Wallace High School is once again celebrating its students’ GCSE results. The top 10 students in the year achieved an astonishing 107A * grades between them with Matthew Allen heading the list with a truly remarkable 12A* grades. Matthew achieved A* grades in French, German and Spanish which is thought to be a first for Wallace.
In a year group of 174 students, 23 % of all grades were A*, 54 students achieved 9 or more grades at A*-A, 104 students attained 9 or more A*-B grades and over 80% of all grades awarded were A*, A or B again this year. The school has a strong commitment to individualising the provision and opportunities offered to its students and some pupils this year studied 12 full GCSE subject courses. Mrs O’Hare commented on this range of subjects, ” It is important to find an appropriate number and range of subjects at GCSE for all our students. For some students 9 subjects is sufficient but for others 12 subjects stretches their ability and provides an enriched broad base from which to move to A level.”
Of particular note are the following achievements of the top 10 students: Matthew Allen 12A*, Saffron Cairns 11A* 1B, Rachel Chambers, Alice Crosby, Nikhita Dowie, and Rebecca Lynn all gained 11A* grades, Peter Gillanders, Sara Menown, Peter Scott and Ben Smyth each achieved 10A* and 1 A grade. Some of the older members of staff in Wallace can remember the parents of several of these pupils collecting their own excellent O and A level results decades ago! Ale Castro- Thompson also sat 2 GCSE s outside of Wallace giving him 13 A grades ( 8 A* and 5 A grades)!
The Principal also expressed her thanks to the teaching and support staff, the parents and the feeder primary schools for the success of the students at GCSE. ” The groundwork for success in education begins at home and excellent foundations are built for our young people by parents and the local primary schools. Our teachers and support staff then build on these foundations to provide high quality learning and teaching and an enviable range of extra-curricular activities to develop these young people holistically. Today’s results reflect 13 years of pre-school, Primary School and Grammar School education. The community of Lisburn should be justifiably proud of what our young people have achieved.”
What does the future hold? New AS specifications in all subjects and AS examinations only 9 months away but these serious thoughts are for another day. As the students celebrate their successes they are looking forward to a Wallace rite of passage, the long anticipated pleasure of passing through the doors of the Sixth Form Centre and sinking down on the soft seats of the social area. It’s just a shame the bell rings so loudly!
Last modified: March 14, 2017
