Across the island, more than 800 GCSE students received their grades this week.

However, a late change in the UK means that those doing BTEC qualifications face a further wait.

The Courier spent the morning at Ballakermeen High School. Head teacher Adrienne Burnett said she was delighted that the hard work of students and their teachers over the last two years had been recognised.

At Ballakermeen, eight students picked up 64 A star grades and a further 28 A grades between them.

Of those eight students, Brintha Yasodaran was the cream of the crop, picking up 12 A star grades and a distinction in additional maths. Mrs Burnett praised Brintha’s ’amazing achievement’.

Brintha told the Courier she was ’pretty happy’ with her results, saying they were ’the best that I could do’ which should send her on her way to fulfilling her enormous potential.

She added: ’I want to go to sixth form and probably take chemistry, biology, physics and maths, which is going to be demanding but I think I can do it.’

Brintha said that after school she wants to go to university and study science or medicine.

Paulina Kurzydlowska who received seven A stars, four As and a B said she was ’extremely happy’ with her grades and that she was looking forward to studying art, media studies, maths and further maths at A-Level and plans to study art at university.

Chris Reece, who got six A stars and six As, is also looking forward and wanting to study chemistry, biology, maths and music at sixth form and hopes to head into medicine at university.

Mrs Burnett said: ’Whether they are returning to our sixth form or moving on to pastures new, I wish all of our Year 11 the very best of luck in the future.

’Centre-assessed grading was a rigorous, painstaking but fair process. I would like to place on record my thanks to our Ballakermeen staff, who acted with integrity and absolute professionalism throughout.’

Unfortunately for Ballakermeen’s 89 Level 1 and 2 BTEC students, their results have not yet been published, after similar issues affected the Level 3 results last week.

Mrs Burnett explained: ’Late yesterday afternoon (Wednesday), after all the results sheets were placed in envelopes, we had to withdraw 89 sets of BTEC results because the grades are incorrect.

’I appreciate it is important to have the correct results given to the students, but I would have more faith if some of the Level 3 BTEC results (equivalent to A levels) which should have been issued last week were in the public domain.

’One week on and our students have still not received these qualifications. We are fortunate that students were not reliant on their Level 3 BTEC grades to secure a place at university.’

At King William’s College a record-breaking 98% of students were awarded A star to C grades.

Leading the year group with at least 10 A stars each are Anna Cregeen, Carys Hoile, Sophie Long, Ava Treutler and Alex Turnbull, closely followed by Christina Adcock, Ruairi McNally and Helene Stetina who are only one or two grades behind.

Principal Joss Buchanan said: ’This year’s results have been dominated by politics but it is very important that we now put all the controversies to one side and celebrate what the students have achieved.

’They were not able to sit their final exams because of the lockdown but these results reflect two - and in some cases three - years of hard work and the foundations for success were laid long before we had ever heard of Covid-19.’

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