Headteacher praises ‘staggering’ GCSE results. Ballakermeen High School held its annual prize-giving ceremony at the Villa Marina on Tuesday, 13th December. Guest of Honour was Martine Fleming, a lawyer and former pupil of the school. The platform party included the Deputy Mayor of Douglas, the Chief Constable, Stuart Dobson, CEO at the Department for Education and Children, and the Director of Education, Martin Barrow. The Villa Marina was full to capacity with students, parents and guests who enjoyed musical entertainment as well as the speeches and presentations. Headteacher Adrienne Burnett began her report of the academic year by commenting on a 'significant change' that had occurred. She explained that until this year students in the Douglas area had had a free choice of secondary school, with Ballakermeen proving the most popular on the Island with over 1550 students. The introduction of catchment areas had done nothing to dent that popularity, and the Sixth Form, which is not governed by catchment restrictions had attracted 250 new students. Relationships with primary schools, always good, had now become more defined. Ballakermeen teachers regularly worked in primary schools and children made use of the high school's special facilities, including the Studio Theatre where over 400 primary pupils staged a successful concert in May. Parents watching the concert would have been reassured about the transition to secondary school. Collaboration with primary schools was designed to give students a 'seamless' educational experience. Ballakermeen was recently awarded Gold status by Investors in People, something achieved by less than 1% of those who applied. This meant, claimed Mrs Burnett, that her staff are 99% better than the rest! The Headteacher praised a long list of achievements, both individual and collective, in academic, sporting and artistic excellence. She paid particular attention to the Memorial Walk, which raised over ?10 500 for charity in a single day. GCSE results were the best in the school's history, 21% above predictions, and were described as ‘staggering’ by a Department of Education representative. The 5 A* - C pass rate was 74%, compared with an Island average of 65.5%. At Advanced level 21 subjects achieved a 100% pass rate. Mrs Burnett concluded by thanking a dedicated staff who regularly 'go the extra mile', and the 1550 students who make the school a 'brilliant, happy and safe place' to learn and grow. ENDS