Excellence at GCSE including a rise in the top grade 9
Published by Canford School on Thursday 21st of August 2025
This year’s Fifth Form Canfordians have matched the academic excellence of last week’s Upper Sixth’s A Level outcomes with top quality results at GCSE and a rise in the percentage of grade 9s. 28.8% of all Canford papers were awarded the top grade 9 (above an A*), over half (51.7%) of all GCSE grades were 9-8 (A*), with 71.7% of all grades 9-7 (A*-A) and 98.4% of papers graded 9-4 (A*-C).
Canfordians have done tremendously well, significantly outperforming the national, regional and sector percentages. For context, overall grades nationally saw 21.8% of all entries graded 9-7 and 67.1% graded 9-4. Regionally, across the South West the proportion of papers achieving 9-7 grades was 21.4% and across the South East 24.6%. In the independent schools sector, 48.1% of papers were graded 9-7 and 89.6% 9-4. Subject-wise, these superb results spanned the Arts, Humanities and Sciences with particularly impressive results in History (53.5% Grade 9), Drama (40% Grade 9), English Language (39.5% Grade 9), Philosophy and Theology (37.5% Grade 9), Latin (36.4% Grade 9) and Physics (30.5% Grade 9).
Over a third of the 125 pupils in the year group were awarded all 9-8 grades, with nearly two thirds of the entire Fifth Form cohort gaining all 9-7s. Our multi-talented Fifth Formers also found the time to develop their skills across the rich co-curricular life of the school including in high level sport, Music and Drama individual and group performance, Ten Tors and DofE plus in house life supporting and encouraging each other and working so well alongside passionate teachers.
Chris Wheeler, Headmaster, commented: “As I join Canford as Headmaster, these results simply illustrate what I had already sensed, that a culture of hard work, determination and aspiration permeates through every aspect of life here. The credit for these wonderful results lies with the pupils who have achieved so highly and in some cases, I understand, far exceeded their expectations. Thank you also to the specialist teaching staff who I know have worked tirelessly to ensure that pupils were as prepared as possible for their exams.
I am impressed not only by the breadth of excellence across the board of subjects, but also that 84% of the entire cohort of Fifth Form gained at least one 9 or 8 among their grades. This demonstrates to me that at Canford, as in life, success doesn’t come from natural talent but rather from having the right character and attitude. The education here gives every pupil the opportunity to find their niche and the encouragement to develop it and to realise their potential. I am really looking forward to getting to know all the pupils including this Fifth Form group as they move onto the exciting challenge of Sixth Form life in the College at Canford.”
As usual, Canford will publish its full results breakdowns by subject on the school website in due course. This forms part of the School’s ongoing aim to provide clear and comprehensive communications, to give families as full a picture as possible of all that Canford offers, including pupil outcomes in all contexts.
