Major factors behind success
Although there has been a period of significant adjustment over the last 17 months both in education and day-to-day life, Rydal Penrhos continues to go from strength to strength thanks to some big changes that made a substantial difference to learning and development in the face of ever-changing times.
This was reflected in another year of truly exceptional results at A Level and GCSE. Although normal examinations were unable to take place, that did not stop pupils and staff from tirelessly working to maximise their potential despite the obvious challenges.
At A Level, 70.5% attained a pass rate at A*-A, which is the highest in the school’s history since the introduction of the A* grade and represents an increase of 20.3% year on year.
Those achieving A*-B grades stood at 84.1% – a rise of 9.9% – with 92% of pupils achieving A*-C grades as a result of their efforts. The mean number of subjects passed per candidate was 3.14.
It was a similar situation at GCSE, with our fantastic Year 11 pupils recording 68.7% pass rate at A*-A or 9-7, which is 38.7% higher than the national average of 30%.
The number of GCSE candidates that secured passes from A*-C or 9-4 was 92.7% – 13.1% higher than the national average of 79.1%.
This is the culmination of a challenging academic year that’s brought the best out of the entire school community. Pupils, staff and parents all came together in pursuit of the same goal, which was further aided by some excellent initiatives brought in by the school with pupil progression in mind.
Comprehensive online learning provision
Rydal Penrhos’ senior leadership team, together with teaching and support staff, strived to ensure that each pupil’s goals were met and there was no loss of learning following the unfortunate lockdown and return to teaching.
It took a considerable amount of planning to be ready and prepared, planning and effort that was worth its weight in gold, with pupils of all ages hitting the ground running with a clear, concise online learning programme that has been supported in full by the school’s incredible parent body.
Free iPads
A significant investment in state-of-the-art servers and free iPads for every pupil from Reception through to Year 13 had a marked improvement on the educational opportunities for Rydal Penrhos pupils and on their personal and academic progress, something that was evident when A Level and GCSE results were announced.
Alongside this investment in equipment and software, training for teaching and support staff ensured that pupils continued to be taught by well-trained staff. This assisted them both online and once they made a welcome return to face-to-face learning.
Teaching time increased
These changes were implemented to add significantly to the academic provision for our pupils whilst simultaneously enhancing their wellbeing and progression to University. For Year 12 and 13 pupils, this included more than 250 hours of additional subject teaching by specialist teachers.
Those in the final year of their A Level studies were typically taught for 25 lessons per week – including PSHE and Physical Education – with additional personal study lessons supervised by teachers, and every pupil was mentored by a senior member of the teaching staff.
Small Class sizes
Another thing that has been highly beneficial for our pupils is the small class sizes and our high teacher to pupil ratio. These two factors enable our teachers to provide a more personal approach to learning, catering to each child’s needs to ensure they reach or often exceed the grades projected.
This has enabled everyone associated with Rydal Penrhos to look forward to the future, rather than approach it with a sense of trepidation in the current COVID-19 climate.
Pupil-centred approach to education
It is no secret that the school’s recent success comes from a strong focus on its pupils with a child-centred approach that has proven highly beneficial. Something we are keen to continue and grow long into the future.
We make sure that every pupil counts, that no pupil is left out, or left behind. The school works in a true partnership with parents and carers to ensure that every pupil gets the opportunities they need and deserve in order to truly love learning.
Constant monitoring, marking and feedback
Even though normal interaction was at a premium during home learning, this did not stop our teaching staff from going above and beyond the call of duty to constantly monitor, mark and provide feedback on work constantly, which provided pupils on potential areas of improvements and things they needed to work on to progress from the comfort of their own homes and on-site.