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Julian Lloyd Webber Patron

As patron of Guildford County School, Specialist Music College, I am aware of the very healthy musical provision established within the school, as well as a number of successful musical initiatives which have been impressively maintained against the ever more challenging climate for The Arts in education. Two such schemes are the Reediscovery and Brass programmes, which were started in response to the national shortage of double reed instruments and trombones. Both are in their 10th year and have allowed successive generations of students at GCS the opportunity to access instruments that they may never otherwise have had.

The Director of Music, Caroline Gale, is seeking to expand this provision by responding to the Surrey-wide lack of young string players coming through to secondary schools. This new project, Stringendo, seeks to provide students in Year 6, from their affiliated primary schools, as well as Year 7 and 8 students, the opportunity to play the violin. It is also hoped that this will further develop to include cello.

Research shows compelling evidence of the benefits of a music education on a wide range of skills; these include listening which supports the development of language skills, awareness of phonics and enhanced literacy; it also helps spatial reasoning which supports the development of mathematical skills.

The proposed strings scheme at GCS aims to positively impact the intellectual, social and personal development of children and young people, and to further enhance the musical provision provided at GCS by acting as a transition link. Primary school students will have the opportunity to play alongside GCS students in their training orchestra and aspire to progress onto performing with the GCS Chamber Orchestra and String Ensembles.

As the planned programme will involve a degree of group work, it will also encourage development of a wide range of personal and social skills, further enhancing overall academic achievement.

I am delighted to endorse this initiative which seeks to provide a wide range of opportunities as well as a carefully crafted sense of progression and focus.

 

 

 

News

22nd August 2024

GCSE Results 2024

We are delighted to share with you the news of our incredibly strong GCSE results for 2024.  These results are the best we’ve ever seen at County against almost every single measure and are a testament to the relentless dedication of our staff and the remarkable work ethic of our students.  Our focus now shifts to welcoming these students into our Sixth Form, for which we are still accepting new applications, and to ensuring that they are prepared for the challenges and rigour of post 16 study. Despite all and any challenges that have faced our outgoing Year 11s’ education, it has been truly rewarding to watch them grow into the outstanding young adults that they are today, supported by a fantastic team of staff.  We are now looking forward to the upcoming national data analysis, which will allow us to precisely measure the progress of each student and the school as a whole.  That said, given our very strong attainment figures, I’m confident that we have performed admirably as a school at GCSE level and that every child should be able to take pride in their achievements. As we prepare now to enter the new academic year, our challenge is to continue striving for excellence for every single child.  We have already spent considerable time reviewing our results, student by student and our focus now will be on those marginal gains that we can continue to make and that will continue to foster truly effective learning experiences for every student. Today, then, marks the conclusion of one phase of each student’s education and presents a wonderful opportunity to celebrate their achievements.  We are incredibly proud of the Year 11 Class of 2024 for their outstanding results and wish them the very best as they move on to the next chapter of their lives.  For many, I’m thrilled to say that this next chapter will be with us here at Guildford County Sixth Form and we look forward to welcoming them and a large number of new recruits in September. As we move into the new academic year, we will make it our mission to transform the lives of the children we serve and to ensure that learning is ever at the centre of our work here at County.  We will do this with a care and dedication that set us apart from others.Read Full Article
15th August 2024

A Level Results 2024

Celebrating the Success of Our Year 13 Students: A Bright Future Ahead We are thrilled to announce the outstanding achievements of our outgoing Year 13 students.  Their success is a testament to the dedication and hard work that they have put into their studies, supported by an exceptional staff team who have guided them every step of the way.  Today, we celebrate not just the academic results but also the bright futures that await our alumni. This year’s exam season was particularly challenging, given the disruption these students faced earlier in their secondary education due to the pandemic.  Despite these obstacles, our students have shown remarkable resilience. The atmosphere this morning, as we distributed exam results, was one of celebration and optimism, not just among the students but also among our staff.  We have already begun planning for the coming academic year, discussing what more can be done, and what can be done differently, to secure even greater outcomes for the incoming Year 13 cohort.  Our commitment to excellence remains unrelenting and we continue to have the highest expectations of ourselves and our students. Today, we also take the time to reflect on the personal stories of individual students for whom these results represent significant milestones.  Under the guidance of expert teachers and with the strategic support of our skilled Governing Body and growing Trust, our students have achieved remarkable success. We are particularly proud of those students who have achieved straight A* grades and those who have far exceeded their targets.  As a Music Specialist College, we are also delighted that two of our co-hort now go on to study at Conservatoire.  As well as this, we have students studying Medicine and Veterinary Science as well as success at Oxbridge, not to mention those students going off to study for an apprenticeship and those planning to travel or enter the world of work.  A really strong set of outcomes for a really strong group of young people. Today marks the end of one phase of our students’ education and the beginning of another. We are proud to congratulate the Sixth Form Class of 2024 on their many achievements and wish them all the best as they embark on the next chapter of their lives. We hope many will choose to join our growing alumni community, allowing us to continue celebrating their successes in the years to come.Read Full Article
24th August 2023

GCSE Results 2023

We are really pleased with today’s news of some great results at GCSE.  Results that will open many doors for the students and results that buck the national trend this year of grade deflation.  These results are amongst the best that the school has seen at GCSE level and are so as a result of the hard work and dedication of the staff team and also as a result of the work ethic shown by so very many of the children themselves.  Results distribution today went smoothly as a result of the work of the Exams and Sixth Form teams, but we must also thank the many other staff who attended earlier on this morning in order to help with the distribution of results and to offer their congratulations and support to the students themselves.  This is not an obligation by any means, but it is hugely warming when colleagues choose to give up some of their holiday time so as to see the children through to the next stage of their life journeys. Whilst much of the early part of our outgoing Year 11s’ secondary school studies were mired by the pandemic, it has been wonderful to watch them grow and develop into such wonderful young adults.  We look forward, next, to the national level data analysis that will enable us to accurately assess the amount of progress that each child has made and that we have made as a whole school.  That said, with attainment a useful proxy for progress we feel quietly confident that we have performed well as a school at GCSE level. Over the five year story that we have jointly told together, each and every student is now able to take forward something that they can feel incredibly proud of and I am delighted to be able to share with you some individual stories of success. With 40% of all grades awarded at 9-7, it is difficult to single out individual students.  Deserving of a special mention, though, are Shiv, Jasmin, Erin, Koby, Isobel, Joseph, Amelia, Bishesta, Rose, Evie, Emma, Veronica, Jack and Rebecca for achieving exceptionally high results.  We are especially proud also of Freya, Daisy and Ethan for achieving 10 or more GCSEs at grade 9 – a fantastic achievement.  In total, 30 students achieved on average 2 grades or higher than expected – Hannah, Rose, Madeleine and Freddie achieved well above their target grades – a massive well done to them.  Today represents the end of one phase of each student's education and is a terrific opportunity to recognise and celebrate what they have all achieved. We are delighted to be able to congratulate the Year 11 Class of 2023 for their fantastic results and also to wish them well as they move on to the next phase of their lives with our full support and our very best wishes for the future. For many, I am thrilled to say that this will be here at Guildford County Sixth Form and we cannot wait to welcome them and a large number of external recruits through the doors in September. Please see below some headline data for your interest.   2017/2018 2018/2019 2019/2020 2020/2021 2021/2022 2022/2023   # % # % # % # % # % # % EM5+ 103 67.32 100 62.5 98 62.82 112 68.71 123 68.33 119 66 EM4+ 122 79.74 131 81.88 135 86.54 132 80.98 152 84.44 145 80 E5+ 121 79.08 123 76.88 123 78.85 125 76.69 145 80.56 132 73 M5+ 106 69.28 107 66.88 107 68.59 120 73.62 129 71.67 136 75 S5+ 101 66.01 99 61.88 109 69.87 123 75.46 120 66.67 122 67 Grade 9 to 8 (Inc A*) 403 26.72 285 19.09 365 25.03 427 27.35 409 24.91 402 24 Grade 9 to 7 (Inc A*-A) 631 41.84 507 33.96 621 42.59 674 43.18 677 41.23 648 39.34 Grade 9 to 5 (Inc A*-B) 1057 70.09 1039 69.59 1128 77.37 1122 71.88 1244 75.76 1180 72 Grade 9 to 5 (Inc A*-C) 1112 73.74 1039 69.59 1128 77.37 1122 71.88 1244 75.76 1180 72 Grade 9 to 4 (Inc A*-C) 1240 82.23 1246 83.46 1309 89.78 1299 83.22 1430 87.09 1364 83 Progress 8 0.56 0.37 0.66 0.68 0.51 +0.43 (subject to autumn confirmation) Attainment 8 59.15 57.06 60.45 59.73 60.48 58.17 Total grades 1508 1493 1458 1561 1642 1644   This coming year, we will once again work on our genuinely held ambition to be leaders in secondary education and we will have a laser sharp focus on literacy, on leadership and on learning; delivering all of this with the love that sets us apart from many in our field and delivering it by working now on the marginal gains that will make all the difference and that will give rise to truly effective learning experiences for every single child. Read Full Article
17th August 2023

A Level Results 2023

Today we are celebrating the hard work and multiple successes of our Sixth Form students here at Guildford County School. Our sincere thanks go to the Sixth Form and Exams teams for making sure that the preparation for today and the results distribution morning itself ran so smoothly and also to the many other staff who attended earlier on in order to help with the delivery of results and to offer their congratulations and support to the students. We are pleased that the build up to and delivery of the summer examinations season felt once again this year as we would hope, as we continue to emerge from the pandemic.  It has also been interesting this week to read the commentary from experts in response to Ofqual’s move to return to a grading regime similar to that seen in 2019. With the politics of education put to one side, then, I am really keen for us all at County to choose to look today at the personal stories of the individual students for whom this occassion represents the culmination of this chapter in their educational journeys.  We should once again adopt the narrative of resilient learners, dedicating themselves to their studies under the leadership of exceptional colleagues from across the school – teachers, support staff and governors alike.  These are students who have worked tirelessly over a great number of years and they are now able to move on to the next stage in their education with the sense of achievement and recognition that they so richly deserve.  Before we look at the results of the cohort as a whole, I am delighted to be able to share with you some individual stories of success. Individual successes were many in a range of subject areas.  We are particularly proud of several outstanding results from these high performing students.  Joseph (A*, A*, A*, A), Eleanor (A*, A*, A*, B), Hannah (A*, A*, A*), Max (A*, A*, A*) and Daisy (A*, A*, A*). At the time of writing, 72% of all of our departing students have secured places at Universities from Aberystwyth to Edinburgh to Plymouth with 44% of those students going to university accepting places at prestigious Russell Group universities.  Three County students who held Oxbridge offers have been successful.  Joe has secured a place at Cambridge to read Engineering.  Josh is going to Oxford to read Philosophy, Politics and Economics and Isabelle has secured a place at Cambridge to study Modern and Medieval Languages.  As a Music Specialist College, we are also thrilled to celebrate with Jim as he accepts a place at the Royal Academy of Music conservatoire.  We also congratulate Thuan for securing a place at the University of the Arts of London, at the Jimmy Choo Academy. Today represents the end of one phase of each student's education and the opportunity to recognise and celebrate what they have achieved. We are delighted to be able to congratulate the Sixth Form Class of 2023 for their many achievements and also to wish them well as they move on to the next phase of their lives with our full support and our very best wishes for the future. I am hopeful that many will choose to become members of our ever growing alumni community and that we will then be able to continue to watch their successes over the years to come. Please see below some headline data for your interest. A Level Grades % A*/A 27 A*/B 52 A*/C 73 A*/D 91 A*/E 97      Read Full Article
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