The results are in! Melksham Oak praises ‘resilient’ and ‘determined’ students

MELKSHAM Oak School has praised its A-Level and GCSE students for their ‘resilience and determination’ to overcome challenges caused by the pandemic, as they collected their results last week. 

For the second year in a row, this year’s grades have been determined by teachers’ assessments, rather than exams – and record grades have been received in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

At Melksham Oak, the school’s principal, Alan Henderson, has celebrated the ‘great success stories’ of the year, and has thanked students, staff and families for their efforts navigating the Covid-19 disruption. 

About the school’s A-Level results, he said, “I would like to personally congratulate each and every one of our students receiving their A-Level results today (10th August). This year’s cohort has experienced major disruption throughout what is a crucial stage of every child’s education. That being said, the students have shown enormous resilience and determination to overcome every challenge and demonstrated a willingness to adapt to every situation faced – from home-schooling to self-isolation, they remained positive and passionate about doing well. 

“The teachers and I have been so impressed with how engaged the students were whilst learning online and attending the many revision sessions on offer to them. We are so proud of how hard they have worked and the results today are testament to this. 

“I would also like to recognise the tremendous efforts of our staff and their tireless efforts to support and prepare students, going above and beyond through incredibly difficult times. And not forgetting our parents and wider community for their continued support. It is very much appreciated. 

“And finally, we wish all our students every success in the next stage of their journey. Each and every one of them have exceptionally bright futures ahead of them.” 

As students collected their GCSE results last week, principal Alan Henderson said, “I would like to congratulate all our year 11s who have received their GCSE results today (12th August). The conclusion of Key Stage 4 is an important stage in every young person’s education and our students have demonstrated great resilience and determination throughout the most exceptional of circumstances.  

“From challenging lockdowns and remote learning through to periods of self-isolation, our students have remained focused and determined to succeed. For that, I am proud of each and every one of them and all that they have achieved. 

“We have seen some great success stories today, and I would like to give a special mention to the following students who achieved exceptional results – Esme Dannett, Jack Meakin, Hope Millard, Abbie Roger, Molly Gwyn, Poppy Gutcher-Dunn, Ella Clarke, and Olivia Williams. 

“It’s also important today to recognise the hard work and dedication shown by our staff throughout the last eighteen months, and of course, the support of our parents, without which we would not be where we are today. 

“We believe all our students have bright futures ahead of them and we are here to support them in the coming weeks, whether they are joining sixth form or choosing a different path.” 

New (school) year, new beginnings! 

The new school year at Melksham Oak will see the grand opening of its new sixth-form block, which has been built in response to a growing demand for places. 

The new building will include ten new classrooms, fitted out with the latest technology providing up to 240 new places. 

Principal Alan Henderson said, “Going forward, we are excited to welcome our new sixth formers in September who will be the first to experience our new facilities on site. In particular, we are looking forward to finally being able to offer our sixth form students a dedicated state-of-the-art space for learning and socialising separate from the main school, something our students have long been waiting for. 

“Sixth form students will also benefit from a dedicated area including two science labs, a new common room, and a study room. A new cafeteria will also open, catering for all students. Therefore, we were delighted to be in a position to hand out today’s (12th August) GCSE results in our new facility, which really added to the occasion and gave those students staying with us a taste of what to expect in September.”