STUDENTS at Maldon's Plume Academy celebrated this morning (Thursday, 12 August) as they discovered that two years of work through the most difficult of circumstances had paid off with some spectacular results.

As the Year 11 students arrived at the Sports Hall at the Fambridge Road campus to collect their results, it was very quickly clear that the moment of opening those envelopes was bringing a lot of smiles.

Among this year's top performers was Max Bailey - who will now continue his studies at the academy's sixth form.

Max told Maldon Nub News: "I worked hard for these and the hard work paid off. It's such a relief to get these results and achieving them has really opened up everything for me.

"I really want to go to a London uni and then I'm thinking of going into banking and finance."

Georgia Tear, who achieved straight grades 8 and 9, said: "It's definitely been difficult, but with all the support at school we didn't go wrong. It made me feel more confident knowing that I had people behind me through what was a really long exam period.

"All of our teachers were so supportive and I'm staying at the sixth form here."

Edward Vale, who was also one of Plume Academy's top GCSE performers this year, said: "It was different - but you just have to work hard and then you achieve the results."

Sophie Chapple said: "If you work hard, you get what you want in the end. I kept dreaming about the results."

Esme Bowden, another high achiever, added: "Because of the circumstances I worried a lot, but to come out with those grades is amazing - I'm so proud of myself."

Plume Academy's Executive Principal, Carl Wakefield, said: ""First of all, it was absolutely brilliant to see so many of our Year 11 students and their families this morning and the atmosphere was arguably the best I have ever encountered after nearly three decades of having the privilege of attending mornings of such magnitude.

"As a direct result, the feeling of absolute pride that started on Tuesday morning when we distributed our College students' results has only continued into today and in relation to this massive cohort of 300-plus students.

"This is for a multitude of reasons including their superb set of outcomes they worked exceptionally hard to achieve, of course – outcomes that culminated in well over 3,000 individual grades being handed out today.

"However, what has been equally as satisfying and that generated as much pride as any other aspect relating to today is how this cohort of students conducted themselves throughout the most challenging, demanding and turbulent period of time the vast majority of us have ever encountered.

"Throughout that 15-month period, no matter what they had to face up to, overcome or what was asked of them, successfully and diligently work through it they did.

"Equally as pleasing was that they did it together, in conjunction with our fantastic team of staff who worked tirelessly in support of them, and without any form of fuss or expected fanfare – something else that I feel very much sums up this particular cohort of young adults."

"Therefore, not only did they secure the outstanding grades they were always destined to achieve no matter what process they had to work through, to me, they never failed to model only the highest of standards to their younger peers in everything from behaviour to uniform expectations, and resilience to aspiration."

"An honour to be a parent of a student in this cohort"

Mr Wakefield added: "It was also an honour to be a parent of a student in this particular cohort and my wife and I wholeheartedly thank our son's teaching and support staff for everything they did for him since he joined the academy at the end of Year 7.

"I also had the pleasure of teaching various groups from within this cohort across three subject areas during their time at the academy.

"I have many fond memories of these lessons and primarily because of the students' attitudes, approach, input and enthusiasm shown in every single lesson we spent together.

"Whilst record numbers will now be staying on with us and progressing into our College, I will conclude by wishing those students and their respective families – families who have themselves been excellent in terms of their supportive approach over the past five years and which was only further evidenced this morning - who will be moving on all the very best for what I hope will be an enjoyable, happy and ultimately, successful future.

"I will miss you greatly but please remember that you will always be part of a very special family – The Plume Family."

Top achievers

Emily Rose: Five grade 9s, five grade 8s and one grade 7

Esme Bowton: Five grade 9s, four grade 8s and two grade 7s

Morgan Brunt: Three grade 9s, six grade 8s, one grade 7 and one grade 6

Ethan Stead: Four grade 9s, three grade 8s, two grade 7s and two grade 6s

Bobby Priest: Two grade 9s, one grade 8, seven grade 7s and one grade 6