Students, staff and families across four BEST Academies (Bedfordshire Schools Trust) are celebrating GCSE results today.

The fantastic results have opened up a wide variety of future opportunities for the students, with many choosing to continue their education at one of BEST’s Sixth Forms, based at Etonbury Academy in Arlesey and Samuel Whitbread Academy in Clifton, Shefford. 

I am a very proud and grateful CEO. For the 10th year in a row, our GCSE results are terrific!  It is a tremendous achievement by all that BEST has both doubled in size and consistently delivered excellence, year-on-year.  Huge congratulations to all those receiving results and huge thanks to those supporting and teaching.  Enjoy the celebrations everyone! (Dr Alan Lee, CEO, BEST Academies)

Pix Brook Academy in Stotfold celebrated their first-ever GCSE results this year, marking an important milestone for the school community; 

“We are filled with immense pride today as we celebrate our very first Year 11 cohort. Being the pioneer year group brings unique challenges, but our students have met every single one with resilience, maturity, and enthusiasm. 

To see them achieve such fantastic results—aligning with national averages in English and Maths and securing top Grade 9s across an array of subjects—is a testament to their hard work and the total dedication of our teaching staff.” (Charlotte Linehan, Principal Pix Brook Academy)

In Clifton, the Principal at Samuel Whitbread, Nick Martin, spoke very proudly of this year group; “This has been a fantastic year group; they have been so supportive of each other over the last three years and made some fantastic friendships. I am so pleased to see them achieve the results they worked so hard for.

They have also taken part in numerous school productions throughout the year, such as the Christmas Panto ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and the Summer Arts Festival. As well as performing at a national level in several different sports, including football, netball, swimming and rugby.”

Over at Etonbury Academy, Principal Joanne Young is thrilled with their results, acknowledging the efforts of each student;

“Behind every result is an individual young person who has worked hard, overcome challenges and developed into an independent learner. Today is a day for our pupils, their families and our staff to celebrate.

“I am particularly proud of these results as they reflect the values at the heart of Etonbury – Encouraging every young person to believe in themselves, to work hard and to achieve their potential. 'Aiming Higher' is a core value at the school and today our results demonstrate that;15% of pupils achieved grade 9-7 in English & maths, 51% achieving grades 9-5 in English & maths and 70% of the cohort achieving grades 9-4 in English and maths.”

 

In Bedford, the Principal, Donna Neely-Hayes, is delighted with their strong set of results at Castle Newnham Academy. It marks a positive start to a significant year ahead for the school, which is establishing as an all-through school from age 5 to 16 years.

“Today is a day of immense pride and celebration across our entire school community as our students receive their GCSE results. These achievements reflect years of dedication, resilience, and hard work, supported every step of the way by our exceptional staff and families. 

Whether our students are stepping into our Sixth Form, pursuing vocational courses, or starting apprenticeships, they leave this stage of their education with strong foundations and exciting futures ahead. On behalf of the entire school community, I congratulate them all on their success and wish them the very best in their next steps.” (Donna Neely-Hayes, Principal, Castle Newnham)

 

Alison Wilshaw, Director of Education and Deputy CEO, reflects on a decade of achievement and growth at BEST;

BEST celebrates its 10th Anniversary this year and it is remarkable to note that only a few years ago, only one of these schools would have been gaining GCSE results for BEST, Samuel Whitbread. Etonbury has extended into a full Secondary, Pix Brook has gained its first set of results, and Castle Newnham recently joined the Trust. We are incredibly proud of all the students and all the staff who richly deserve the success and accolades given in this piece. I wish everyone well in this new academic year, no matter your pathway, but hopefully that path is still within a BEST Academy.

If you have received your GCSE results and are looking at next steps, why not get in touch to discuss your options at one of our BEST Sixth Forms? Please contact the schools below for further information:

Etonbury Academy Sixth Form: https://www.etonbury.org.uk/sixth-form 

Samuel Whitbread Academy Sixth Form: https://www.samuelwhitbread.org.uk/ 

www.bestacademies.org.uk - growing the BEST in everyone!