Students at award-winning Penarth school, Westbourne, are celebrating today after achieving a sweep of outstanding results in their GCSE examinations, with 100% A*-C in all core subjects, 71% A*/A (9-7), and 49% A* (9/8).

The excellent grades follow two years of study under difficult conditions, with Westbourne GCSE co-ordinator Mrs Jodi Barber hailing this year's cohort as "truly inspirational".

Mrs Barber said: "We are incredibly proud of our GCSE students this year, whose phenomenal results are testament to their dedication, hard work, and an unrelenting determination to succeed that is truly inspirational.

"It is always nerve-wracking waiting for results, even more so for our 2022 cohort, who are the first to sit a full set of GCSEs since 2019, and who have had to cope with studying remotely through two extended school closures - unprecedented in our times.

"We extend our congratulations to them, their families and of course to the Westbourne teachers, who have shown great resilience in consistently adapting to new ways of teaching, including pioneering the latest technology."

Local student Mayra Holbook, who skipped Year 9 to start her GCSEs a year early, achieved an exceptional 13 A* grades, six of which were the highest grade 9, plus a Distinction in Further Maths, including four A* grades achieved last year.

She said: "I have loved every second at Westbourne School. The welcoming and friendly environment meant that I easily integrated into my year group. Thank you so much to not only the teachers, but all of the staff who have supported me and made my time at Westbourne unforgettable."

Other stand-out performances came from aspiring doctor Priya Shetty, whose results included eight A* grades and a Distinction in Further Maths, as well as Oscar Bridges, who achieved an exceptional six A* grades, three A grades, and a Distinction in Further Maths.

A student at Westbourne since Prep School, Oscar sat his GCSEs a year early.

Every single Year 10 student at Westbourne also sat their Language and Numeracy GCSEs a year early, demonstrating academic maturity and confidence for their age group.

Several of these Year 10 students achieved the highest grades in a range of languages, including Penarth student Harri Abad Merritt, who achieved a A* in Spanish, Martyna Bacior who achieved an A* in Polish, and Jasmine Anastasiou from Penarth who achieved an A* in Turkish and is currently only in Year 9.

Mrs Barber recognised the role that innovation has played in the students' success, saying: "Westbourne has long been known for the personalised approach we take to teaching, with students across the whole school benefitting from smaller class sizes and one-to-one support.

"However, over the past few years, we have transformed our use of technology and are now increasingly recognised as an innovator in education, leading the way with a cutting-edge approach. In 2021, the school was added to the high-profile EdTech50 list, which acknowledges organisations that are shaping UK education through technological innovation and, earlier this year, was shortlisted for Best Use of Technology in the TES Schools Awards.

"We launched a fully integrated online learning platform during lockdown to support all pupils to excel, achieving the near-impossible feat of 100% live lesson coverage in a single week, and we were also one of the first schools in Wales to enhance learning using artificial intelligence-backed software".