Welcome to Saint Paul's Academy

Message from the Principal

This has been an exceptional year for Saint Paul’s Academy. We finally moved to our new buildings and, despite the appalling weather conditions, no curriculum time was missed. None-the-less, given the huge upheaval of the move and some of the teething problems, many people questioned whether we would be able to maintain the very high levels of success that students have achieved over recent years.

It is all the more pleasing, therefore, that we have in fact achieved our best results ever, with 58% of the cohort achieving five A* to C grades including English and Maths and 76% achieving five A* - C grades. We are also delighted that 20% of all grades were at A or A*. In terms of value added this is a phenomenal achievement; the external analysis of base line data for this group suggested that 37% would achieve five A* - C including English and Maths and we have exceeded that target by 56%. By any standards, this is an extremely impressive statistic.

We are frequently asked how we consistently manage to surpass expectations and often the assumption is that there is a flurry of last minute activity with a large number of revision classes. Those of you who are familiar with St Paul’s will know that we believe passionately in the importance of teams; from the obvious sports teams and the Learning Zones Teams to the biggest and most important team of all – the students. In fact, we are certain that our success comes from team work and vision from the moment students start Year7. Where appropriate, there are revision sessions but these are very limited; the three year Key Stage 4 and the longer school day are very important but without the commitment and enthusiasm of staff and students and the support of parents and carers these outcomes simply would not be possible.

We also believe that GCSEs do not exist in a vacuum; the huge range of opportunities that we offer to students outside the taught curriculum, far from detracting from academic achievement, adds to it. Through these activities, students are able to broaden their horizons and have experiences that cannot be provided within the traditional school curriculum. They are enabled to see beyond the present and without any doubt this enhances achievement.

This is the beginning of a new era for Saint Paul’s Academy and we look forward with confidence to providing the best possible education for the young people whose futures are entrusted to us. For the present, many congratulations go to students and staff for their magnificent achievements this summer.

Patrick Winston, Principal

• View GCSE results summer 2010
• View review of targets summer 2010