Montpelier High School has continued its record of academic excellence with an exceptional set of GCSE results.
An outstanding 85% of students achieved at least a Grade 4 in English and Maths, with two thirds (66%) gaining a Grade 5 or above.
The school in Cheltenham Road has achieved strong academic outcomes every year, with the 2024 results above those from 2019, the last year before the pandemic.
Headteacher Vanetta (Ben) Spence, who took up her post last year, congratulated this year’s students on their success. They are well set for the next steps towards their future goals, with a large proportion opting to remain at MHS in its inclusive and welcoming co-educational sixth form, V6.
Ben said, “This has been a wonderful first year of headship at Montpelier High School, and I am incredibly proud of our Year 11 students. They have been a pleasure to work with, consistently demonstrating resilience and dedication throughout the year.
“Their hard work has clearly paid off, as reflected in their outstanding GCSE results. These achievements provide them with a strong foundation as they move forward into the next stage of their educational journey. I am confident that they will continue to excel and wish them every success in the future.”
MHS saw some outstanding individual performances, including Rhianna Aderogba, Ruzaynah Azad, Astrid Amponsah. Rhianna, from St Andrews, achieved ten Grade 9s and plans to stay on at V6 to do Chemistry, Maths, Further Maths and Biology. She said, “I’m so excited to be staying at V6 so that I can continue to receive the support of all my teachers. I cannot wait to start next year!”
Ruzaynah, from Patchway, earned four 9s and five 8s. She said, “I am so happy, completely over the moon. I’m feeling very proud of myself that the hard work paid off. I enrolled for V6 today to do French, Chemistry, Biology, Core Maths.”
Astrid Amponsah (pictured top), from Sea Mills, notched up five 9s, four 8s and a 6. Astrid was a prefect and was a big part of the school community. She will study Biology, Maths, Further Maths and Chemistry. She said, “I’m so delighted and so glad my family are with me today.”
Lila Knight, who lives in Gloucester Road, is a young carer. She achieved one 9, three 8s, three 7s, a 6 and a 5 and is also staying on at V6. She explained, “I have three younger siblings, two who are severely disabled, so it’s been really tough this year but I worked really hard and am so pleased with my results. I only ever wanted to go to V6 and have been at Montpelier High School since Year 7 and know all the teachers and how well they have supported me.”
A number of students exceeded their target grades. Among them was Nathalie Nutt, from Cadbury Heath, with three 9s, four 8s, two 7s and a 5. She said, “I have stayed at school for all the interventions and every after-school opportunity and it has really paid off. I really can’t believe the results I got.”
Deputy headteacher Emma Young commented, “Congratulations to all our Year 11 students on their fantastic GCSE results! They showed incredible determination during the examination period, and we couldn’t be prouder of their achievements. It was wonderful to see the kindness, support and friendship they offered each other throughout the year.
“We are thrilled that so many of them will be continuing their education at our V6 Sixth Form, and we can’t wait to see all the amazing things they will accomplish.”