Results Day stories usually write themselves, with a joyful celebration of individual and collective effort and achievement. This year’s results season has, of course, been very different and whilst we have known for some time that COVID actions would bring change, no one could have imagined the tumultuous situation which has unfolded over the past two weeks.
We wrote to our students and parents on Monday morning and expressed our admiration for how students have faced, firstly, the cancellation of long–anticipated exams, and then the aftermath of intensifying and contradictory Government messages and media attention with great resilience and a maturity beyond their years. We are delighted that the Government’s subsequent U-turn on Monday afternoon means that I can now add my heartfelt congratulations on a well-deserved set of GCSE grades which best reflect the hard work and ability of this exceptional group of young women. A summary of this cohort’s results can be found here.
As Head of Centre I presided over a forensic process of evidence gathering and evaluation to determine the Centre Assessed Grades for each student. The in-depth process was undertaken by each student’s subject teacher and Head of Department before being verified by our Examinations Officer, Mr Buckingham, Head of Section, Mrs O’Donnell, Deputy Head, Mr Hughes and finally me as Head of Centre. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff for the care and many additional hours paid to this process which they undertook with meticulous attention and great integrity. Their detailed work ensured students received the results which were a testament to their effort and perseverance over many years.
In a year where the emphasis has been on statistics, this process and these very pleasing results demonstrate our strength in focussing on the individual. It is clear that students at Walthamstow Hall are not just numbers and not just names, but individuals who are known.
During this period of constant and disconcerting change, what has struck me most is that this generation of young people, to which our students belong, is already proving itself to be an incredible force for good. The courage, compassion and intelligence they have shown in bringing movements for justice and equality, climate change and now fair examination results for all, to the fore clearly shows that our young people are not passive bystanders. Rather, they are using their talents and education to shape all of our futures for the better. It is my great privilege to lead a School with such students in its community, and I am really looking forward to seeing all that they will accomplish in Sixth Form and beyond.
Miss Stephanie Ferro
Walthamstow Hall Headmistress and Head of Centre
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