar, Anna Romhany, whose impressive GCSE grades cap a successful year during which she has performed in many of our flagship Dance Shows, concerts and plays, and has been offered places on pre-vocational courses at Rambert and Trinity Laban, as well as also being selected to represent the school on the Specialist Music programme next year.

Despite having to put in countless rehearsal hours, Dance Scholar and Bursary student Nicholas Rashkov, who has won a slew of international dance accolades in Ballroom and Latin, picked up seven Grade 9s, two Grade 8s and two Grade 7s. Skye Lake, who starred in our outstanding production of West Side Story and has represented the school in Athletics, competing in the high jump and 100m, where she was a key member of the Inter Girls’ team who reached two consecutive national finals, bagged a clean sweep of 8s and 9s from her 10 GCSEs. Skye, fresh from the Music Department’s highly successful tour of La Rochelle, said:

“The best thing about co- curricular at Brentwood is that you make friends with people in different years because you have that shared interest. I’m looking forward to joining the Sixth Form in September and getting started on the Winter Musical.”

All-rounder James Farrow, who also returned from La Rochelle last night, achieved five Grade 9s, five 8s and one Grade 7 to cap a busy year that saw him take a starring role in Pride & Prejudice, perform in West Side Story, and still find time to represent the school’s 1st XV Rugby team every Saturday, as well as playing for the Saracens/Essex U16 team. James was a worthy recipient of the most prestigious award on offer at the 2024 Speech Day – the Society of Old Brentwoods Prize for Virtue, Learning and Manners – which is given to the student who personifies the school’s values that have been part of our heritage since 1622. Having moved to the Senior School from Brentwood Prep, James said his mantra was to ‘grab all the opportunities with both hands!’

Fellow Values award recipient, Gracie Coppell, who has also become an accomplished chess player during her time at Brentwood, racked up no fewer than ten Grade 9s. She said,

“My 9s in Spanish and German reflect the hard work and fun lessons from my teachers.”

High achiever Austin Measday returned an impressive nine top grades. Austin, a member of the school’s Combined Cadet Force RAF section and another stalwart of the Performing Arts faculty, is one step closer to his dream of becoming a commercial pilot.

Chess aficionado Nina Pert, who recently won her fifth National Girls’ Chess Championship title, showed her exceptional strategic thinking away from the board with 11 GCSEs, 10 of them at Grade 8 or 9, and an A* in the HPQ research project qualification.

Two budding engineers, Imogen Eastwood and Chloe Dewar, have emerged from Year 11 with more than their impressive GCSE results to celebrate. Chloe’s academic success saw her pick up 10 Grade 9s and 1 Grade 8 while Imogen, who also represented the school’s first-ever 1st XI Girls’ Cricket team during a very successful season in which they reached the U17 Essex Cup final, achieved 9 Grade 8-9 and 1 Grade 7. Both girls have been awarded Arkwright Engineering Scholarships which are given to the ‘brightest and best’ students who have the passion and determination to succeed in their future studies and careers. This nationally acclaimed scholarship is designed to inspire students ‘to pursue their dreams and change the world as an outstanding engineer of the future’, allocating them an industry mentor and financial award.

Twins Max and Sam Kingsley, who have earned international honours representing Great Britain in skiing, have not only excelled on the slopes but have also achieved outstanding GCSE success with no fewer than 14 Grade 9s between them. Despite the rigorous demands of training and competing at the highest level, these remarkable young athletes approached their studies with the same determination they bring to their sport. Their ability to balance the pressures of high-level competition with academic excellence highlights the power of determination, discipline, and passion in achieving success across all areas of life. The brothers ended the 2023/24 ski season with podium finishes in the Interschools Championships and the British Ski Association championships in Switzerland and standout performances in the British Championships and at the Whistler Cup in Canada.

Meanwhile, star cross-country runner Jemimah Knightbridge, who was part of the Senior Girls’ team who reached the national finals, is looking forward to furthering her sporting passion while studying the BTEC Extended Diploma programme. Fellow sports star Alex Harvey, who plays for Essex County Cricket, will take up A Levels in Psychology, Geography and PE.

Another student returning to Brentwood to study BTEC, is fellow cricketer Cara Castleman, who is having an exceptional season for both school and Essex. She was a key member of the 1st XI Girls’ team who reached the county final, as well as being part of the Essex Women’s match day squad. More recently, she represented Essex Women’s U18s in the national finals against Lancashire CC, picking up two wickets during the final.

Ethan Roos and Henry Linley were part of the school team that clinched the prestigious Independent Schools National Golf Finals title earlier this year, securing the biggest prize in the school’s golfing history. Ethan, who recently secured 6th place in the U21 division of the Faldo Series in Wales, is edging closer to his goal of becoming a professional golfer. With an impressive score of 64 points, he will continue his education at Essex Golf College in Rayleigh, all while keeping his dream of earning an American scholarship alive. Practising at least six hours a day, Ethan is unwavering in his commitment, stating: “You’ve got to if you want to be the best.” Demonstrating his dedication to the sport, Ethan was heading off to play in a golf tournament in Benfleet.

Head of Year Jag Khush, who has been with this year group since they were in Year 9, was rightly proud of their achievements:“I’m absolutely delighted with the GCSE results. The pupils have worked incredibly hard and their results are a testament to their hard work and dedication. It was so heartwarming to see so many smiling faces this morning. I’ve enjoyed being their Head of Year for the last three years and am so very proud of all of them for all that they’ve achieved in and outside the classroom. I wish them every success in their post-16 studies.”

Headmaster Michael Bond said:

“This is the 30th GCSE results’ day I’ve attended and each one has reinforced what a privilege it is to work in education and see young people rewarded for their hard work as individuals and as part of their wider school community. Our outgoing Year 11 students have achieved so much within and beyond the classroom: having started their senior school journey with two years of Covid-enforced disruption, it has been a real joy to watch them bounce back and develop into the talented – but most of all – service-oriented young adults they have become. We are very much looking forward to supporting the next stage of their journey in our Sixth Form, where they will no doubt continue to serve and thrive, within our community.’’

With three Sixth Form pathways to choose from – the International Baccalaureate Diploma, A Levels and BTEC Extended Diploma – our students are spoilt for choice when it comes to the next stage of their academic career.

The results complete a summer of academic success which saw record-breaking International Baccalaureate Diploma awards – confirming Brentwood’s position among the Top Ten IB schools in the UK –  and excellent A Level and BTEC Extended Diploma results. When combined, 54.2% of this year’s grades were A* or A (or equivalent) and 80.5% A*, A or B.