Strong GCSE Results for Maple Hayes Hall Pupils
Harry Butler and Sam Loonam, both 16, celebrate their GCSE results at Maple Hayes Hall in Lichfield
Pupils at a specialist dyslexia school in Staffordshire are celebrating their GCSE results, and for some, it marks the end of a journey that began with them barely able to read or write.
This year has been a strong show of results for the cohort of 23 pupils at Maple Hayes Hall, as pupils achieved a 61% pass rate at grade 4 or above in English Language, 43% at grade 4 or above in Mathematics, and 39% achieving both.
Twin sisters Jessica and Eloise Rees, 16, from Lichfield, arrived at Maple Hayes in Year 4 after a two-year fight to secure their places, and both did well in English, History and Science. Jessica will study History, Health and Social Care and Drama at King Edward VI School Lichfield Sixth Form, while Eloise will join her there to study English Language, Health and Social Care and Art, and hopes to become a counsellor.
Their mother, Susanna Rees, said: "They were years behind where they should have been with their reading, and now look at them. It's paid off. They've been equipped here well to be able to take the next step."
Jessica Rees, Olivia Love-Wilson and Eloise Rees, all 16, celebrate GCSE results day at Maple Hayes Hall, the specialist dyslexia school in Lichfield
Sam Loonam, 16, from Leicestershire, achieved an 8-7 in Science and a 7 in Geography. Once reluctant to read at all, Sam said: "Now it is my hobby and I'm always reading. I have read the Hobbit and now going through Lord of the Rings. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without Maple Hayes." He will study Environmental Science, Geography and Film Studies at Loughborough College.
Ethan Stacy, 16, from Wolverhampton, achieved an 8-7 in Science, a 7 in Geography and a 7 in Maths, and will study Maths, Biology and Chemistry A-levels at Wolverhampton Tettenhall College, aiming to become a petroleum engineer.
Ethan Stacy, 16, celebrates his GCSE results at Maple Hayes Hall, with his sights now set on a career as a petroleum engineer
Olivia Love-Wilson, 16, from Lichfield, achieved a 6 in Art and 5s in Design and Technology and English, and will study art at BOA Creative, Digital and Performing Arts Academy in Birmingham. She said: “I’m so happy with my results. I will miss Maple Hayes and want to keep in touch with my friends.”
Harry Butler, 16, from Fradley, also celebrated strong results, and will be heading into construction training in Burton with ambitions to become a plumber.
Lottie McLean, 16, from Loughborough, faced an hour-and-a-half commute each way to Maple Hayes and will study Mixed Media Art and Design at Loughborough College. Her mother, Audrey McLean, said moving from one-to-one support to more independent learning had been transformative when she started at Maple Hayes. She said: "The highest praise I can give the school, in comparison to all the other schools my children have been to, is that everything is geared around the student, not the staff or the process. It was a relief to get the place here. It moved away from her being singled out for her learning to a school where they all had the same difficulties and it didn't make you stand out. It just made you a person."
Lottie McLean, 16, celebrates her results at Maple Hayes Hall, before heading to Loughborough College to study Mixed Media Art and Design
Dr Daryl Brown, Co-Principal of Maple Hayes Hall, said: "We are incredibly proud of the achievements of all of our students today on GCSE Results Day. All students worked very hard in the preparation for their examinations, and we wish them all the best for their future study and apprenticeship opportunities."
The continued success of these pupils 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 for over four decades, continuing to demonstrate that with the right support, dyslexic pupils can achieve remarkable academic success.
ENDS
Education PR by Reeves in Birmingham