Students celebrate their GCSE results

Students are now planning the next step in their lives after collecting their results, with youngsters at Cramlington Learning Village among those celebrating.

Rachel Gourley’s results – nine GCSEs at Grade 6 and above – meant she secured a golf scholarship at Auburn University in Alabama.

Rachel, who started playing golf when she was five and this year was selected for the England Golf Under 18 Elite Team, said: “The scholarship was very much dependant on my GCSEs, but the coach is happy with what I got.”

She will return to the school to study her A-levels before heading stateside in 2022.

Rachel, a member of Arcot Hall Golf Club in Cramlington and practises at Close House, added: “The school’s been brilliant both for letting me take time off to travel around the UK and Europe but also helping me catch up once I get back to school or giving me work to do when I was away.”

Adam Richardson, a goalkeeper for Sunderland AFC and England Under-17s, has also successfully juggled his sporting and academic commitments.

Adam, who has been with Sunderland since he was eight and signed his first professional contract in January, achieved nine GCSEs at Grade 5 and above.

Four students – Daniel Beaney, Sophie Coaker, James Dunn and Sophie Milligan – were awarded at least seven Grade 9s for their subjects.

Sophie Coaker, who received the top grades in all of her GCSEs, said: “I was really relieved after all the disappointments the students had last week. I was pleased that they changed it from the algorithm to predicted grades.

“At first I was a little bit annoyed because I couldn’t put all my hard work into practice, but I’m a bit relieved to have not gone through all the exams. It has been a little bit stressful.”

Sophie Milligan is taking A-levels in French, Spanish, Biology and Chemistry after her nine seven GCSEs, including seven Grade 9s.

She said: “The last few months have been very stressful, not knowing how I was going to do.

"I went into it expecting to do exams and I had worked pretty hard. It’s been a bit strange and a bit worrying, but I’m just so glad it’s all sorted now and I’ve got my results.”

Cramlington Learning Village headteacher Wendy Heslop said she was both delighted and relieved with the GCSE success of students at the school: “It is great that an academic year which will be largely remembered for the disruption caused by the Covid-19 shutdown has ended so positively.

"There have been so many fantastic performances which reflect both the hard work and commitment of the students.”