On Thursday, August 25, hundreds of Cabot Learning Federation Year 11 students at schools across Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset, celebrated exceptional 2022 GCSE results.

Steve Taylor, CEO of Cabot Learning Federation, said: “There is a strong mood of celebration across the Cabot Learning Federation. After two and a half years of disrupted external examinations and high uncertainty, under the stewardship of our dedicated team, our students have shown remarkable resilience and are being rewarded with some very positive results. They have secured excellent destinations and I sincerely hope they can now move on into the next stage of their learning journey, confident in the knowledge that there will be few barriers they won’t be able to overcome in their bight futures. Well done to all.”

Here are our 2022 GCSE results from across Cabot Learning Federation:

Broadoak Academy

At Broadoak Academy we are delighted to announce that students have achieved very strong exam results as our improvement journey continues. 61% percent of our students achieved grades 9-4 in English and Maths, and 40% of our students achieved grades 9-5 in English and Maths, a significant increase from 2019.

This is down to the hard work, dedication, and resilience of our wonderful students, as well as the unwavering support of our parents/carers, and the formidable work of our staff in doing everything they can to support our students to these outcomes. A huge thank you to everyone – our hard work, our togetherness and community spirit are bearing fruit!

Danny McGilloway, Principal of Broadoak Academy, said: “I could not be prouder of the way in which our students have conducted themselves throughout the whole examination season. Our results today are the end product of two years of challenging times, but five years of hard work and dedication. Our young people truly are amazing, and I take my hat off to them, to their families for their ongoing support, and to our staff for their endless endeavours to support our young people to achieve the best they can, setting them up for the next stage of their journeys. This truly is a wonderful community to be part of and today we can share and celebrate success across our community.”

We are proud of all our students; however, these particular students deserve a special mention due to their exceptional outcomes:

Hans Price Academy

Tony Searle, Principal at Hans Price Academy, said: “The students and staff at Hans Price Academy have worked phenomenally hard during the past two years.

“This cohort of students have always engaged fully with their learning during lockdown and taken advantage of the additional sessions on offer at the Academy, before school, during holidays and in the lead up to the exams.

“Whilst battling to ensure they achieved their potential, they managed to remain fantastic role-models for the rest of our academy community, setting a very high standard of behaviour, effort and engagement in all aspects of academy life.

“I am extremely grateful to all staff at the academy, who have been tenacious in supporting students to achieve their best and have access to fantastic pastoral care alongside a wealth of extra-curricular opportunities.”

City Academy Bristol

City Academy Bristol are pleased to announce that we have achieved excellent GCSE results as our improvement journey continues. Students and staff have worked extremely hard throughout the pandemic and as we have returned to schools to achieve a set of results that we are all proud of.

Ben Tucker, Principal, said: “I am incredibly excited by this set of results and what it means for our students, their families and our community. It has been a pleasure to see the students open their results knowing that they have achieved what they need for the next steps in their lives. I would like to thank all the students, staff and their families for their commitment and determination and congratulate them for their excellent results.”

Hanham Woods Academy

Hanham Woods has been on an improving journey since 2017 as the Academy continually strives to provide a world class education for the students and the community it serves. Today the

Academy is celebrating excellent exam results, with 65% of students achieving 9-4 in English and Maths (an increase of 19% from 2019) and 47% of students achieving 9-5 in English and Maths (an increase of 17% from 2019). Students have also enjoyed success across a broad range of subjects such as Computing, History, PE, Drama and Sociology.

Steve O’Callaghan, Principal, said: “I’m absolutely delighted for the students and their families who have worked incredibly hard in order to achieve these results. The Academy is celebrating excellent results and this is a testament to the ambition, hard work and kindness of Academy staff, councillors and the local community. It’s a privilege to work and serve this community and today we celebrate the resilience and hard work of our remarkable students as they take the next steps in their lives. We wish all our departing students the very best success for the future and hope they continue to Dream BIG, Work Hard and Be Kind.”

We are proud of all our students; however, these students deserve a special mention due to their exceptional outcomes:

Bristol Futures Academy (BFA) at Snowdon Village

It has been an incredibly difficult time for the Snowdon Village students receiving their results today. We all know how much the pandemic has disrupted education but this hasn’t stopped our children showing extreme resilience and perseverance with their learning. Staff have been working hard with the students, families and post-16 providers to ensure every child has a positive destination. We are delighted to announce that 100% of children have got a post-16 placement in September.

Alex Davies, Principal of Snowdon Village, said: “I am incredibly proud of the students who will be collecting their exam results today. Many of the children we work with have been out of education for many months – sometimes years – and seeing the progress they have made both academically and emotionally is truly inspiring. Every child is leaving SV with a qualification and 100% of our children have secured a positive destination at Post-16. The journey our children have been on is incredible and I am proud of each and every one of them. I would also like to pay testament to the hard work of the staff who have supported the children to make such good progress during their short time with us at Snowdon Village. The staff have worked tirelessly during a very difficult period in education and should feel proud of what they have helped the children to achieve.”

Students who have notable academic achievements include Riyan and Corey, who celebrated strong passes in English and maths, Tyreke, Tyronne and Devonte who achieved well in Science, Art and maths respectively, and Hasan who made exceptional progress in English and maths.

As an inclusive provision, working with young people who change school during their Key Stage 4 experience, we are particularly proud of the progress each of them has made in their time at Snowdon Village. There is a great deal to celebrate today.

John Cabot Academy

JCA has achieved outstanding exam results. We aspire for our students to thrive academically, flourish and grow as young people. Despite all the Covid disruption, our students have risen to that challenge with 83% achieving a grade 9-4 in English and Maths (up 14% from 2019) and 61% of students achieving a grade 9-5 (up 18% from 2019).

Kate Willis, Principal, said: “Today is a day to share the excitement and joy of our students here at JCA. We prioritise the wellbeing of students and are proud of the resilience and commitment they have shown in their GCSEs. They have risen to the unique challenge of Covid to their immense credit. However, they could not have done it without support and so today we also celebrate and thank parents and staff for their incredible efforts. We wish our students the very best today and in their next steps.”

Worthy of special mention at JCA are:

Bristol Brunel Academy

BBA students have achieved excellent exam results, as the academy continues its journey towards excellence. BBA have 8 years of consistent improvement across our exam outcomes with 67% of students achieving 9-4 in English and Maths (up 10% from 2019) and 48% of students achieving 9-5 in English and Maths (up 15% from 2019). Students have enjoyed considerable success across the exceptionally broad range of subjects offered at BBA in particular History, Technology, Business, Art and English have all performed well.

Principal Jon Jones said: “We would like to congratulate all our students for their examination results. This is a team effort, we know how hard everyone has worked to achieve these results, from our teachers and staff to our parents and carers in support of our fabulous students. We feel so proud of our class of 2022, the first cohort back to complete full exams following the pandemic. This cohort of students exemplify ‘The Brunel Way’ and have shown how, through hard work and dedication, they can achieve exceptional things. We look forward to welcoming many of our students back to our CLF Post 16 provision.”

We are delighted for all our students and would like to highlight a selection to celebrate:

A huge well done to everyone, and the best of luck for the future.

Bristol Metropolitan Academy

Bristol Metropolitan Academy students have been rightly celebrating their outstanding achievements this morning. For the first time since Summer 2019 we have seen a “normal” GCSE results day following what has, of course, been an anything but normal 3 years. Year 11 students collecting their GCSE results today have not had an uninterrupted school year since they were in Year 8. They have had to constantly adapt and react to the changing world around them and the challenges created in the wider world as well as in their schooling. Despite all of these challenges the students, supported by their families and teachers, opened their results and started the next phase of their educational journey.

The academy is celebrating excellent exam results, with over 80% of students achieving a pass grade in both English and Maths.

Cameron Shaw, Principal of Bristol Met, described the atmosphere on site this morning as overwhelmingly positive, which is testament to this cohort of student’s attitude throughout the pandemic.

He said: “I am of course delighted with the results of the academy; they are testament to the hard work, dedication and commitment of our students, their families and, of course, the staff in the academy. I wish every one of our outgoing Year 11 the best of luck with the next stage of their education.”

Worthy of special mention at BMA are:

King’s Oak Academy

The staff and academy councillors of King’s Oak congratulate our Year 11 students who today received their GCSE and BTEC results. Their excellent grades are the result of hard work and commitment across the five years of their secondary education. Like all schools, our Year 11 cohort experienced disruption to their learning throughout their GCSE course at King’s Oak; to their credit, and with the support of their parents and carers, friends and the staff at King’s Oak they have taken the challenges that resulted from the pandemic in their stride and showed great tenacity and resilience to ensure that they achieved their full potential in each programme of study. We wish all of our students the best for the future and look forward to hearing of their successes as they move into Post 16 learning.

Katherine Ogden, Principal, said: “This is an important day in our community and we are all very proud of all of our Year 11 students who have much to celebrate and be happy about. Our primary focus now is to work with each family to make sure that their child is securely on a Post 16 course that will help them make their next step in life. We know that both the CLF P16 and our local colleges will be very lucky to work with them next year.”

Worthy of special mention at KOA are:

Digitech Studio School

Digitech Studio School Bristol is pleased to report a set of excellent achievements by its students in their GCSEs and vocational qualifications this summer. This year 11 cohort have overcome many challenges, successfully navigating the first exam series since 2019 with maturity. All students should be immensely proud of what they have achieved.

Chris Ballard, the school’s interim principal, said: “We want to congratulate all of our year 11 students and are extremely proud of all their work, achievements and outcomes especially after such a difficult and disrupted two years. The students have shown passion, commitment and resilience in their studies throughout their time here at Digitech and it has been great to see lots of smiling faces this morning as students secure the grades that they worked so hard for. Worthy of special mention are Kai Hayton and Oriana Bury; both achieving a particularly impressive array of qualifications. Thank you to all staff who have worked tirelessly to ensure all students are able to progress onto their next steps, and we look forward to seeing what they will achieve in the future.”

Steve Taylor CEO of the Cabot Learning Federation said, “I am delighted to see that so many of our students from across the broad suite of CLF and partner provisions are moving on to exciting and appropriate destinations. Having never sat formal exams before, due to the pandemic, these positive outcomes are testament to the hard work and resilience of this cohort, and the excellent support of their teachers, tutors and support teams.”

CLF Post 16

Kath Cooper, CLF Post 16 Principal said: “We are immensely proud of all the work and achievements of our students. We’ve had some significant successes through really high challenge and lots of barriers that our students have faced. Students and teachers worked very hard to be prepared for exams and as an academy we feel we’ve exceeded expectations. So many of our students are moving on to extremely positive destinations including a range from Oxford, Bristol, Manchester and London Universities along with various degree apprenticeships. This is a very exiting time for their future and we couldn’t be prouder of all they have achieved.”

Some of their standout students are:

Digitech Studio School

Digitech Studio School Bristol in partnership with Boomsatsuma and Robins Foundations is pleased to report some outstanding achievements.

“August 18th, 2022, has also been an uplifting results day for out Post 16 partners Boomsatsuma and Robins. Boomsatsuma students have all achieved a qualification, with an impressive 62% awarded a Distinction or higher (Including 70% of acting students achieving a distinction or distinction star and

50% of dance students achieving distinction star). Every Robins Foundation student achieved a qualification, with 33% awarded a distinction or higher. The students’ work ethic and outcomes have opened fantastic future possibilities for them as they moved into industry and higher education.

Mark Curtis, Boomsatsuma director said: ‘We set out with the belief that we could give local people the best possible opportunity to progress in the creative economies in our region. These results speak for themselves. We are beyond delighted for all our young people for what they have achieved and that they are all now moving on, either into creative careers or higher education, some gaining entry to our own Degree courses. Our excellent ongoing relationship with Cabot Learning Federation and Digitech Studio School has been a constant positive in our development’

Polly Wardle, Robins Foundation Head of Education, said: “It has been a fantastic year, getting students back into classrooms, back on the football pitch and just enjoying their studies uninterruptedly with their peers again. Students really have shown their resilience, work ethic and ability to bounce back over the last few years. We are proud of our students’ achievements with many of them far exceeding their target grades. We’ve also had over 3000 hours of student volunteering on our community projects. We wish our departing students the best of luck transitioning onto their chosen apprenticeship, employment opportunity or university place. We look forward to them coming back as part of our alumni network.

Winterstoke Hundred Academy

Winterstoke Hundred Academy is pleased to report some excellent results from its first ever cohort of Sixth Form students. The academy opened in September 2020, and is now over-subscribed in incoming year groups. The flourishing provision is home to the only school-based Post 16 in Weston-super-Mare, and offers a variety of A level and vocational subjects to its students from across the town.

Principal Ian Garforth said, “We’re very proud of our sixth form students. Our Year 13s are our first ever exam cohort at WHA, and have shown real grit and resilience in how they’ve adapted to the challenges of COVID, and to have gained the grades they have to enable them to follow the pathways they’ve chosen is a very special moment for them, and for us.”

John Cabot Academy’s students and staff have come together to celebrate the broad diversity of nationalities and backgrounds within the school.

During lockdown, students were supported to set up a school Equalities Council to tackle inequality and diversity. Miss Grierson, who helped to organise Culture Day, said: “Students felt that we needed to celebrate the student diversity we have at JCA and educate one another about different cultures that exist at our school.”

Culture Day, held on June 29, was planned and delivered by the Equalities Council and some visiting staff from various organisations. Students from Year 7 to Year 13 participated throughout the day.

The day itself created a range of ways for everyone at John Cabot Academy, including students and staff, to immerse and educate themselves about different cultures.

As part of this, students brought in delicious sweet and savoury foods that are representative of different cultures to feature in food tasting tables at break time. This enabled students to try different foods and talk about what they were eating. In addition, students were encouraged to wear clothing that is linked to their culture or alternatively, the colours of the flag that they associate with.

Students put lots of effort into their clothing and showcased their cultures in doing so. To highlight this, students hosted a Culture Day fashion show in JCA’s main hall, with students gaining entry to be in the audience with a ‘golden ticket’ from the student lottery.

Throughout the day lessons took a different spin, with different subjects delivering lessons about different people, art and cultural traditions from around the world. This was alongside some visiting presentations from South Gloucestershire Music Hub musicians and Creative Youth Network and a live Congolese drumming and vocal group from Bristol Beacon. In addition, there was a cricket coaching session for KS3 students that took place outside, albeit in the rain, with Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation.

John Cabot has plans for Culture Day to occur annually and eventually include the wider community too. A spokesperson for the Equalities Council said: “We would like to expand our culture day into our parent/carer community and get families involved in building our JCA community.”

Following a recent Ofsted inspection, Bristol Metropolitan Academy (BMA) has been deemed overall Good and Outstanding in Leadership and Management.

Inspectors visited the academy in March 2022 and confirmed that the Quality of Education, Behaviour and Attitudes and Personal Development are all Good, meaning BMA has retained its Good overall rating.  Leadership and Management of the Academy was adjudged to be Outstanding.

Principal Cameron Shaw said: “We are of course delighted that Ofsted recognise that on a daily basis the quality of education provided to the students in our Academy is of a high standard.  We will use the feedback received from the inspection team to continue to develop our practice and ensure we are doing the very best for our local community.”

The Ofsted report notes: “Pupils are very proud of their school. They have many opportunities to learn about the wider world. The school’s curriculum inspires pupils’ ambitions for their future lives. Leaders provide tailored careers guidance which helps pupils to decide their next steps.

“Pupils understand what they need to achieve to access further education, apprenticeships and work. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), receive a good quality of education at Bristol Metropolitan Academy. They learn a range of subjects successfully and this prepares them for life beyond school.

“Pupils have positive attitudes towards learning foreign languages such as French, Spanish and German. They have high aspirations and work hard to achieve well. There is a harmonious learning environment across the school. Pupils behave well both in lessons and around the school. Pupils state that if they have a concern, they can go to a range of adults for help. They feel safe and cared for by staff.”

The report adds: “Leadership of the school is outstanding. Both trust and school leaders are passionate about the role of the curriculum in transforming the lives of pupils. This vision is shared by staff. Leaders have constructed an ambitious curriculum that helps pupils to learn well. They are tenacious in driving improvements in the design of the curriculum and its implementation.

“Leaders are relentless in pursuing the best quality provision for pupils. They provide highly effective professional development for teachers which leads to continuous improvement. Leaders have ensured that pupils develop strong knowledge of a range of subjects.

“Leaders have embedded a whole-school approach to reading for enjoyment. The programme enables all pupils to get to know a range of worthwhile texts. Leaders are rightly focused on ensuring that pupils learn to read well so that they can learn the wider curriculum.”

The Ofsted report also states: “Leaders have established a highly inclusive curriculum. Staff use information about pupils to provide bespoke support enabling pupils to learn with confidence and success. They use assessment information well to check what pupils know and adapt the curriculum accordingly.

“Staff provide strong academic and emotional support for vulnerable pupils. Leaders have designed a very effective careers curriculum.

“Pupils behave well. There is rarely any disruptive behaviour in lessons. Pupils and staff have positive relationships. The vast majority of pupils are respectful and empathetic towards each other.

“Leaders have planned the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum to include what pupils should learn. Pupils learn about different groups in society who might experience discrimination. They are taught about the importance of being able to develop and maintain positive and healthy relationships in their own lives.

“Governance is extremely robust. Directors of the trust and the academy council pose rigorous challenge and support in equal measure. They gather a breadth of information about the school to pose questions of school leaders. Leaders prioritise the well-being of staff, for example they make sure that early career teachers are well supported. Staff agree that leaders help them to manage their workload very effectively.”

CLF Academies have featured in numerous articles the Voice’s Newspapers over the last two months, Bristol Brunel Academy making the front page of the Kingswood Voice! See below to find out more.

Frome Vale Academy and Snowdon Village had a visit from Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman and Regional Director, for the South West James McNeille after Frome Vale Academy’s recent ‘Outstanding’ Judgement from Ofsted in January. This remains the first outstanding judgement in the South West region this academic year.

Davine Jatto, a year 8 student at Bristol Brunel Academy is the first student to achieve all badges in the five strands of the Bristol Brunel Award.

The Brunel Award has been set up to recognise students that excel in all five strands of The Brunel Way. Students can earn badges for their achievements Academically, Professionally, Socially, Personally and within the Community.

Many of our academies across the CLF got involved in Red Nose Day. Bristol Brunel Academy even made the front page!

Hanham Woods Academy Librarian has achieved her dream of landing a book deal. Lis Jardine’s first book has been snapped up by publishers Puffin, with another due out next year.

Hanham Woods Academy will be filled by the smell of rebellion when students and staff present Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical JR. Based on the beloved book “Matilda” by Roald Dahl and adapted from the award-winning full-length musical, Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical JR tells the story of an extraordinary girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny.

Students from John Cabot Academy had a once in a lifetime opportunity to play at the formidable home of England rugby, Twickenham. One year 10 young leader and twelve Year 7 students took part in six tag rugby matches before the England V Wales game, part of the Six Nations tournament.

John Cabot Academy’s production of Disney’s High School Musical featured in the Kingswood Voice. They performed to over 800 people over 5 nights, this included matinee performances to local primary schools.

If you were offered a training session from three England rugby players during the six nations tournament, you would think somebody was making it up! But, this is exactly what happened to 15 pupils at Summerhill Academy, in St George.

Children at the Nest have been learning about the challenges facing the environment. They planted flowers and seeds out in the garden and picked up litter.

Bristol Brunel and Bristol Met are increasing their intake in Yr 7 to help with the demand for school places. Jon Jones, Principal of BBA and Cameron Shaw, Principal of BMA are both quoted in this article.