Eco champion among top performers at Holbrook school

A campaigning environmentalist was among the top achievers with Royal Hospital School at Holbrook as it scooped its best GCSE results in the past decade*.

Students managed to ensure 97% of the 1017 exams taken were graded 9-4 and over 45% were graded 9 to 7, surpassing the school's previous highest results.

RHS Pupil Georgie Stammers achieved an impressive range of GCSEs which included five grade 8s and three grade 7s. She will be going on to take A Levels in Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics at Sixth Form, with aspirations to study motorsport engineering at university.

Georgie joined RHS as a Design & Technology and Sailing Scholar and has certainly made an impact in those areas during her time at the school. She competes in the RHS sailing team, helming a Firefly, and has used her initiative to ensure the local community retains the clean air enjoyed at the school on the banks of the River Stour.

Georgie has strong eco values and wants to make a difference to her environment; as such she approached the Headmaster to ask if she could write to parents about turning their engines off whilst waiting in the school car parks, at the same time as designing, producing and installing signs to go up around the school campus.

A highly commendable action that was rewarded with a Service Award (school colour).

Georgie Stammers (RHS Holbrook)

Also contributing to RHS's success was top performing boy Oliver Goodwin-Day who gained a strong set of ten GCSEs, of which five were at grade 9. Oliver chose Biology, Chemistry, Computing, French, History, Latin and Physics as his GCSE options.

Oliver joined RHS in Year 7 as an Academic Scholar and aims to take A Levels in Computing, Chemistry, Mathematics and Further Mathematics, with a view to studying Computer Science at university.

Oliver said: "My greatest achievement to date would probably have to be getting the role of Deputy Secretary General of the Model United Nations (MUN) in Year 11, and I am soon to be Secretary-General in Year 12. MUN has been a passion of mine since I started in Year 7, when I remember seeing MUN in action on an open morning and was hooked.

"What I love most about RHS is the different people you get to meet through all the extra-curricular opportunities, whether it be in my chosen clubs of Combined Cadet Force and Duke of Edinburgh's Award or through activities in my house (Raleigh). All my teachers have been very encouraging throughout my time at RHS, building my confidence and encouraging growth and development."

Oliver Goodwin-Day RHS

RHS Pupil Emilija Sharples achieved a very impressive seven grade 9s and three grade 8s in her GCSEs, and is going on to study English, History and Psychology A Levels, in addition to an online course in Film Studies. Her chosen GCSE options were Art, Biology, Chemistry, Drama, French, History and Physics and she aspires to study English, History or Film at university.

Emilija joined RHS in Year 7 as an Academic and Art Scholar and is currently a full boarder from Luxembourg. She has lived abroad most of her life with her family and joined RHS on a Greenwich Hospital Bursary, as her father has served over 30 years in the Royal Navy.

Emilija said: "One thing I really appreciate about RHS is the range of opportunities available; it has allowed me to find new passions to pursue and helped me to manage my time efficiently, two things which I will surely value in the future. I enjoy the creative arts immensely; I have participated in both dramatic productions and musical performances at RHS, the highlight of which would have to be gig night!"

Emilija has achieved grade 5 in piano and is hoping to take her grade 5 guitar next year.

She also enjoys being a member of the school Combined Cadet Force.