Head’s blog – start of the autumn term – September 2024

Friday 20 September 2024 | By Samantha Hockney

Start of the autumn term

Welcome back to the start of the autumn term.

After a long summer holiday, it has been wonderful to hear the corridors and classrooms come alive with the sound of learning once more. And what a start to the term it has been! With trips to London and Amsterdam launched, visits to Krakow and New York in the offing, the return of Duke of Edinburgh, Forest School sessions and clubs across the arts, music, sport, languages and everything in between… it is sure to be an autumn term to remember.

The summer months will be just as memorable for many of our students, and now alumni.

Summer Results Days

On Thursday 15 August, our Year 13 students received their A-level results. Their performance was outstanding and we could not be prouder of our students. We celebrated a 100% pass rate with almost half of examination entries securing prestigious high grades (A*-B). I would like to give a special mention to Joy who achieved A*AA in Psychology, Biology and Chemistry, and a place at University of Leicester to study Medicine. This maintained the school’s 100% success rate of university offers in this highly competitive and selective field – every single applicant to medicine from THS Sixth Form has been successful in taking up their place. A remarkable achievement!

This set of impeccable results was matched by our wonderful cohort of GCSE students just a week later.

An outstanding 40% of all GCSE entries received the highest possible grades 9-7 (A**-A). In addition to this, almost a third of our students achieved 5 or more top grades that are equivalent to A**, A* and A. An honourable mention here must go to our now Year 12 student, Ed, who secured an incredible 12 GCSEs all at grade 9, just one week after collecting his final early entry A-Level – A* in Further Mathematics!

We are exceptionally proud of all of our students, and wish them the best of luck in their next step.

A warm welcome to new students

Finally, I wish to extend my welcome to the many new students and families who joined THS this September. It has been lovely to see new faces fit seamlessly into school life, with action-packed days and smiles on their faces. It is a pleasure to have you all as part of the THS family.

If you are visiting our Open Day tomorrow, I hope the morning gives you the chance to see just what makes the days at Teesside High so special.

Read our first autumn term newsletter here.

With best wishes,
Kirsty Mackenzie, Head