Millfield GCSE students receive Centre Assessed results in exceptional exam year

Left to right: Clarissa Jackson, Rebecca Stowell, Headmaster Gavin Horgan, Barney French and Joanna Maddock

Despite the decision announced by Ofqual that Centre Assessed Grades would be awarded to students at GCSE and A Level at the eleventh hour causing further delays, most Millfield pupils are today able to celebrate an exceptional range of GCSE results. Some students are still awaiting BTEC results after last minute changes though. 

Headmaster Gavin Horgan has welcomed the decision, saying, “Young people receiving their results this year have had immeasurable anxiety and confusion surrounding their future. The decision by Ofqual is, I believe, the right one for students who have worked diligently throughout the year and deserve to be recognised for that. At Millfield, we adopted a robust system where our students’ teachers, who know them best, used evidence gathered over the duration of the course to quantify the grade awarded. Our students have achieved fantastic results during a year they will likely remember for the rest of their lives. Well done to them all. To those still awaiting their results, rest assured that the decision has been taken in your best interests.”

Seven students have received an outstanding all 9s in their subjects: Maia Page, Clarissa Jackson, Maddison Calvesbert-Sharp, Joanna Maddock, Elena Launder, Rosa Launder and Barney French.

Clarissa Jackson, from Street, attended Millfield Prep and is a keen footballer who trains with the Yeovil Town ladies U16 team and was selected to represent the Independent Schools Football Association (ISFA) in an U16 game against ESFA (English Schools Football Association) in Surrey. Clarissa said: “I was ecstatic, over the moon. I haven’t been too anxious about getting my grades, but I was shocked to know I got all 9’s.” She is attending Millfield Sixth Form and will study A levels in Chinese, Religious Studies and either English, History or Maths.

Barney French from Wells attended Millfield Prep and plays hockey, took part in debating and is a keen computer programmer. Barney was the only Year 11 student to take the Millfield Diploma course in Computer Science this term and produced a cricket scoring system in Java that his teacher said, ‘would have been worthy of an A grade at A level.’ Barney said this morning: “I’m really happy with how it has all turned out.” He is attending Millfield Sixth Form to study Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Computer Science A levels.

Joanna Maddock from Baltonsborough, also attended Millfield Prep, is a music scholar and takes part in singing, piano, oboe, and dance. Her family are one of the first third generation families to attend Millfield - her grandmother was one of the very first female students at the school. Joanna said: “I am very happy and very proud of the work I have done. It has been nerve-wracking because it was a different system to what we are used to.” She is attending Millfield Sixth Form and will study A levels in History, Music, Latin and Spanish.

Rebecca Stowell, from Wedmore, who joined Millfield in Pre-Prep, said: “I am happy, it was a really good feeling to get my results. A lot of hard work has paid off.” At Millfield, Rebecca takes part in netball and debating and is attending Millfield Sixth Form to study A levels in Maths, Chemistry, Physics and Further Maths.

Maia Page, who lives in Hong Kong, takes part in riding and drama and has taken part in LAMDA examinations.

Maddison Calvesbert-Sharp from Hampshire attended Millfield Prep and plays flute, the piano and sings. Maddison is also a swimmer and is a representative on the year group council.

Elena Launder from Somerton attended Millfield Prep and is a keen fencer and was a key member of the Millfield team at the British Schools Team Championships. Elena also plays percussion.

Elena’s twin sister Rosa also attended Millfield Prep and is a multi-talented musician, achieving Grade 7 in the double bass and playing percussion. Rosa is also a talented netballer and was selected for the Team Bath Netball Futures Hub this year.

Of those that have received their grades so far, the above and below students are Millfield’s highest achieving, with predominantly all 8-9 grades: Alice Chan, Rozalia Moore, Chiara Clark, Oliver Wood, Caspian Fowler, Samuel Harris, Kaira Puri, Rebecca Stowell, Sophia Wilson, Alexandra Champion, Samuel Curwen.

Amongst the top achievers at Millfield are a computer programmer, a Welsh international chess player, an artist, a singer, a piano and guitar player and sportsmen and women in karate, rugby, show jumping, cross country, hockey, fencing, netball and golf.