GCSE success for Merchant Taylors’ Boys’ School

Merchant Taylors’ Boys School is celebrating another year of achievement by its pupils in GCSE examinations.

54% of all GCSE grades were awarded at grade 9 to 7, the equivalent of a former A or A*, while 34% were awarded grades 9 to 8 and more than four fifths of all pupils recorded at least one of those highest grades.

There were strong performances across the school in a variety of subject areas. Among the incredible individual success stories was Sajay J, who achieved a remarkable ten grade 9s, and Adam B, who recorded nine grades 9s and two grade 8s.

Kevin Z also achieved nine grades 9s and one grade 8, while William C attained a highly impressive eight grade 9s, two grade 8s and one grade 7 and Drew H scored seven grade 9s and three 8s.

Douglas F, Charles L, Alexander G, James G and Max H-K were among the boys who impressively recorded 100% of their grades at 9 to 7.

Deiniol Williams, Head of Merchant Taylors’ Boys’ School, said:

“The boys have once again done incredibly well in their GCSEs this year, the culmination of their passion for learning over the past two years and beyond.

“Their success across a wide range of subjects reflects the collective commitment to academic excellence that our pupils and staff hold dear at Merchant Taylors’. Our team staff also deserve enormous credit and thanks for helping each pupil to maximise their individual potential.”

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GCSE joy for Merchant Taylors’ pupils

Pupils at Merchant Taylors’ are celebrating after achieving an outstanding set of GCSE results.

Of all GCSE grades awarded to boys and girls, 54% were at grade 9 to 7, the equivalent of a former A or A*, while more than a third of all examinations were awarded grades 9 to 8 and 82% of all pupils recorded at least one of those highest grades.

There were strong performances across the school in a variety of subject areas. Among the incredible individual success stories were Varshaa P and Manhita D, who both achieved a remarkable ten grade 9s, alongside Sajay J and Mayukhi M, who also achieved an additional grade 8.

Kevin Z and Lily A achieved nine grades 9s and one grade 8, as did Adam B, who also recorded an additional grade 8 within his 11 examination subjects. William C attained a spectacular eight grade 9s, two grade 8s and one grade 7, whilst Amelia H achieved an impressive eight grade 9s, one grade 8 and one grade 7.

In total, 17% of all pupils recorded 100% of grades at 7 to 9, including Drew H (seven grade 9s and three grades 8s), Douglas F (six 9s and four 8s), Kei H (seven 9s, two 8s), Lucy R (six 9s, four 8s) and Charles L (four 9s, six 8s).

Bridget Ward, Head of Merchant Taylors’ Girls’ School, said:

“Our girls can be incredibly proud of their achievements at GCSE this year and we are thrilled to see their hard work reflected in the grades they have been able to attain today.

“In the national context, where there has been a return to pre-pandemic grading and an expected reduction in the numbers of higher grades, it is especially pleasing to see that our results have not followed the national trend and that many of our girls have continued to achieve the highest grades, above the levels we saw in 2019.”

Deiniol Williams, Head of Merchant Taylors’ Boys’ School, said:

“The boys have once again done incredibly well in their GCSEs this year, the culmination of their passion for learning over the past two years and beyond.

“Their success across a wide range of subjects reflects the collective commitment to academic excellence that our pupils and staff hold dear at Merchant Taylors’ and we are pleased to see each of them maximise their individual potential.”

Claire Tao, Executive Head at Merchant Taylors’, said: “GCSEs represent the first taste of external examinations for the majority of pupils and our boys and girls have displayed tremendous resilience and character to focus on their studies and demonstrate their abilities.

“I must give special thanks to our talented teams of staff across both schools, who have offered educational and emotional support to pupils throughout, and they can be proud of their impact on pupils’ lives both now and in the future.”

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Students Celebrate A Level Success Across Merchant Taylors’ Sixth Form

Sixth Form students at Merchant Taylors’ are celebrating a year of excellent A Level results.

An impressive 32% of grades were recorded at A*-A, while nearly two-thirds of all grades attained fell within the A*-B range.

Six students demonstrated excellent academic prowess by securing three or more A* grades. Hemanth Bheemireddy, who achieved an outstanding four A* and an A, has secured his place at Cambridge to pursue Natural Sciences. Ali Saeed, with an excellent four A* grades, will take a gap year before furthering his studies. Maya Ravindran and Harini Sethurama both achieved three A* grades and an A* in their Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). They will be moving forward to study Medicine and Surgery at Newcastle University and Medicine at Sheffield University, respectively.

Head Girl Jessica Furlong also achieved three A* grades and will be joining her peer, Maya, at Newcastle University to study Medicine and Surgery. Alice McKee, after securing three A* grades as well, will be heading to Birmingham University to study Law.

Impressively, an additional 18 Sixth Form boys and girls achieved grades exclusively at A* or A. This stellar group includes two students who have earned spots at Cambridge – Lydia Baldwin, who will be studying Music, and Sophie Ennis, who will be pursuing English. Both Lydia and Sophie secured an A* and two A grades.

Yash Hanchanale, who earned two A* and two A grades, and George Johnston, with his achievement of two A* and one A grade, have both performed remarkably well. George has successfully secured a place at the University of Manchester to study Physics whilst Alexander Raw, with one A* and two A grades, has clinched a spot at the University of Liverpool to pursue a degree in Medicine.

The majority of students are set to advance to their first-choice universities, which include prestigious institutions like Oxbridge and numerous Russell Group universities such as Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, and Queen Mary University of London. Students from Merchant Taylors’ will be pursuing a diverse array of courses including Computer Science, Dentistry, Geography, and Concept Art for Games and Film.

In light of OfQual’s forecast that results would revert to pre-pandemic standards; we are overjoyed to announce that our results have diverged from this trend. Our students have not just met the pre-pandemic standards, but in some cases far exceeded them, showcasing their resilience and dedication despite the challenges posed in recent times.

Claire Tao, the Executive Head at Merchant Taylors’, said:

“Academic achievement plays a vital role in a Merchant Taylors’ education, so we are delighted to witness our boys and girls securing excellent grades once again this year.

“The outstanding results at A*-B showcase the remarkable performance of our students, underlining that both boys and girls can thrive in an environment that champions academic excellence and fosters a passion for learning. Such achievements also reflect the support they have received from our dedicated staff and their parents and our wider education provision they have had the opportunity to access, which has undoubtedly equipped them to reach the pinnacle of success at Merchant Taylors’ Sixth Form.”

Deiniol Williams, Head of Boys’ School at Merchant Taylors’, said: “Our boys have performed exceptionally well, and they should take great pride in their accomplishments.

“Our students have demonstrated resilience, diligence, and an unwavering commitment to their studies. Their achievements are a testament to their hard work. We wholeheartedly wish them the very best as they set forth on their chosen paths.”

Head of Girls’ School at Merchant Taylors’, Bridget Ward, said: “I am immensely proud of our girls, who have all worked incredibly hard for their exam success and are now reaping the rewards of their efforts. Their individual drive and tenacity have truly stood out, paving the way for them to achieve their aspirations.

“This momentous day doesn’t signify an end, but rather, it heralds the start of bright futures.”

 

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Laurie joins Sports Wall of Fame

Old Crosbeian Laurie Sephton has been added to our Sports Wall of Fame after he was selected for the England Walking Football Squad.

Laurie, 47, was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s Disease when he was aged 38. In recent years, he has played as a defender at Northern Lights PD FC, based in Bootle, helping them to win the first Sport Parkinson’s Try-Athlon in 2021.  He also organised and played in a special England v Wales walking football match which has hosted at our Ian Robinson Sports Centre.

Laurie said: “I was delighted to make the England squad and it is a brilliant initiative. I was skipping around the office like a kid when I heard the news. I’ve already been to Singapore where we won an invitational tournament and future plans are being drawn up across the globe where we can make a positive impact on the local Parkinson’s population.

“Parkinson’s is an extremely frustrating condition but when I start playing football it takes me straight back to being a lad. As soon as I step out on the pitch it is like my brain forgets I have the disease. I instantly stop shaking and stumbling when I play football. What’s incredible is that I turn into a footballer – I turn into Laurie – again.

“Other players with Parkinson’s arrive at a game in their wheelchairs or walking with the help of a stick and, just like me, they are transformed too. I don’t know whether it’s your brain overriding the disease or some sort of muscle memory kicking in, but it is an amazing feeling.”

The national governing body, the Walking Football Association (WFA), was launched in December 2016 and helps people with physical or mental impairments to take part in sport. The game is a 6-a-side format, below head height with no running or contact. Walking Football for Parkinson’s is a recent add on.

Laurie, a financial controller at Princes Group, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s after he began getting tremors in his hands. He said: “I had worked in many areas for Princes in Mauritius and Liverpool and had a young family and big plans for the future. Parkinson’s had other ideas. My symptoms got to the point where I couldn’t do everything I wanted to do before. In many meetings I had to sit on my left hand or trap it painfully under the desk to combat tremors.

“Princes has been great and have made adjustments so I can continue doing my job. Work is so important to me as it gives me a sense of worth and I feel like I can be open with my struggles and everyone is so supportive and flexible.”

Laurie has been a football fan since he was a young boy. His father, George Sephton, has been the match announcer at Anfield for Liverpool Football Club for more than 50 years and his grandfather trialled for the club in the 1920s.

We are very proud of Laurie’s achievements and we are thrilled to see his shirt added to the wall.

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Hall Road continues to take shape

The development of our new sports pavilion at Hall Road continues apace.

As you can see from the latest photographs, construction of the external structure is now approaching completion and work is well underway to create the various internal spaces, such as changing rooms, toilets and cafe area.

We are excited about the positive impact this new pavilion will have on the sporting experience of our pupils, parents and visitors.

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Ella releases debut single

We wish the very best of luck to former pupil Ella Sansbury, who is releasing her debut single Apologise on Friday 14 July.

A singer-songwriter, Ella writes from a very personal and emotional place and her debut release was written about the breakdown of a very close friendship.

She joined forces with Liverpool-based producer and songwriter DSM in his studio, where they wrote and produced the song, and she has huge ambitions and plans for the song.

Ella said: “With this being my first release I am so excited, I cannot wait for everyone to enjoy this as much as I’ve enjoyed making it!

“I also really want to say a big thank you to Merchant Taylors’ for their support.”

Apologise can be found on Spotify, Amzaon Music and other platforms and you can follow Ella on Instagram @ellasandsofficial.

 

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Athletics glory for Merchants’ pupils

Merchant Taylors’ enjoyed a haul of team and individual honours among our girls and boys at this year’s Sefton Schools Athletics Championship.

Our girls’ teams from Years 9 and 10 were overall winners in their age group categories, while our Year 7 and 8 girls’ teams both claimed a highly creditable fourth place.

Stand out performances among the boys included Ralph Sinclair, who won the 100m in an excellent time that was just 0.3 seconds outside the school record, while fellow Year 8 pupils Jordan Scott and William Delamere were victorious in the 200m and 1500m races, respectively.

Among the girls, Elisa Jashari-Boyle took double gold in the Year 7 shot and discus and there was success for three Year 9 pupils, with Dakota Backhouse winning the high jump competition, Scarlett Adderley taking gold in the hurdles and Maddie Clark coming first in the shot.

Several Year 10 girls and boys were also victorious in their respective categories. In the girls’ competition, Claudia Flanagan crossed the line first in the 300m and Serenne Crosbie recorded the top score in high jump. Tom and Harry Cosgrove were boys’ triple and long jump champions, while Joe Wake took gold in the 800m and Swithin Samarawadika won the 1500m.

It was an excellent performance from all of our athletes, who can be proud of their talent, hard work and determination to drive themselves and each other on to succeed.

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OC Joe wins prestigious USA Rugby prize

Congratulations to Old Crosbeian Joe Sharrock, who was won a prestigious rugby tournament in the United States.

Joe, who left school in 2021, is part of the rugby programme at The Mount St Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland and played a pivotal role in his side winning the Men’s Premier title at the National Collegiate Rugby 7s Championship, defeating top-seeds Indiana.

He recently returned to school, where he caught up with Mr Weare, who oversaw his rugby development at Merchant Taylors’.

Mr Weare said: “Joe joined the rugby programme at Merchant Taylors’ in Year 7 and through his time at school he developed his rugby skills and became an important part of the various teams through the age groups. He joined Firwood Waterloo FC, where he accelerated his development and began to shine for both the school and club.

“Having moved to America, Joe is clearly thriving in his new environment and has shifted his talents to the 7s team where he uses his work rate and power to be an effective player for The Mount. Credit goes to Joe, Jay Myles (Director of Rugby) and the rest of the team for this monumental win, in which they were seen as the underdogs throughout the whole tournament.”

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Author Charlie’s ‘Super-Secret’ Stanfield visit

We were delighted to welcome Charlie Brooks, author of The Super-Secret Diary of Holly Hopkinson books, to Stanfield Preparatory School.

Charlie gave a hugely insightful talk to boys and girls in Years 3, 4 and 5 about his journey to becoming an author and the inspiration behind his books.

Pupils also received tips on how they too can become authors themselves in the future.

Joining Charlie on his visit to school were his two friends, Beanstalk and Rouge, who proved very popular with staff and pupils.

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Paris Dinner 2023

The sun was shining for the fabulous Paris Dinner, which took place at the spectacular Cercle de L’Union Interalliée.

Former pupils from Merchant Taylors’ Crosby and Merchant Taylors’ Northwood came together at the event, where they were treated to a champagne reception in the gardens, before dinner in the sumptuous dining room.

Congratulations and thank you to OC Peter Magill for organising the event and to our friends at Northwood for jointly hosting such a special occasion.

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