Lifelong learning highlighted as diverse College cohort achieve strong results

Staff and students at the Gibraltar College celebrated the GCSE results on Thursday with music, nibbles and squash to mark the achievements of the diverse cohort of students that sat the exams.

Among these were full-time and part-time students in adult education, as well as the traditional 16 to 19-year-old group and one doing a professional development GCSE in French.

The overall pass rate for the Gibraltar College was on a par with both Westside and Bayside at 99% for GCSE and the cohort who completed their Health and Social Care had a 98% pass rate, while those who did Sports had 100% as did the Btech award for Travel and Tourism. These were just some of the results from the vast array of opportunities on offer at the college.

“We are very, very, very happy with the results we’ve had,” said Principal Daniel Benrimoj.

“It's been super, super exciting,” he said.

“We've had very pleasing results. And it's also exciting because we are seeing the wide range of our provision that have got results today."

“So super, super positive.”

Mr Benrimoj, like all other heads of schools on the Rock in both private and public schools, believes in the “value added” aspect of education.

“It's really important,” he said.

“Traditionally, part of our level 2 cohort are those who haven't done or achieved the grades that they expected in the secondary school.”

“So, what we're doing is providing them with a year of more intense tuition where they get a range of different qualifications for them to do.”

“For us, it’s about embedding our true core value that we need to invest in lifelong learning.”

“We need to make sure that those learners that come to us at a very early age realise that what happens today doesn't really define who they are, that this is just the beginning of a process in their entire career, that they need to keep on developing and enriching their personal development.”

Julian Felices, an exams coordinator at the College, explained further and said the data shows some of the students have improved very significantly.

“For example, in Combined Science, we have students who maybe came to the college with a 2:2 from their previous school, and now those students might be now on a 3:3, or 4:4, and even those students who may have scored a four or above, if they've improved from a one to a three, that's still progression, that's still improvement.”

“In our eyes, that's still the student heading in the right direction.”

He added that just in Science alone, this year there were about 30 students who now have at least one more GCSE than they did 12 months ago, “which is very valuable for them moving forward.”

“So when we look at those individual stories, it really shows the value of what we're trying to do here,” he added.

One student who was delighted with her results is Lauren Bruzon who was “feeling amazing” having received them.

“Honestly, I couldn't have felt better. I just didn't expect it to be honest with you,” she told the Chronicle.

“I did doubt myself throughout the years, I will be honest, but the outcome has been incredible. I can't believe it honestly.”

One result she is proud of is in Health and Social Care as it has always been her dream to study the subject.

With this success in the bag, she will continue her studies and go for her A-levels in that subject.

“Because I don't want to sit back and regret it in future and wonder, ‘why didn't I at least try it?’”
“I think if I really put my best efforts, I think I can do it,” she said.

Izzy Morgan felt immense pressure after failing her exams the previous year, and she said she had significant relief when she saw her results, crediting the help of supportive teachers and friends in getting her there.

“Last year, I felt like my heart was so heavy when I failed. I was really confident, and this year I had really great teachers, really great friends, and college really helped me get through it. And when I opened the results, a massive weight came off my shoulders,” she said.

She particularly enjoyed her course in Sports and is now planning to pursue A-levels in Health and Social Care, Sports Studies and, possibly, Biology, which may lead to a career in a related field such as physiotherapy.

The Gibraltar College collaboration with local care agencies was also highlighted by Mr Benrimoj, who said supporting students in achieving qualifications such as GCSEs in Health and Social Care was beneficial not only for individuals, but also contributed positively to the wider community.

One such student is mother of four and full-time worker at the Care Agency, Kathryn Borge.

“This means a lot. I am a mum to four kids. I have been working 12-hour shifts, juggling taking care of my kids and studying. So, getting a Distinction means the world to me,” she said.

She added she was surprised and delighted to receive a Distinction, not expecting more than a pass.

She now hopes to continue her studies and do an A-level in Health and Social Care and, potentially, even go on to a degree in social work.

Another nice element of the day for her was her children’s reaction to her results.

“They're really proud of me.”

“This morning, I had two of my kids asking me ‘Mum, how have you done, how have you done’ [and] it was a really proud moment to be able to tell them ‘mum got a distinction’ and seeing them all jump around,” she said.

Also attaining a GCSE in Health and Social Care was Matthew Bickerstaff who achieved a Distinction too.
“It means a lot because I've always struggled with career paths and all that stuff but, mentally, I've always said that I like helping people,” he said.

“I have been a carer for a number of years now, but getting this qualification takes away that insecurity that I always had of ‘am I good enough as a carer to offer people?’”

“Because obviously, we don't work with computers, we work with humans, and you need to have emotions, you need to have patience and all that stuff.”

“So just doing this allows me now to continue my career and become a nurse.”

Next, he will start the Access to Nursing course which is a six-month course that will allow him to go to university and train as a staff nurse.