Beyond the Headlines

At this time of year, academic departments are carefully analysing public examination results to reflect on how the successes were achieved and to ensure that best practices are shared across the school, allowing us to continually improve and build upon our achievements.

You may have seen from our website and press releases that our public exam results this year have again been outstanding. At GCSE, grades were awarded far above the national averages with over 52% of all grades at grades 9-7 (equivalent to the old A/A*). At A Level, just under three quarters of entries were graded A*-B. In 2023, we were proud to be the leading A Level provider in Cornwall. With the 2024 cohort achieving even higher than the 2023 cohort, we know that we are well placed yet again.

However, while these headline grades are impressive, our celebration and the success is of all pupils and students who took examinations here, not just those with the highest grades. This is because beyond the headlines, we look carefully at the contextual value-added that Truro School pupils achieve. In short, this means how their progress to these grades compares to the outcomes of children nationwide taking similar exams with similar ability profiles. In this measure, which we feel is the most important for us as a community, our pupils across our full ability range have excelled. Our school has achieved an ALPs (A Level Performance System) grade that places us in the top 10% of schools nationally for the value-added in our pupils’ grades because of studying and taking exams here. Our pupils not only achieved excellent grades but, more importantly, made outstanding progress beyond what was predicted based on their starting points.

At GCSE too, our value added was also outstanding. In 14 subjects when compared to the national cohort, and like A Level, the value added was significant in relation to the national picture. To achieve that in so many subjects is exceptional and rare in any school and represents, here, the best progress outcomes for pupils in a decade.

We are delighted by these outcomes but are also always looking to understand why and to keep improving where we can to ensure the education offered here remains transformative. We commend the efforts of all pupils and the expertise and dedication of our staff which have led to these outcomes. We are also proud to champion an education that believes academic success is about more than just top grades (wonderful as they are), and is also about fostering lifelong habits of learning, growth, and resilience that mean every child can be proud of their achievements and progress. I am incredibly proud of how our school continues to nurture these qualities in our pupils.

I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to our pupils for their determination and success, and to our staff for their dedication and unwavering support. These achievements are the result of partnership between pupils, teachers, and parents, and we should all be proud of what we have accomplished together.

Looking forward to next week, we have our Sixth Form Open Evening on Tuesday 24 from 5pm until 8pm. It is an opportunity to talk to staff and our sixth formers about the education and support which leads to the successes described above, and to have advice about subject choices and our Sixth Form. It is also an opportunity to understand how a Truro School education prepares children here for life beyond school and university through our careers and enrichment programmes, and our unique Sixth Form Diploma programme. I look forward to seeing many of you there.

Dr Shaun Pope, Deputy Head (academic)