GCSEs: Excluded pupils at Education Links boost pass rates by 12%

A charity-run school teaching students who have been excluded from mainstream education have boosted their pass rate by an astonishing 12 per cent.

Education Links, part of long-running Newham-based charity Community Links, were celebrating on Thursday as half of their Year 11 students gained at least one GCSE or equivalent at grades A to C.

Out of the 59 students entered for exams this year, two achieved five A to G GCSE grades, while one gained six including English and Maths, making her the best pupils the school has had since they started offering GCSEs five years ago.

Education Links also offers students BTEC diplomas and 19 teenagers walked away with the GCSE equivalent qualification including five Year 10s who sat the exams in a year instead of two.

Principal Sandy Davies said: “We are proud to announce another successful year for students at Education Links, a school run by local charity Community Links providing education for those young people who are not thriving at mainstream schools.

“As we work towards Free School status next September, we are delighted that so many of our students have overcome the difficulties they faced to achieve their exam results.”