Nationally celebrated charity and largest school in the country for pupils with special educational needs, More House School in Frensham is celebrating fantastic GCSE and BTEC success for its Year Eleven students this summer, beating national averages despite challenges to learning.

Despite a large proportion having an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCp), which recognises a high level of additional learning difficulties, More House School’s Year Elevens have overcome Dyslexia and other Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs), Developmental Language weaknesses and associated special educational needs to beat the England (boys) national average for a good pass in GCSE English by a clear 13 percentage points. 

81% of More House’s Year Elevens gained a pass at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in English Language, and 75% achieved the same success in GCSE Mathematics, beating the national average of 69%.  90% of the school’s students secured a good pass in Science.

Headmaster, Jonathan Hetherington, praised the courage shown by his pupils during the past eighteen months of “turmoil, uncertainty and exceptional disruption.”  He commented “many of our students arrive at More House unable to realise how clever they are, lacking in confidence and self-belief, and convinced they will fail in their schooling.  These results are a testament to their natural intelligence and perseverance, proving that in the right, aspirational environment, students with special educational needs can thrive and realise exceptional academic success”.

The school’s results are truly impressive, with 88% of GCSE and equivalent certificates being awarded at grades 9 to 4, or the BTEC equivalent of Distinction* to Level 2 Pass.  In doing so, the school has, again, beaten the national average for such grades, by 14 percentage points.

46% of grades awarded to More House pupils were equivalent to grade 6 or higher, and 32% of GCSE grades awarded to More House pupils were at the very highest grades of 9 to 7, equivalent to A* and A.

In the face of national commentary regarding grade inflations, Mr Hetherington reassured More House candidates, stating “every one of the grades achieved today by our students represents their hard work and ability; each pupil has had to achieve a comprehensive evidence-base for their awards, which has been scrutinised and tested through both internal and external moderation, with the school’s processes quality-assured by the examination boards.  What our students have achieved, they richly deserve, and they should feel very proud of their successes in the face of hugely challenging educational journeys.”

Mr Hetherington also congratulated the school’s staff, recognising the exceptional burdens placed on teachers and other colleagues during the pandemic in order to design and implement robust processes for generating and testing evidence in support of pupils’ grades, alongside delivering the unique and expert support and teaching for which More House is so widely celebrated.

This year, 58% of More House’s Year Elevens were awarded the highest grades 9, 8 or 7 (equivalent to A* or A) and the BTEC equivalent of Distinction* or Distinction, in at least one subject. 

100% of candidates achieved good passes in Biology, Chemistry, Countryside & Environment, Design & Technology, Design Engineer Construct, Digital Information Technology, French, Music, Physics, Psychology, and Travel & Tourism.

A majority of More House School’s Year Elevens will commence their post-sixteen studies this September in the school’s Sixth Form, pursuing A Level and vocational qualification courses.  Some will leave More House this summer, taking up places at a variety of post-sixteen colleges and Sixth Forms.

These successes follow superb results achieved by More House School’s Upper Sixth leavers, awarded earlier this week, realising for many the dream of attending their first-choice university courses.

Founded in 1939, More House School in Frensham, a registered charity, is rated Outstanding by the government’s schools-inspectorate, Ofsted, in all aspects of its provision, including School, Sixth Form and Boarding, following inspection in March 2019, and of the Boarding facilities in January 2020.  The school, for 490 boys aged eight to 18, is nationally recognised as a centre for excellence in supporting pupils with specific learning and language difficulties, and is a training centre in special educational needs for teachers across the region and nationally.