SECONDARY NEWS Nottingham Emmanuel School sees best A-Level results in years
West Bridgford’s Nottingham Emmanuel School, part of Archway Learning Trust, celebrated a successful year of A-Level Results, with some of its best outcomes in recent years.
The Nottingham Sixth Form provider, which was rated Good by OFSTED in 2025, secured an impressive 94.3% pass rate, with 18.6% of students achieving grade A*-A, and 64.8% of students achieving grade A*-C. Its Chemistry department marked a year of phenomenal results, with 50% of its cohort achieving grade A*-A.
An impressive 74% of the school’s students are now expected to be attending their first-choice university.
Principal Sandra Stapleton said: “We are absolutely delighted with what our students have achieved this academic year. Our results are a real testament to the hard work and dedication of both our students and staff and we couldn’t be prouder of each and every pupil. “Our aim has always been to best support and prepare our Year 13s for their next stage in life, whether that’s university, an apprenticeship, or stepping straight into the world of work. It’s a real pleasure to celebrate their successes, and we’re so excited to see what this cohort goes on to achieve in the future.”
GCSE results: regional achievement gaps widen
In the wake of GCSE results day, analysis compiled by the Social Market Foundation – a leading cross-party think tank – showed regional gaps in achievement have widened. 67% of all GCSE
outcomes were at grade 4/C or above this year, a figure that is broadly similar to the proportion achieving this level pre-pandemic (67.0% in 2019), and similar to last year (67.1%).
Yet wide regional disparities remain. 71.7% of GCSE results in London at grade 4 (C) or above, compared to just 62.4% in the worst performing region, the West Midlands. The gap between London and the worst performing regions widened slightly this year (from 8.7 percentage points in 2025 to 9.3pp now).
Top grades remain regionally divided. In London, 28.6% of grades were at grade 7 and above, compared to just 17.7% in the lowest performing region for top grades, the North East.
Girls continue to outperform boys, with 51.1% of 16 year old female students achieving all grades 4 and above, compared to 41.9% of male students. At the top grades, 6.7% of female students achieved all grade 7 or above, compared to 4.4% of male students. Private schools continue to dominate the top grades, with 47.1% of grades awarded to students attending them at grade 7(A) or above, more than double the 20.6% in state funded schools. Dr Rebecca Montacute, Research Director at the Social Market Foundation, said: “Year after year, we see the same regional divide in results at GCSE, with London ahead while young people in the north and the midlands are left behind. Andy Burnham has pledged good growth in every postcode – but that pledge cannot be delivered while so much talent is still being wasted. We need a step-change across the education system, from equal access to early education, through to more targeted support to young people falling behind in schools, and greater support at post-16 by extending the pupil premium to this age group.”
Dani Payne, Head of Education and Social Mobility at the Social Market Foundation, said: “Lucy Powell is right to describe the current resit system as a treadmill of failure. Today’s results show that, year after year, GCSE outcomes tell us as much about inequality as they do individual effort. Regional gaps are widening, while too many young people will leave results day without the grades they need to progress. “English and maths matter enormously, but repeatedly putting young people through the same qualification is not always the best way to help them succeed. Reform should give those who fall short at 16 a credible route to build essential skills, regain confidence and progress into further education, training or work.”
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www.education-today.co.uk
Student-led projects deliver community impact across Northern Ireland
More than 750 female students across Northern Ireland have delivered almost 500 community projects over the past year, collectively contributing more than 9,000 hours to schools and local communities, according to a new report from SistersIN.
The leadership and mentoring programme
supports young women aged 16 to 18, pairing participants with mentors from business, public life and the wider community. Participants identify issues they care about and develop projects to address them. In the past 12 months, 756 participants delivered 480 projects, with 38% creating new initiatives intended to continue beyond the programme. Mental health and wellbeing was the most common project theme, accounting for around one in six initiatives. Other projects focused on charity and fundraising, extracurricular activities, mentoring, community projects and sport.
The programme’s impact was assessed through research involving more than 750 participants, as well as teachers and mentors. According to the report, participants who began the programme with lower levels of confidence and self-awareness showed three times greater improvement than those with higher baseline scores.
The research also found that 92% of participants felt better prepared for the transition from education into the workplace following mentoring and a job-shadowing day, while 42% reported a boost in their ability to lead and said they were actively seeking opportunities to use their voice. Teachers also reported improvements in pupils’ self-belief, communication, resilience, self-leadership and teamwork, with 90% of those surveyed saying they had seen measurable changes. A teacher from Carrickfergus Academy said the programme had enabled pupils to “grow in confidence, develop new skills, and push beyond their own preconceived limits”.
Participation among young women from deprived areas increased by 37% during the year, according to SistersIN.
The programme also involved business and professional mentors, with 62% reporting a better understanding of Generation Z’s ambitions and the future workforce. A further 61% said they had developed new community connections, while 90% said they would volunteer again. Peter Dobbin, Chairman of SistersIN, said: “This year’s participants have shown what happens when young women are given the confidence to lead. They have created projects that have made a real difference in their schools and communities, while developing the skills, resilience and ambition that will serve them throughout their lives.” SistersIN was established in Northern Ireland in 2022 and supports young women through mentoring, leadership development and community projects.
September 2026
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