A "fantastic" set of GCSE results have put smiles on the faces of staff and students at St Bonaventure's.

The voluntary-aided Catholic secondary for boys congratulated pupils from the class of 2021 as they collected their results after what the school described as a "difficult and challenging" 18 months.

Graham Hayes, who is leader of key stage four, said: "It has been fantastic to see so many happy young men this morning.

"They have worked incredibly hard over the last two years, overcoming a whole range of challenges. There were so many smiles as they saw the rewards of their work over the last two years."

Across the UK, normal exams were cancelled for the second year in a row due to the disruption students experienced since the pandemic started. Instead teachers have arrived at final grades based on what pupils have been taught.

READ MORE: When are GCSE and A Levels out and how fair will grades be?

St Bonaventure's - affectionately known as St Bon's - reported lots of smiles and happy faces as the boys collected their results from the school in Forest Gate.

Staff were also on hand to share in the joy and to support the youngsters.

Director of 6th form, Wayne Templeman, said: "We’ve been really busy this morning as so many students achieved great results and wanted to stay with us for the next step of their education."

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