Huge congratulations from everyone at Cirencester Deer Park School to our Class of 2024 for their GCSE results received on Thursday 22 August 2024. It was a joy and privilege to celebrate with the year group in the Main Hall this morning.

They have made us, and their families proud, and should be incredibly pleased with what they have accomplished. On their behalf I would like to extend huge thanks to our staff who have been instrumental in guiding our pupils towards these results. 

• 78% secured 5 or more standard passes, grades 9-4
• 75% secured 5 or more standard passes, grades 9-4, including English and Maths
• 85% of pupils attained standard passes in English, grades 9-4
• 81% of pupils attained standard passes in Maths, grades 9-4
• 77% attained the ‘basics’ at 9-4 (English and Maths combined)
• 26% of all grades awarded were the top grades 9-7
• 50 pupils, more than a quarter of the year group, achieved 5 or more of the top grades 9-7
• 21 pupils secured 8 or more grades 9-7

The Class of 2024 are my final year group as Headteacher and end my association with Cirencester Deer Park School on a very positive note. I have been honoured to be their Headteacher, playing a small part in their success. I would like to remind everyone that this year group are very much part of the Covid generation whose education was impacted by the pandemic.  

The headline figures our Class of 2024 have achieved indicate that they have outperformed our 2019 results, the last of the pre-Covid results. This is significant given that the exams have returned to 2019 metrics.  

These pupils have left an indelible mark on everyone who has taught them or supported them pastorally. True ambassadors for the school, they are polite, friendly, caring and kind and extol the values of Deer Park. Being trustworthy, kind and full of determination has led them to these great results.

Albert, who achieved some fantastic grades, said: “I’m delighted with my grades overall. I realise I could have worked more consistently in English, and this would have really helped me get even better grades. But I am going where I want to and am on the course I applied for. I’m really pleased!”

For those pupils who found the experience even more challenging than most, I know some will be disappointed, but I would urge them to fall back on their strength of character they have developed over the last five years, along with the knowledge and skills they have acquired and get ready to ‘go again’ with their studies. They have time on their side and there are many paths to the destinations they seek.

I wish every pupil in our Class of 2024 every success in the future; they thoroughly deserve to go on to greater success in their next stages in life.

Congratulations also go to our (new) Year 11 pupils, 82% of whom sat their GCSE Short Course in Religious Philosophy; 81.6% achieved grades 9-4, 38.7% achieved top grades 7-9. A small cohort of the year group (8%) sat GCSE Statistics while they were in Year 10, with 100% achieving grades 9-4 and 43.8% achieving top grades 7-9.

Richard Clutterbuck, Headteacher