The first cohort of GCSE pupils in a Portadown school have collected a “fantastic” set of GCSE results.
St John the Baptist’s College, formerly Drumcree College, was launched as a new school in 2017.
Principal Mrs Noella Murray said the school was “extremely proud of all of our pupils and are truly delighted with the fantastic results which they have achieved”.
All pupils achieved at least five A*-C grades and 86.3 per cent were awarded at least five A*-C grades including maths and English.
She said these results are significantly above the Northern Ireland average for all schools including selective/grammar schools.
Mrs Murray added: “We are especially proud of our pupils who have overcome significant barriers and personal challenges in their young lives, but who nonetheless, have exceeded all expectations.
“I would like to thank the parents/carers of our pupils and the staff from our myriad of feeder primary schools who have worked in close partnership with our staff, to ensure that together we could support each individual child to succeed and flourish.
“I also acknowledge the dedication, professionalism and compassion which my staff have shown for these young people throughout their journey with us. We have a strong family ethos within the school where every child is valued, nurtured and empowered to excel.
“It has been a real privilege to see this group grow to become the kind, accomplished and well-grounded young people they are today. We wish them all the very best and hope that the qualifications, knowledge, faith, skills and values which they acquired in SJBC will serve them well as they progress towards the next exciting stage in their educational journey.”
