GCSE results 2019: Urswick student who arrived unable to speak English celebrates 10 GCSEs
Domingas Mendes Nandja Uare opening her results. - Credit: Archant
An Urswick School student who came to Hackney without being able to speak English is celebrating after getting 10 GCSEs graded 9 to 5.
Somadina Egwuonwu with his results. - Credit: Archant
Domingas Mendes Nandja Uare learnt English as her fourth language after arriving in the UK.
She said: "Urswick has been an amazing journey for me, I learned to speak English as my fourth language and I have grown so much."
Matilde Gomes Ocante achieved 8 9s and an A in AS Portuguese. She said: "Exam period was a very stressful and challenging period for me and I am very proud to have achieved the grades I have.
"I would like to thank all teachers and supply teachers that have helped me through this journey. All the hard work has paid off."
Urswick students celebrate GCSE success. - Credit: The Urswick School
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The school in Paragon Road celebrated its best results since the new syllabus and change to grading systems in 2017. Some 69 per cent of students achieved grade 4 or above in English, and 62pc in maths.
It was also the first year the school entered students for GCSE in Mandarin Chinese, and 94pc got a 5 or above - with one student getting a 9 and six achieving an 8.
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Somadina Egwuonwu got 8 GCSEs graded 9 to 5. She said: "Thank you so much to all the teachers who believed in me and said I could to it. Hard work really does pay off!"
Executive head Richard Brown said: "This is my 12th year of headship and exams have definitely become more challenging during that time.
"These results are therefore a huge credit to the students and their families, and to Urswick's teachers.
"Many of our children have overcome significant hurdles to achieve these results. We have always believed that they would be successful and these grades are a reflection of all their hard work."
