Islington students celebrate successes amid strong GCSE results across the borough

Provisional results show an Attainment 8 score across Islington’s schools of 46.3, above last year’s national average score of 45.9. Almost half of students (47.4 per cent) achieved a strong pass in both English and maths – also higher than last year’s national average (45.9 per cent).

As students queued to collect their results at City of London Academy Highbury Grove this morning, the gentle hum of anticipation was cut through with screams and yelps of surprise and celebration.

The Mayor of Islington, Cllr Jason Jackson, and Cllr Michelline Safi-Ngongo, the council’s Executive Member for Children, Young People and Families, were there to witness it and congratulated students as they celebrated.

One of those on top of the world was Lamya, who picked up her results this morning with her mum. Lamya achieved a suite of 9s across the board and has her eye on a career in paediatrics or psychology, with A Levels in biology, chemistry, maths and psychology next on the agenda. “The last 24 hours were a bit of a rollercoaster; it was quite difficult to sleep,” she said. “I opened my results today and it was just a relief because I’ve been working really hard for those grades. My mum’s proud. She stood with me throughout the whole process and saw the results with me.”

Alex is excited to pursue a career in videogame graphics and animation and intends to enrol at Capital City College Group’s cutting-edge Mosaic campus in Soho. “The course is animation, VFX skills and game design,” he said. “My dream is to create something like Dragonball. It’s my favourite in the entire anime industry.” He said he was both excited and nervous to reveal his results to his mum, but relieved to have done better than he was expecting.

After a “nerve-wracking” 24 hours in the build-up to collecting her results, Neveah discovered she had achieved a brace of 7s and 8s and will study biology, psychology, geography and Spanish at Camden School for Girls. “I really want to work in forensics,” she said. “In school my science teachers have always been amazing, so I think their passion in the subject has transferred over to me.”

Aspiring cardiologist Isabel will study biology, chemistry, maths and physics at A Level. “When I was younger I was always asking questions like, ‘What’s my body made of?’ and I remember my mum bought me all these books about anatomy. I never grew out of that phase; even though I have more scientific knowledge, I still need to know more! I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to quench that, but definitely want to study medicine. I like being around people and like a hands-on, interactive job. I think I would die of boredom if I was behind a desk!”

Mayor Cllr Jackson said: “It’s always a pleasure meeting our students and hearing how they’ve done, learning about what it’s taken to achieve that and their dreams for the future. I’m always inspired by their stories and I’m filled with optimism for them and for Islington. Congratulations to every student picking up their results today!”

Cllr Safi-Ngongo said: “I’m just so proud of the students here and right across Islington for doing their absolute best. I know their consistent dedication and hard work will have been matched by their teachers, support staff, parents and others at home, so these results really are a reflection of the best of Islington.

“We’re determined to help our young people thrive and make the most of the opportunities this borough offers. If any students are unsure of their next steps or would like some expert guidance, our Progress Team are holding drop-in sessions over the next few days.”

All students are welcome to contact the council's Progress Team of friendly career advisors, who can provide essential support, advice, and information. They can assist with securing places at sixth form, college and vocational training courses. Contact the Progress Team throughout the summer and into September at progress@islington.gov.uk or on 020 7527 7031.

The team are also running drop-in services at both 222 Upper Street and West Library Youth Hub on Friday 22 and Tuesday 26 August, 10am-4pm. They will also be at Corker Walk Youth Hub on 26 August. For further information visit islington.gov.uk/nextsteps