Outstanding Performances from Putney GCSE Students

Year 11 students at local schools celebrating their success

Top performing Ark Putney students clockwise from top left: Jariyah Redman, Chelsea Ogbolu-Okonji, Eren Tulgar and Olivia Khaki

August 21, 2026

Putney schools marked GCSE results day with a remarkable range of individual achievements. Schools in the area that have published their results have typically seen outcomes ahead of both the national and London averages.

At Ark Putney Academy, students celebrated a strong set of results, with 70 per cent of all GCSE grades awarded at 9–4 and 68 per cent of students achieving 9–4 in both English and maths. The outcomes have secured places on competitive A Level and BTEC courses at high-performing sixth forms and colleges. Among the standout stories was Lilymay Darwish, who took part in the Universify programme in Year 10 and was later referred to Royal Springboard. She has been awarded a full scholarship to Cranleigh School, where she will study History, Politics and Business. She said the programme pushed her outside her comfort zone and encouraged her to seize opportunities that have shaped her success.

Her classmate Jariyah Redman also took part in Universify and celebrated a set of grades that included a 9, three 8s, two 7s, two 6s and a 5. He spoke openly about overcoming significant personal challenges and said the programme helped him realise that university was within reach. Chelsea Ogbolu-Okonji, one of the school’s highest-performing students, earned five grade 9s, three grade 8s and a Distinction*, crediting her mother’s encouragement for inspiring her to aim high.

Other successes included Adam Boncser, who achieved three 8s and five 7s and will begin an Accounting T Level with ambitions of securing a degree apprenticeship. Olivia Khaki, who scored a 9, three 8s and four 7s, will continue her studies at Ark Putney Academy, while Eren Tulgar, who joined the school from Turkey in Year 9, celebrated five grade 9s and will move to The Emmbrook School in September. Scarlett Ki achieved six grade 9s and two 8s, Missun Saedi earned a strong set of grades including a 9 and four 8s, and Chyna Scott celebrated three 9s, five 8s and a Distinction. The GCSE results follow a successful year for Ark Putney’s sixth form, where students achieved 74 per cent A–C at A Level, a 20-point increase on the previous year.

Principal Alison Downey said she was incredibly proud of the cohort, describing the results as the product of years of perseverance and commitment. She highlighted the school’s Sixth Form Bursary, which offers £500 to students achieving six or more grade 7s, as part of Ark Putney’s ongoing support for ambitious young people.

Across Putney, Putney High School celebrated record-breaking GCSE results for the second year running. Eighty per cent of grades were at 8 or 9, with 53 per cent at the top grade 9. More than one in five students achieved nine or more grade 9s, and 98 per cent of grades were at 9–6. The school saw exceptional success in languages, where 100 per cent of grades were at 8 or 9 in subjects including Italian, Mandarin, Latin, Russian, Japanese and Persian.

Francesca achieved four grade 9s in languages including Greek, Italian, Mandarin and Spanish, while Isabel achieved straight 9s including in Spanish. Both students have been awarded the Putney High School Elsa Maud Plant Travel scholarship for Languages which will support them to embark on a university level research project overseas during their time in the school's Sixth Form.

Putney High School Year 11 students celebrate their results

STEM subjects also saw outstanding results, with 89 per cent of grades in Maths at 8 or 9 and more than 70 per cent of grades in Biology, Chemistry and Physics at the highest levels. Audrey celebrated grade 9s across the sciences and Maths, having already secured an Arkwright engineering scholarship for her innovative design work. She has also been awarded the Elsa Maud Plant Travel scholarship for science.

Creative subjects flourished under the school’s Faculty for Creative Visual Arts and Technologies. All grades in Art were at 9, with almost a fifth of the year group taking the subject. Computer Science and Design Technology also saw high proportions of top grades. Gina celebrated ten grade 9s while continuing to perform in major productions with London Children’s Ballet and in West End shows including Matilda. In sport, 100 per cent of grades in PE were at 8 or 9. Isabella, who earned a 9 in PE, has represented Wales in national table tennis, been named Wandsworth Young Sports Person of the Year and served as a ball girl at Wimbledon.

Headteacher Jo Sharrock praised the cohort as talented, ambitious and resilient, describing them as kind-hearted and intellectually curious young people who embrace new challenges and contribute to a supportive school community.

Southfields Academy also reported a successful year, with CEO and Principal Jackie Valin saying she was “absolutely delighted” with both GCSE and A Level results. She said students had surpassed expectations and paid tribute to the hard work of pupils, the support of families and the dedication of staff.

Nationally, 67% of GCSE entries in England achieved Grade 4 or above, a figure almost unchanged from last year and identical to 2019. London, however, has moved further ahead when it comes to top grades. The proportion of entries achieving Grade 7 or above in the capital has risen from 25.7% in 2019 to 28.6% this year, making London the highest‑performing region in England. In the North West, 18.9% of entries achieved Grade 7 or above; in the East Midlands, 18.2%; and in the West Midlands, 18.3%. The gap between London and the East Midlands has now reached 10.4 percentage points, while the gap with the West Midlands stands at 10.3 points, both the widest recorded since at least 2010. Northern Ireland continues to outperform both England and Wales, with 31.7% of entries achieving Grade 7 or above, compared with 21.8% in England and 19.6% in Wales. At Grade 4 or above, Northern Ireland recorded 83.6%, compared with 67% in England and 62.3% in Wales.

The Department for Education said this year’s GCSEs saw the largest ever improvement in maths standards, with 6,000 additional students achieving Grade 7 or above. It described the results as a standout success, noting that almost 8,000 more Technical Award Level 2 passes were achieved compared with last year. The department also acknowledged that inequalities remain visible in the results and said it intends to close the attainment gap and end what it called the resit treadmill.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham congratulated pupils, saying they should be proud of the hard work that led to their achievements. He said that whether students choose sixth form, college, an apprenticeship, a T Level, work or another route, there are now more opportunities than ever to choose their own path. He added that he is determined to bring back hope and give every young person the chance to fulfil their potential.