South Devon High School celebrates outstanding GCSE results

South Devon High School students are celebrating today after achieving another strong set of GCSE results, with high grades in English and maths almost doubling compared to last year.

As well as success in GCSE subjects, pupils also recorded excellent results in Level 2 technical qualifications, with a 100% pass rate in areas including automotive, animal care, childcare, sport and travel and tourism.

Among the individual successes was Matthew Herridge, who achieved grade 8 in geography, grade 7 in history, grade 7 in maths, grade 8/7 in sciences, grade 8 in English language, grade 6 in English literature, grade 4 in photography and a pass in Level 2 vehicle inspection.

“Studying at South Devon High School was an excellent experience,” said Matthew, who is going on to study A level history, biology and chemistry at South Devon College. “Going there was the best choice of my life. All the teachers were very supportive and I learnt a lot.”

Layla Petrakis, 16, from Paignton, achieved good passes in geography, history, English, maths and science, alongside a Distinction* in adventure sports. She now plans to study the subject further at South Devon College, aiming for a career as a firefighter or in the military.

“I found the High School experience a lot of fun,” said Layla. “The teachers were very supportive, and I could approach them with any concerns. They made the subjects enjoyable and were down to earth so you could have a laugh and joke with them.”

Tyler Phillips, 16, from Paignton, secured grades 6–8 in his GCSEs plus a Distinction* in sports coaching. “Sports coaching was by far my favourite subject,” he said. “At the High School I actually started to enjoy going to school. Before, I used to dread it, but this school changed that for me.”

Lauren Loyns achieved grade 7s in English language and science, a grade 8 in maths and a Merit in animal care. She is going on to study A levels in maths, chemistry and biology at South Devon College with the aim of pursuing a pathology apprenticeship.

Another standout was Clara Wright, 16, from Torquay, who achieved grade 9 in English language, grade 7s in maths, English literature, history and geography, plus a Distinction in games development and a Distinction* in adventure sport.

“I really loved my time at the High School thanks to the empowering environment and amazing friends I made,” she said.

Head of School Matt Burrows praised the cohort, saying: “I am delighted with the achievements of our pupils and the positive progress they have made. The results are an excellent reward for all the pupils’ hard work, and it is a testament to the outstanding support and guidance provided by their teachers. Congratulations to all our GCSE students – we're very proud of you all.”

South Devon High School, rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted in June 2024, now expects over 70% of its GCSE pupils to progress on to A levels or technical qualifications at Level 3.