If receiving their outstanding GCSE results was not already something to celebrate, Harry L’Estrange and Henry Gillham, both now in the Lower Sixth, were delighted to recently learn that they had also secured top marks in the UK for their Art GCSE exams – both achieving the best score possible – 100%. Their success is not only a testament to their hard work, talent and creativity, but also to the support they received from their teachers.
Harry and Henry’s talents go beyond the Art School, and both boys have made significant contributions to the Arts both in and out of school. Henry, a Drama scholar, has excelled on stage in many school productions, and was one of the few young hopefuls invited to take up a place with the National Youth Theatre. Harry, a Music scholar, is an excellent musician playing the piano and violin to elite level, as well as being a chorister in the Chapel Choir.
The Art GCSE exam is known for its rigorous assessment criteria, requiring pupils to demonstrate a wide range of skills and techniques. Henry and Harry excelled in both the portfolio and externally set assignment components of the exam. The externally set assignment challenged them to create a piece of art within a specified time frame, and both boys rose to the occasion, producing outstanding work that impressed the examiners.
Harry told us, “I’m very happy with the result but more so with the fact that the work that I put in paid off so well, so it feels very satisfying to have such a successful outcome.”
The success of Henry and Harry would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of their art teachers, who provided guidance, constructive feedback and inspiration, helping them to push their boundaries and explore new ideas.
Harry went on to say, “This means a lot to me as I was able to obtain the result that I so wanted, and I know that a lot of it was down to the fantastic work that all the teachers put in to helping and guiding our journeys through the course.”
Henry explained, “The school Art department have been brilliant. I was coming in most mornings at 7.00am, which I know isn’t a possibility in other schools.”
Looking Ahead
With their exceptional GCSE results, Henry and Harry have bright futures ahead of them, both continuing their studies in Art. Alongside Art A-Level, Henry is also studying Maths, Biology and Chemistry, with a plan to go into Medicine after Sixth Form. He said, “I think the reason why I have chosen to follow a path in Medicine is because I am very interested in the human anatomy; in Art I love drawing muscles and portraits.”
Harry will also study Music and French, and plans to study Music at university with a view to going on to a career in this field.
Their achievement serves as an inspiration to other students, demonstrating that, with passion, dedication and support, it is possible to achieve great success.
Henry told us, “I remember last year when Eric Breslin (now in Upper Sixth) won the same award, I said to myself that I wanted to achieve the same in a year’s time and it feels nice that I have now achieved this too.”
We hope that Henry and Harry’s achievement will inspire boys further down the school to pursue their artistic dreams, knowing they have the guidance and example of their older peers to follow.
