Teachers at Howell's were giving the Bunsen burners an extra polish this morning, as the school's doors opened on the dot of 8.30am to allow a constant stream of students to collect their GCSE results.
Across the board, students did very well, with 61% of all grades achieved at A* or A, but it was in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects that the girls really hit the heights.
In Biology, 69% of all students gained A*-A, in Chemistry 73% of the grades were A*-A, 58% of students taking Physics gained A*-A grade and 59% A*-A was achieved in Mathematics.
Nearly 60% of our girls gained A*-A in English Language and 61% gained A*-A in English Literature.
Mrs Davis said: “I am delighted for our girls, who have all done so well in their GCSEs this year, and have excelled in the STEM subjects. It is wonderful that so many of them will be continuing with Mathematics and Science subjects when they start their A-level studies at Howell's College next term. They may be the first generation able to end the hugely uneven mix of boys and girls going into STEM-related careers. To achieve this we, as a society, need to avoid sending out the message that some activities and careers are ‘not for girls’ or ‘not for boys’. At Howell's, all of our students—including the boys in the co-educational College— are encouraged to chase the dreams that they want, not the ones that they feel they are expected to choose.”