26/08/2026
I saw a news article last week about the student who had achieved "the best" in this year's GCSEs. There is no argument that she achieved really well but can we really say that she did "the best"?
None of my students achieved a grade 9 this year. In fact, I've never had a student achieve a grade 9 with me but that's not what I specialise in so I'm fine with it.
When the media releases articles such as this, it can damage the self-worth of other students who have worked damn hard to make the progress that they have. I have students who couldn't be more delighted with their grade 5s and 7s because it reflects at least two grades of improvement since their starting points with me. They smashed their targets and achieved more than they hoped possible.
Is it fair to compare a student who's perhaps a natural academic in a fee-paying, high-achieving school with a student who's suffered adversity and yet managed to achieve a grade 4 in maths?
These "the best" stories will always happen and schools themselves often post similar but I really do feel there should be more celebration for others.
What are you thoughts on this? Tutors and teachers, in particular, I bet you have something to say!