Pupils at a specialist school in Abingdon are celebrating strong GCSE and vocational results, highlighting the role of specialist, nurturing education in supporting young people with dyslexia and other learning differences to achieve their potential.
The pupils at The Unicorn School achieved a range of GCSE, BTEC results and Functional Skills qualifications, with students progressing to sixth form, college and vocational training.
Among this year’s results, 100 per cent of students entered for Art, English Literature and Geography achieved Grade 4 or above.
Seventy per cent of students achieved Grade 4 or above in English, while 72 per cent of those studying GCSE or BTEC Food achieved Grade 4 or above.
Two thirds of students achieved Grade 4 or above in Biology, Chemistry, Film Studies and Food Technology, while 71 per cent achieved Grade 4 or above in Physics.
Students also secured top grades of 7, 8 and 9 across nine subjects, while more than a third achieved four or more Grade 4s or equivalent qualifications.
English was among the particularly noteworthy results. Two thirds of students achieved Grade 4 or above in English Language, despite many of the school’s pupils having dyslexia and other learning differences that can present additional challenges in literacy-based qualifications.
The Unicorn School supports young people aged six to 18 with specific learning difficulties, including dyslexia and dyspraxia, as well as speech and language challenges.
Many of the students who achieved this year’s results joined the school after experiencing difficulties and barriers to learning in previous educational settings.
The school says its pupils leave with a broad portfolio of recognised qualifications, providing different routes into further education, training and employment.
Headteacher Alison Woodworth-Sturla said the school was “incredibly proud” of its students and their achievements.
She said: “These results are a testament to their resilience, determination and willingness to embrace challenges.”
She added that many students had arrived with a history of struggling in education, making their progression to recognised qualifications and their next steps “a wonderful achievement”.
Students are now moving on to a range of destinations, including sixth form, college and vocational training.
The results provide a snapshot of the progress being made by young people at The Unicorn School, where academic education is combined with specialist support and a strong focus on pastoral care and wellbeing.
