Bright futures ahead for Hugh Baird College GCSE students
Hugh Baird College students and staff were celebrating yet another impressive set of GCSE results. For the third consecutive year, 100% of adult learners passed their GCSE English and 99% passed their GCSE Maths. This is the College’s highest pass rate in the past three years, far surpassing the national average of both subjects.
Even better, for the fourth consecutive year, both the students within the 14-16 College and any students aged between 16-18 who were re-sitting their GCSE Maths and English, have achieved an impressive set of results in both GCSE English and Maths, increasing again from last year.
In total, the College has achieved its highest ever recorded number of students achieving a grade 4 and above in Maths and English over the past three years. Many students will now be one step closer to achieving their future career, with students from across the College progressing onto further education, an apprenticeship or in to full time employment.
Laura Crellin, Hugh Baird College GCSE English & Maths student, said:
After years away from the classroom, I decided to return to Hugh Baird College to study GCSE English and Maths. Before returning to college, I was a full-time carer for my eldest son. Coming back to college wasn’t easy, but with the great support from family and friends I was able to take that first crucial step back to education.
It was a big decision for me to come back to college, but the main aim was to get myself into a career that I really felt passionately about. During my time at the College, I have passed my Level 2 Special Educational Needs and Disability Practitioner course and I’ve also achieved a grade 8 in English and a grade 5 in Maths in my GCSEs.
I am now one step closer to my dream of becoming a teacher of children with special educational needs.
Getting these results today mean that I will be able to start the Access to Higher Education course in Education Professionals here at the Hugh Baird University Centre this coming academic year.
Owen Stow, Hugh Baird 14-16 College Hospitality and Catering student, said:
When it came to selecting my GCSE options at high school, I never really felt there was the right combinations of options available to me.
I’ve always loved cooking and when I saw that Hugh Baird 14-16 College offered the option to study my GCSEs and a vocational qualification alongside a catering and hospitality course, I knew it was the place for me.
Coming to a new place of study was quite daunting at first, but with the amazing support from the tutors, I knew I made the right decision.
I achieved 5 GCSEs at grade 4 and above and I also passed my Level 2 Hospitality and Catering course. I am now able to study A-level Psychology, PE and Biology at Hugh Baird College’s Sixth Form Centre.
Michael Fogarty, Hugh Baird 14-16 College Travel & The Visitor Economy student, said:
I was never the best in school, I found big classes very daunting and I was easily distracted. When I heard about the Hugh Baird 14-16 College, I couldn’t believe that there were so many options available to me.
Even better, the class sizes were so much smaller and this allowed me to gain more one to one tutor support.
I decided to study the Travel and the Visitor Economy course as I have always loved traveling and learning about the different cultures of the world.
Studying at the 14-16 College has completely changed me, I feel like I can be myself and don’t need to change to fit in. I’ve grown in confidence and have made a whole new group of friends.
I achieved 5 GCSEs at grade 4 and above today and I also passed my Travel & The Visitor Economy Level 2 course. I will now be moving on to study A-level English Literature, Biology and History at Hugh Baird College’s Sixth Form Centre.
Dylan Bacon, Hugh Baird College Learning for Life student, said:
I attended an Open Evening at Hugh Baird College and was overwhelmed by the amount of courses on offer! I didn’t know what course would suit me best or what I wanted to do in the future. A tutor suggested I tried the Learning for Life course and two years later, here I am picking up my GCSE results. The course helped me discover my passion for horticulture and has really got me excited for the future. I have achieved a grade 4 in GCSE Maths and passed both my Functional Skills in English and my diploma in Skills for Further Learning and Employment. I will now be enrolling on a Horticulture course at a local college.
Yana Williams, Hugh Baird College Principal and Chief Executive, said:
On behalf of all the staff and Governors of Hugh Baird College, I would like to congratulate those collecting their results today. Our results reflect the hard work our students and staff have put in over the last year.
For many of our students these GCSE are resits to improve on previous grades so it is so pleasing to see so many students excel and achieve improved pass marks. I am certain that for many, it will boost their levels of self-belief and provide them with a platform to gain additional qualifications, move on to higher education or maybe secure a promotion at work.
All GCSE classes are FREE at Hugh Baird College and spaces for students to start this September are still available. Individuals interested in taking those first steps to college are encouraged to visit www.hughbaird.ac.uk/apply or call in to the college to speak to a member of the team.
For more information the 14-16 College, please visit: https://www.hughbaird.ac.uk or alternatively call 0151 353 4444.
