The day hundreds of GCSE students across north Norfolk have been nervously anticipating for months has come as GCSE results are published.

North Norfolk News: Samantha Graves, 16, SHeringham High School GCSE student, with his results. Picture: Ella WilkinsonSamantha Graves, 16, SHeringham High School GCSE student, with his results. Picture: Ella Wilkinson (Image: Archant)

And while many students have been going into to the colleges and high schools to open their results envelopes in the traditional manner, the pandemic has meant more than ever before have been finding out their grades online.

This year’s results have been based entirely on teachers’ assessments because students have not sat exams.

But the delight for many students was nonetheless evident, as months of hard work have paid off with results good enough to get them into the A-levels, vocational courses and apprenticeships they had dreamed of.

Among them was Sheringham High School 16-year-old Samantha Graves, who got 7s and 8s in maths, business, biology, chemistry, physics and English.

North Norfolk News: Josef Dewick was among the GCSE students at Cromer Academy picking up his results. Picture: Sophie Cass for Inspiration TrustJosef Dewick was among the GCSE students at Cromer Academy picking up his results. Picture: Sophie Cass for Inspiration Trust (Image: Sophie Cass)

Samantha said: “I’m quite happy. I feel like it was a blessing in disguise not doing the GCSE exams because it took a lot of the stress off. But I am excited about doing my A-Levels because I’m taking a lot of new subjects - including criminology.”

Another Sheringham student Jesse Howell, 16, got a 9 in English language and a 7 in literature. He said: “I’m very happy with that, but I’ve worked hard so I feel I deserve those results. It’s been quite tough, obviously, with the coronavirus, but the teachers gave us a lot of support.”

Schoolmate Daisy Hedges, 16, who is the school’s head girl, was thrilled with her 9s in biology and physics.

She said: “I think I was expecting the worst because of what happened but I was so happy with that. I want to go on to do medicine at university and science was such a big passion of mine.”

North Norfolk News: Jesse Howell, 16, SHeringham High School GCSE student, with his results. Picture: Ella WilkinsonJesse Howell, 16, SHeringham High School GCSE student, with his results. Picture: Ella Wilkinson (Image: Archant)

MORE: GCSE results 2020: All of the results from Norfolk and WaveneyAnother of the school’s high performers, Alex Harcourt-Heath, 16, said: “Design tech is a lot making, which I couldn’t do, so that made things a lot more difficult. But it was also less stressful than it could have been.”

All four students are planning to go on their A-Levels at Sheringham High School.

Dr Andrew Richardson, the school’s headteacher, said: “They missed the chance to show what they can really do under exam conditions, which is sad,but the results demonstrate the rigour and professionalism of our staff.

Dr Richardson said the school’s English Baccalaureate (EBacc) measure had been consistently strong.

North Norfolk News: Pupils collecting their GCSE results at Broadland High School. Picture: Ormiston Academies TrustPupils collecting their GCSE results at Broadland High School. Picture: Ormiston Academies Trust (Image: Archant)

As the executive head at Stalham High School, Dr Richardson added: “This is a day of celebration and we applaud the achievements of all our students at Stalham, after what has been a challenging end to the school year.

“The vast majority of our students have been successful in securing their preferred pathways and we wish our students the very best with their next stages of education and life.

“Stalham staff used their professional integrity to make a realistic judgement of our students’ performance and the overall results have borne this out. Well done to them all.”

Antony Little, the now former headteacher of Cromer Academy, said: “Despite everything that 2020 has thrown at students in Cromer Academy, they’ve come through it with another excellent set of GCSE results and have shown the resilience and determination that we’ve come to expect from them.

North Norfolk News: Josef Dewick was among the GCSE students at Cromer Academy picking up his results. Picture: Sophie Cass for Inspiration TrustJosef Dewick was among the GCSE students at Cromer Academy picking up his results. Picture: Sophie Cass for Inspiration Trust (Image: Sophie Cass)

“The class of 2020 have been incredible to work with. Their time at Cromer Academy is now at an end but I know they’ll go onto sixth forms, colleges, apprenticeships and the world of work and will show the skills and qualities that we’ve seen from them in the last five years.

“I also wanted to pay a real tribute to the wonderful teaching team at Cromer Academy who have worked so hard and with such dedication - especially their head of year Rob King. This year group and staff team have really been exceptional.”

Broadland High Ormiston Academy in Hoveton also saw impressive results, including Isobel Owens and Thomas Moore who both secured an impressive 10 grade 7s and above, of which seven were Grade 9s. Mia Damji secured 10 grade 7s and above, of which five were grade 9s and Louis Parkerson secured 8 grade 7s and above of which four were grade 9s.

Aron Whiles, principal, said: “These fantastic results reflect our students’ hard work, resilience and positivity during such an uncertain time.

North Norfolk News: Daisy Hedges, 16, Sheringham High School GCSE student, with her results. Picture: Ella WilkinsonDaisy Hedges, 16, Sheringham High School GCSE student, with her results. Picture: Ella Wilkinson (Image: Archant)

“The students thoroughly deserve to collect their results and celebrate today, following five years of incredible hard work and commitment.

“This is my final GCSE results day, and though it has certainly been unique, I am incredibly proud to have been a part of the Broadland family and look forward to continuing to work closely with the school, students and wider school community.”

Duncan Spalding, executive headteacher of Aylsham High School, said: “I want to pay a huge tribute to our wonderful class of 2020. They have missed out on so many rites of passage as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic restrictions.

“No Year 11 exams, no leavers’ celebration, and no prom. But we look back on their time with huge happiness and great fondness. These students and our staff have shared incredible times together in class, on trips, on visits, on expeditions, at fixtures, in productions, in house events, and through collective moments of high emotion.

North Norfolk News: Pupils collecting their GCSE results at Broadland High School. Picture: Ormiston Academies TrustPupils collecting their GCSE results at Broadland High School. Picture: Ormiston Academies Trust (Image: Archant)

“These are such things as lifelong memories are made on and futures are built from. Watching them grow into confident young adults has been an absolute privilege.

“We will miss them so much, but we are excited about what they may go on to do. We know that the class of 2020 are well-equipped for whatever the future holds and we wish them well as the embark on the next exciting stage of their learning adventure.

I know that the class of 2020 and their families would love to join me in thanking our wonderful teachers and support staff colleagues for all they have done for their children over the years. They have been absolutely magnificent, and I could not ask to work with a more dedicated and committed group of colleagues. We all remain proud to be AHS.”

A spokesman from North Walsham High School said: “We are extremely proud of the results our students achieved this year.

North Norfolk News: Josef Dewick was among the GCSE students at Cromer Academy picking up his results. Picture: Sophie Cass for Inspiration TrustJosef Dewick was among the GCSE students at Cromer Academy picking up his results. Picture: Sophie Cass for Inspiration Trust (Image: Sophie Cass)

“They have worked arduously and have not lost faith during these unprecedented times.

“We continue to work as a team to further the success of North Walsham High School through building a shared community culture.

“A culture in which our children develop our core values of trust, resilience, excellence, and kindness and to become champions of their future.”

North Norfolk News: Alex Harcourt-Heath, 16, SHeringham High School GCSE student, with his results. Picture: Ella WilkinsonAlex Harcourt-Heath, 16, SHeringham High School GCSE student, with his results. Picture: Ella Wilkinson (Image: Archant)