Celebrations at specialist school with GCSE success
Celebrations are in full swing for pupils at Maple Hayes Hall, a specialist dyslexia school in Staffordshire, as they receive their GCSE results.
This year's cohort has achieved remarkable success, with 33 per cent of pupils attaining five or more GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including English and Maths. This accomplishment is particularly noteworthy given the unique challenges faced by these hardworking students.
The school's performance in English was especially impressive, with 80 per cent of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above. This achievement holds special significance for many Maple Hayes students, who often enter the school with significant difficulties in reading and writing.
Headteacher David Lowe, overseeing his first set of GCSE results at the school, having started in the position last September, expressed his pride in the students' accomplishments.
Mr Lowe said: “This really is a remarkable achievement for our pupils and we are thrilled with how hard they have worked and been able to show how capable they are, and we can’t wait to see where they go next and what they are going to achieve. “
Among the standout success stories is James Robinson, who has highlighted the transformative power of the school's approach.
James, who turns 16 at the end of the month, joined Maple Hayes in Year 5 aged nine, arriving at the school with a reading age of five years old.
Today, he celebrates alongside his peers, having overcome significant hurdles to achieve his GCSEs.
James, of Wolverhampton, achieved a 6 in Geography, 5 in Combined Science, 5 in Art and 4s in English Language, Maths, PE and DT.
James, who wants to be a stone mason, is going onto study at St Edmund’s Sixth Form for an A level in Art, 3D Design and a BTEC in Health and Social Care.
He said: “I’m really pleased with my results today. Thank you to Maple Hayes for helping me and I will miss it here.
James's mother Linda added: “We cannot thank Maple Hayes enough. It was a real battle to get James here. I am dyslexic myself and I knew he was from quite an early age. Even though we practised reading every day and his phonics at his former school, he just wasn’t progressing. So I got him an EHC plan. It was still a fight to get him here but I’m so glad we did.
“I’m so happy he came here really and he has done so well with their support. He just needed a different type of support that he had been getting previously. He has worked really hard, as have the teachers. There isn’t a magic wand to make them achieve, they do have to be willing to work hard so they do well, which James has done, and so have the teachers. So I want to thank them too for all their amazing support over the years,” she added.
Harry Bagley was also one of the school’s success stories, having achieved grades 4s and 3s in his subjects, including a distinction in Sport Science and a 4 in English Language, Geography and DT.
His mum Maria, of Gnosall, Stafford, said: “We are thrilled, totally over the moon with his results. Harry started at the school aged 10 but with a reading age of 5, so his literacy was quite poor. For him to gain a GCSE in English at a grade 4 is amazing, I cannot even put it into words. So thank you to all the amazing teachers for their help.”
This year group, consisting of 15 pupils, has shown remarkable resilience, overcoming not only their individual learning challenges but also the lingering effects of the pandemic on their education.
Dr Daryl Brown, Co-Principal of the school said: “Well done to all our GCSE pupils in achieving such a success. We are so proud of their journey over the last few years and want to wish them all the best for the future.”
The transformation in these pupils' educational journey can be attributed to the unique teaching method employed at Maple Hayes. This Lichfield-based independent school uses a distinctive morphological approach to teaching the English language, which was developed by the school's founder Dr Neville Brown.
The method uses visual icons to create links between meaning and spelling, diverging from traditional phonics-based instruction that often proves challenging for dyslexic learners.
Established in 1982 by Dr Neville Brown and his wife Brenda, Maple Hayes Hall School has been at the forefront of dyslexia education.
Dr Brown is one of Britain's most prominent figures in dyslexia research, founded the school with a vision to create an environment where dyslexic children could not only manage but thrive. Over the years, the school has educated more than 1,000 pupils, many of whom have gone on to successful careers in various fields, including medicine and science
By Claire Fry - Contributor
